In simplistic terms, digital marketing is the promotion of products or brands via

one or more forms of electronic media. Digital marketing differs from

traditional marketing in that it involves the use of channels and methods that
enable an organization to analyze marketing campaigns and understand what
is working and what isnt typically in real time.
Digital marketers monitor things like what is being viewed, how often and for how long,
sales conversions, what content works and doesnt work, etc. While the Internet is,
perhaps, the channel most closely associated with digital marketing, others include
wireless text messaging, mobile instant messaging, mobile apps, podcasts, electronic
billboards, digital television and radio channels, etc.

Why Digital Marketing Is Important

Digital media is so pervasive that consumers have access to information any time and
any place they want it. Gone are the days when the messages people got about your
products or services came from you and consisted of only what you wanted them to
know. Digital media is an ever-growing source of entertainment, news, shopping and
social interaction, and consumers are now exposed not just to what your company says
about your brand, but what the media, friends, relatives, peers, etc., are saying as well.
And they are more likely to believe them than you. People want brands they can trust,
companies that know them, communications that are personalized and relevant, and
offers tailored to their needs and preferences.
Manage Customer Relationships Across All Channels

Digital marketing and its associated channels are important but not to the exclusion of
all else. Its not enough to just know your customers; you must know them better than
anybody else so you can communicate with them where, when and how they are most
receptive to your message. To do that, you need a consolidated view of customer
preferences and expectations across all channels Web, social media, mobile, direct
mail, point of sale, etc. Marketers can use this information to create and anticipate
consistent, coordinated customer experiences that will move customers along in the
buying cycle. The deeper your insight into customer behavior and preferences, the more
likely you are to engage them in lucrative interactions.
Challenges Facing Digital Marketers

Proliferation of digital channels. Consumers use multiple digital channels and a variety of
devices that use different protocols, specifications and interfaces and they interact with those
devices in different ways and for different purposes.

Intensifying competition. Digital channels are relatively cheap, compared with traditional
media, making them within reach of practically every business of every size. As a result, its
becoming a lot harder to capture consumers attention.

Exploding data volumes. Consumers leave behind a huge trail of data in digital
channels. Its extremely difficult to get a handle on all that data, as well as find the right data
within exploding data volumes that can help you make the right decisions.

Three Keys to Digital Marketing Success

So, what does it take to do digital marketing right? Here are three keys to digital
marketing success:
1.

Manage complex customer relationships across a variety of channels both

digital and traditional.

2.

Respond to and initiate dynamic customer interactions.

3.

Extract value from big data to make better decisions faster.

Definition - What does Digital Marketing mean?

Digital marketing is a broad term that refers to various and different promotional techniques
deployed to reach customers via digital technologies.
Digital marketing is embodied by an extensive selection of service, product and brand marketing
tactics, which mainly use the Internet as a core promotional medium, in addition to mobile and
traditional TV and radio.
Digital marketing is also known as Internet marketing, but their actual processes differ, as digital
marketing is considered more targeted, measurable and interactive.

Techopedia explains Digital Marketing

Digital marketing includes a raft of Internet marketing techniques, such as search engine
optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) and link building. It also extends to nonInternet channels that provide digital media, such as short messaging service (SMS), multimedia
messaging service (MMS), callback and on-hold mobile ring tones, ebooks, optical disks and
games.
A key digital marketing objective is engaging customers and allowing them to interact with the
brand through servicing and delivery of digital media. This is achieved by designing digital
media in such a way that it requires some type of end user action to view or receive the motive

behind that medias creation. For example, to receive a free e-book, a customer might be required
to register or fill out a form, benefiting the advertiser with a valuable customer or lead.
The rapid evolution of digital media has created new opportunities and avenues for
advertising and marketing. Fuelled by the proliferation of devices to access digital media,
this has led to the exponential growth of digital advertising.
Digital media growth is estimated at 4.5 trillion online ads served annually with digital media spend at 48%
growth in 2010. An increasing portion of advertising stems from businesses employing Online Behavioural
Advertising (OBA) to tailor advertising for Internet users. Though an innovative resource, OBA raises concern
with regards to consumer privacy and data protection. Such implications are important considerations for
responsible communications.
The ICC Commission on Marketing and Advertising seeks to address these issues in the 2011 Consolidated
ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communication Practice, with an entirely new chapter on digital
interactive media. It includes the first globally applicable rules for OBA. The Code provides ethical guidelines to
protect consumers and encourages businesses to achieve socially responsible standards.
The Code has integrated rules that apply to marketing communications using digital interactive media
throughout the guidelines. There is also an entirely updated section dealing with issues specific to digital
interactive media techniques and platforms. Code self-regulation on use of digital interactive media includes:

Clear and transparent mechanisms to enable consumers to choose not to have their data collected for
advertising or marketing purposes;

Clear indication that a social network site is commercial and is under the control or influence of a
marketer;

Limits are set so that marketers communicate directly only when there are reasonable grounds to
believe that the consumer has an interest in what is being offered;

Respect for the rules and standards of acceptable commercial behaviour in social networks and the
posting of marketing messages only when the forum or site has clearly indicated its willingness to receive
them;

Special attention and protection for children.

Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA)

As of 2011, the Code addresses responsibility in the use of online behavioural targeting in the delivery of
advertising.
Definition: OBA refers to the practice of collecting information about a users online activity over time, on a
particular device and across different, unrelated websites, in order to deliver advertisements tailored to that
users interests and preferences.
Code guidance on use of OBA by website operators or third parties on a non-affiliated website
includes:

Clear and conspicuous notice regarding if and how OBA data collection is used. Notice should include
the type of data collected and the purpose for collecting it;

Having an easy-to-use mechanism to let consumers decide about the collection and use of their data
for OBA purposes;

Obtaining explicit consumer consent for OBA in all cases of collecting and using data via technologies
or practices intended to harvest that data from all or almost all websites visited by a particular computer or
device across multiple web domains;

Obtaining explicit consumer consent for creation and use of OBA segments relying on sensitive data;
Maintenance of appropriate physical, electronic and administrative security and data protection
safeguards;
Prohibition of segments designed to target children 12 and younger.

In addition to the guidance offered in the Code, The ICC Commission on Marketing and Advertising brings
experts together to consider new issues raised by digital marketing techniques or platforms to help inform and
advise policy makers on global business perspectives and recommendations. The Working Group on Digital
Media developed a Resource Guide for Self-Regulation of Online Behavioural Advertising which is a useful
companion piece to help companies and trade associations self-regulation online behavioural advertising
(OBA) using the global principles published in the Code.

Globally out of 3.010 billion active Internet users, 2.078 billion are active on
social media with 1.685 billion active on social media via mobile, informed We
Are Socials new Digital, Social and Mobile in 2015. Including stats for more than
240 countries around the world, and profiling 30 of the worlds biggest economies
in detail, this report is the most comprehensive, free compendium of up-to-date
digital statistics and data youll find, Simon Kemp, Asia Managing Partner said.
The 376 pages report also highlights that active mobile social media accounts
have seen the highest year on year growth with more than 23% followed by more
than 21% year on year growth on active internet users. Find more data insights of
the report uploaded on Slideshare.
The Singapore based digital agency known for its APAC reports has once again
included the digital growth in India in its extensive report like it had done in
2014.
Listed below are 7 important stats about Indian digital market that every digital
marketer should bookmark.

1. Out of 243 million active Internet users, 118 million are active on social media with
100 million active on social media via mobile. Growth in the numbers of active mobile
social accounts saw a spike of +39% since January 2014.

2. Average daily television viewing time for Internet users is close to 2 hrs but average
daily use of social media via any device is 2 hours 31 minutes.

3. Total number of active internet users is 243 million and total number of active mobile
internet users is 200 million.

4. Share of web page views via laptop and desktops have a negative year on year growth,
while mobile phones are witnessing a positive growth though the percentage is small.

5. Out of 118 million social media active accounts, 100 million are accessing via mobile.

6. Facebook rules in India when it is about top active social media platforms.

7. Social media activities and watching videos on mobile account 10% each when it
comes to mobile activities followed by playing games on mobile. Interestingly 9% of the
population use mobile banking.