An Introduction To Multi-Platform Digital Marketing - SEO, PPC, Social Media, Web, Mobile And Email Marketing

multi-platform digital marketing strategy

What Is Multi-Platform Digital Marketing? 

Digital marketing, as opposed to traditional marketing, is any marketing effort that is made through cohesive digital channels like SEO (search engine optimisation), social media, PPC (pay per click), email marketing, websites or mobile/apps. A multi-platform marketing strategy creates numerous touch points between a brand and its audience. By tapping into various communication channels, brands can find more customers, engage with their customers on a deeper level, dominate the online space and make more sales. To decide on the right platforms for their business, brands need to consider their industry, audience, budget and goals. 

If you would like to learn more about multi-platform marketing and how brands can utilise all of the marketing tactics below, you can take part in the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Marketing online short courses - you can click here to find out more. 

Here is a list of some core digital marketing channels that are essential if a brand wants to dominate the online space: 

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) 

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of optimising a website’s content, technical configuration and links so that its pages become more informative, relevant and trustworthy and thus rank higher on search engines like Google. Search engines favour high-quality, trustworthy content that fulfills the needs of web browsers - and SEO is a method that brands can use to demonstrate that they have this sort of reputable content. 

SEO involves a range of tactics - the most important of which are keyword research and implementation. When browsers search online, they use keywords that are relevant to what they are looking for. Brands need to understand the search terms that people are using that relate to their business, and then implement these keywords on their website. Another important factor of SEO is link building, which is the practice of acquiring links to a website from other websites. According to Google’s breakdown of how their results are generated, an important part of identifying trustworthy pages is “understanding if other prominent websites link or refer to the content.” 

SEO also requires a brand to publish valuable content like blogs, ebooks and guides. This content should be industry-related and keyword optimised, because this will drive traffic. Last but certainly not least, SEO involves enhancing website user experience. A website should be fast, easy to navigate, highly visual and bug-free. 

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) 

PPC is a marketing model that allows advertisers to place ads on a platform and only pay when their ad is clicked. The goal of these ads is to encourage potential customers to click on the ad, follow through to visit the website or app, and then complete a valuable action like making a purchase. Search engine advertising is one of the most popular types of PPC - it allows brands to bid for placement in a search engine’s top results, when a browser searches for a relevant keyword. These winning ads are chosen based on various factors, including the quality and relevance of their keywords and ad campaigns, and the size of their bids. Google Ads is the most popular platform for PPC advertising, because Google is the top search engine in the world. 

Social Media Marketing (SMM) 

Social media marketing is a form of advertising where a brand creates and shares content on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter. SM marketing can be paid or organic (unpaid), and involves activities like creating engaging video content; posting photos that are relevant to the brand’s personality, products and/or services; and posting text or articles that establish the brand as a thought leader. Social media marketing helps businesses to increase brand awareness, build communities, drive website traffic, sell their products/services, measure brand sentiment and communicate with customers. When promoting a brand through social media channels, the brand should create tailored content that will appeal to its target demographic. 

Web 

Websites are a fantastic avenue for marketing products and services, because they are a one-stop-shop for all the information related to a brand. A website is one of the primary methods brands have for connecting with their customers and making sales. A good website should communicate everything that makes up a brand - it should capture the brand’s voice, personality, assets and intent, and it should be SEO optimised so that its pages rank on Google and attract more visitors. The goal of most website marketing strategies is to rank highly in search engine results, to generate leads, and to make more sales. A good website should be built with user experience in mind - it should be well designed, functional, easy to use, optimised for mobile, fast, informative, clear and SEO optimised. 

Mobile 

Mobile marketing is, in itself, a multi-platform digital marketing strategy that reaches audiences through phones and tablets via websites, email, SMS messaging, apps and social media. To make the most of mobile, brands should ensure that their website is mobile-friendly and SEO optimised for mobile search terms, announce promotions via text and advertise on social media with a targeted, relevant and engaging social media strategy. To highlight the importance of mobile marketing, here are some statistics published by Google in 2022: 

• 79% of people say they are more likely to revisit and/or share a mobile site if it’s easy to use. 

• A 1-second delay in mobile loading times can impact mobile conversions by 20% 

• Over 50% of web traffic comes from mobile 

Email Marketing 

Email marketing involves using email to promote products and services, and to incentivise customer engagement and loyalty. Email marketing is a powerful marketing channel that can make a big impact on lead generation, brand awareness, engagement and customer relationships. An email marketing campaign is a coordinated set of individual emails that are sent over a certain period of time with one specific purpose, referred to as a call to action (CTA). Examples of common email marketing CTAs include downloading an ebook or article, signing up for a webinar or making a purchase. 

Email marketing requires a brand to create email lists, and this is often the most time-consuming part of the process. Brands can source these emails through newsletter signup forms, existing email lists, customer relationship management software, e-commerce systems or email enquiries. This list then needs to be segmented so that a brand can send targeted emails to their audience based on their interests or demographic information. Often, large scale email marketing involves the use of platforms that allows brands to design emails, schedule them, and send them to different email lists. 

Learn All About Multi-Platform Marketing In The UCT Digital Marketing Online Course 

If you are interested in furthering your education of multi-platform marketing, the University of Cape Town’s Digital Marketing Online Courses will expand your understanding of both traditional and digital marketing, and will teach you everything you need to know to help brands from all industries to make the most of every digital marketing platform at their disposal.

References 

Google / Heart+Mind Strategies, U.S., “Getting Things Done on Mobile,” n=1,847, A18+ smartphone users, Dec. 2020. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/smartphone-productivity-tools-revisit-mobile/ 

Think with Google, “When it comes to mobile, it’s time to stop making excuses”, February 2022. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/mobile-shopping-ecosystem/ 

Google Analytics Data, U.S., Q1 2021. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/mobile-web-traffic-statistics/ 

Google Search, “How Results Are Automatically Generated”, date unknown. https://www.google.com/search/howsearchworks/how-search-works/ranking-results/

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