Top 10 Digital Marketing Channels In 2024

By 2040, it is anticipated that 95% of shopping transactions will take place online, with over 4.5 billion individuals actively using the Internet. Utilizing this, businesses today actively obtain digital marketing strategies to promote their products or services online.

But how can you decide which marketing channel to use when so many options are available? This guide by ROI Digitally explores the top 10 digital marketing channels. 

What Are Digital Marketing Channels? 

Digital marketing channels, or digital advertising channels, are online platforms companies and individuals use to advertise their brands, goods, and services to customers.

Websites, social media, email, SEO, PPC, and content marketing are a few examples of online marketing channels. 

10 Effective Digital Marketing Channels for 2024 

1. Social Media Advertising

Data from the Pew Research Center from the previous year indicates that 72% of American adults use social media daily. Social media platforms enable global connections, making social media advertising trends pivotal in internet marketing strategies.

Here are some concise recommendations for social media advertising tailored to each platform:

• Facebook: Use Facebook’s detailed targeting options to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. 
• YouTube: TrueView ads allow viewers to skip after 5 seconds, so make those first few seconds count.
• Instagram: Partner with relevant influencers for authentic promotion. If you sell products, shoppable posts make it easy for users to buy directly from your ads.
• Twitter: Craft short, impactful messages that resonate with Twitter’s fast-paced environment.
• LinkedIn: Keep your content professional and relevant to your target audience. Use LinkedIn’s sponsored content options to reach a wider professional audience.

Additionally, emerging platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, and Snapchat offer avenues for businesses to diversify their digital marketing strategies and tap into evolving social media trends.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Did you know that most online experiences start with a search engine query? 

With so many potential visitors initiating their web journeys this way, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) becomes paramount. Essentially, this strategy aims to enhance a website’s visibility on search engines, thereby increasing the likelihood of attracting relevant organic traffic.

When it comes to optimizing your website for search engines, experts often highlight three primary areas of focus:

• Technical optimization enhances the functionality, accessibility, and performance of digital platforms such as websites and applications.
• On-site content optimization ensures your website’s content positions you as an authority in your field and remains relevant and regularly updated.
• Off-page SEO emphasizes building credibility and improving domain authority through external links. 

Onpage SEO and Off-page SEO.

Achieving significant results with SEO takes time before your optimized content gains traction in search engine rankings.

Furthermore, while aiming to rank first for high-volume keywords is appealing, it may be unrealistic given the intense competition. Instead, opt for more achievable keywords by refining them with modifiers like location. 

3. Content Marketing

Let’s look at the digital marketing channel examples of successful content marketing campaigns. 

Unlike traditional promotional tactics, content marketing aims to inform and educate rather than overtly sell products or services through certain forms:

• Blog posts
• White papers
• E-books
• Case studies
• Infographics 

A well-crafted content marketing strategy yields three times more leads per dollar and incurs 62% lower costs than traditional marketing methods. 

Moreover, when paired with effective SEO practices, content marketing becomes even more powerful. SEO ensures your content is easily discoverable by your target audience when they search for relevant topics or keywords online. By optimizing your content for search engines, you increase its visibility and reach, driving more organic traffic to your website.

Like any strategy, content marketing has its pros and cons. 

On the positive side, it allows companies to showcase their expertise, build authority, and cater to audience needs, thus driving them closer to conversion. However, accurately measuring its return on investment can pose a challenge, especially without robust attribution solutions.

For example, Animalz exemplifies content marketing success through its innovative approach, offering valuable insights for SaaS marketers. By producing tailored, data-driven content, they’ve positioned themselves as industry leaders, earning over 5,500 inbound backlinks and securing a prominent presence on Google’s first page. 

Their benchmark report, analyzing 150 million pageviews, underscores their expertise, resulting in a substantial 6,000-word article. This strategic effort distinguishes Animalz from competitors and ensures they remain the go-to resource for SaaS content marketing.

Animalz crafts articles for enterprises, driving leads and closing deals.

4. Email Marketing

59% of participants acknowledged the influence of marketing emails on their purchasing decisions, affirming the effectiveness of this channel in promoting products and services.

Email marketing involves sending messages to opted-in contacts through platforms like Adobe’s Marketo Engage. The goal is to nurture relationships, convert prospects into customers, and foster brand loyalty among existing clients.

Typically, emails fall into one of four categories:

• Prospecting: Informative emails designed to introduce the brand, share expertise, and provide value.
• Sales: Emails aimed at driving site visits and sales, often featuring special offers or discounts.
• Retargeting: Messages sent to customers who have abandoned their carts or left the site without making a purchase.
• Post-sales referral/review: Emails soliciting feedback and reviews from customers post-purchase.

For instance, Monos employs email notifications to remind customers about items left in their shopping carts, personalized with the customer’s name and the specific product of interest, prompting them to complete their purchase.

Email marketing of Google to share essential information/updates about Pixel phone.

Here are some email marketing tips:

• Ensure your email content remains coherent even when images are blocked, as often by default in many web email clients.
• Experiment with different subject lines to gauge their impact on open rates and conversions.
• Avoid triggering spam filters by removing certain keywords, excessive capitalization, or other red flags.
• Keep your emails concise and focused to cater to the average reader’s preference for brevity.
• Personalize your emails with each recipient’s interests and hobbies to make them relatable. This tends to result in higher open rates.
• Time your emails strategically for maximum impact.

5. Influencer Marketing

A return of $5.78 for every $1 invested in influencer marketing campaigns.

Influencer marketing elevates the power of social media influencers to promote products or services to a targeted audience. 

These influencers are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise within a specific niche. They also have collected a loyal following on social media platforms.

Having a beauty vlogger to review cosmetic products increases reliability and selling conversion. 

There are 3 main types of influencers: 

• Macro-influencers: These are social media stars with massive followings, often in the millions. While they offer great reach, they are the best brand-aware option, and their fees can be high.
• Micro-influencers: These influencers have smaller followings, typically between 10,000 to 100,000 followers. However, they often boast highly engaged and niche audiences, leading to better brand alignment and higher conversion rates.
• Nano-influencers: With follower counts below 10,000, nano-influencers might seem insignificant. However, they can be extremely effective for local marketing to target very specific customer segments.

Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for brands to drive sales, increase brand loyalty, and generate positive word-of-mouth. Consumers are more likely to trust recommendations from people they see as authentic rather than traditional advertising.

Using Influencers in a campaign helps spread the brand’s purposes. 

One successful campaign for the brand Daniel Wellington involved collaborating with Roman lifestyle influencer Federica Scagnetti. The campaign capitalizes on her trusted taste among her 850,000+ followers. 

As showcased in a dedicated post, the brand included her in selecting a color palette for a new accessory line. Daniel Wellington even features a webpage where customers can shop for the accessories Federica Scagnetti chose.

This campaign is totally a hit for both Daniel Wellington and Federica Scagnetti.

7. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is an online marketing strategy where you only pay when someone clicks on your ad in digital advertising channels. The global PPC advertising market is expected to reach a staggering $581.9 billion by 2026, showcasing continuous growth in its importance.

You create text, image, or video ads on platforms like search engines such as Google Ads or social media like Facebook Ads. You choose keywords or demographics to target your ideal audience.  Whenever someone clicks your ad, you get charged a fee.

Google Ads is helpful for local businesses. 

Campaign Types:

• Search Ads: These text-based ads appear on search engine results pages when users search for relevant keywords.
• Display Ads: These are image, video, or rich media ads placed on websites across the web within a publisher network.
• Shopping Ads: Product-focused ads with images, titles, and prices, ideal for e-commerce businesses.
• Social Media Ads: Targeted ads displayed on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, allowing for demographic and interest-based targeting.

Compared to organic search results, your ad can appear at the top for relevant searches, grabbing attention quickly. Brand owners can set budgets and track results to optimize their campaigns.

Imagine, a local restaurant can target users with an “Italian food near me” ad on social media.  You can also enhance the keywords by adding more information based on customers’ searches, such as “near me”, “delivery”,…

By having relevant keywords, your ads will appear on top. 

8. Video Marketing

Video traffic makes up 82% of all internet traffic. Video marketing is a powerful tool using video format to deliver content. It enhances the engaging nature of video to capture attention, communicate information, and evoke emotions in viewers. 

Users comprehend videos faster than lengthy text or static images. Moreover, the format is easily shared across social media platforms, maximizing reach and engagement.

Burberry’s 2021 video ad “Open Spaces” exemplifies the power of video marketing in creating a brand experience. The ad, directed by Megaforce, uses sweeping visuals of the British countryside to evoke feelings of freedom and connection with nature. 

This aligns perfectly with Burberry’s attempt to position itself as a brand that celebrates heritage and the outdoors.  The video successfully generated buzz and brand awareness among its consumers. 

The beauty of video marketing lies in its diverse formats, suitable for almost any marketing objective. From short explainer videos and product demos to customer testimonials and emotional brand stories.

• Explainer Videos: 

Example of explainer videos about a physical phenomenon 

Short, informative videos explaining a product, service, or concept clearly and concisely. Perfect for introducing new offerings or simplifying complex topics.

• Product Demos: 

Professional and eye-catching footage showcases your product in detail. 

Showcase your product’s features and benefits in action.  This is a great way to educate potential customers and build excitement.

• Customer Testimonials: 

Customer testimonials obtain higher trust in your brand. 

Let your satisfied customers speak for you!  Testimonials build trust and social proof by demonstrating the value your product or service delivers.

• Brand Story Videos: 

Storytelling video is an effective way to relate to your customers and introduce your brand. 

Share your brand’s story, mission, and values to connect with your audience on an emotional level. This helps build brand loyalty and create a deeper connection with viewers.

• Event Videos: 

Recap video after events captured memories and attracted future customers.

Capture the excitement of your live events, conferences, or webinars.  Share event highlights to generate buzz and attract future attendees.

• Social Media Videos: 

Short videos or reels are the most popular video format nowadays. 

Shorter, engaging videos tailored to social media platforms. Leverage trends, humor, or user-generated content to grab attention on social media feeds.

8. Mobile Marketing (including Mobile Apps, SMS, and MMS)

Mobile marketing reaches customers on their smartphones and tablets. Statista reports over 60% of all global web traffic originates from mobile devices. It delivers targeted messages, engages audiences, and drives results. 

Here’s a breakdown of the key elements of mobile marketing, including Mobile apps, SMS, and MMS:

• Mobile Apps:

Branded mobile apps offer a personalized and interactive experience for customers. They can be used for various purposes: online shopping, mobile banking, loyalty programs, or notify the latest updates.

McDonald designed My Rewards application for customers to order food, receive promotions, and collect points. 

These apps provide features like push notifications, location-based marketing, and in-app purchases, allowing direct connection for deeper customer engagement and brand loyalty. 

• SMS Marketing (Short Message Service):

SMS marketing means sending text messages to a customer’s mobile phone. These messages can be used for promotions, appointment reminders, delivery alerts, or two-factor authentication.

Mention promotion through  SMS Marketing is one way of direct communication. 

SMS boasts a high open rate, with most messages being read within minutes of being received. It’s a permission-based marketing channel, meaning customers receive messages.  SMS is ideal for sending time-sensitive information or quick updates.

• MMS Marketing (Multimedia Messaging Service):

MMS is more visually appealing and engaging than plain text SMS as it allows sending multimedia content like images, videos, or audio files. This can be useful for sending product catalogs, showcasing promotions with visuals, or sending appointment reminders with location maps.

You can send product catalogs, visual promotions via MMS Marketing, 

9. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based advertising method where affiliates earn commission for promoting another company’s products. Affiliate marketing’s global market value is estimated at $17.3 billion.

Companies partner with affiliates to promote their products or services. Affiliaters usually are bloggers, YouTubers, social media influencers, or website owners. When a customer clicks on a unique affiliate link and makes a purchase, the affiliater earns a commission.

UNIQLO is famous for its Affiliate Marketing program. 

Affiliate marketing offers a cost-effective way to reach new audiences and drive sales. Businesses only pay when they get results, such as sales or leads. 

Types of Affiliate Marketing:

• Cost-per-Sale (CPS): The most common type, where affiliates earn a commission for each sale generated through their unique affiliate link.
• Cost-per-Click (CPC): Affiliates earn a commission for every click on their affiliate link, regardless of whether a sale is made.
• Cost-per-Lead (CPL): Affiliates earn a commission for each qualified lead generated, such as a customer signup or email capture.

Many networks provide detailed tracking tools, allowing you to monitor clicks, conversions, and commissions earned. For example, Integrate Google Analytics can track website traffic and user behavior on your platform. 

Google Analytics is an all-in-one helpful tool for metrics in business campaigns. 

You should test different affiliate link placements, content formats, and promotional strategies to see what drives the most clicks and conversions. To increase conversion rates, a strategic plan for each affiliate is necessary. 

10. Voice Search Optimization

You can use Voice search optimization to optimize your website and content to rank higher in search results into virtual assistants likeSiri, Alexa, or Google Assistant.  

Voice search is becoming increasingly popular, especially on mobile devices. People commonly use voice assistants for quick answers, local business searches, and hands-free tasks, etc. 

More than 50% of users use Voice search to research products. 

People use longer, more specific phrases when searching by voice. Focus on incorporating long-tail keywords and natural language questions related to your niche in your content.

Long tail keywords can also increase Impression Value. 

Imagine your ideal customer and the questions they might ask while searching for your product or service online. Examples include “Best Pho restaurants near me open now,” or “Is there a dog groomer open on Sundays close by?”.  

By translating these natural questions into website content, you can attract potential customers actively looking for what you offer. You are Increased visibility, targeted engagement, and ultimately, more conversions to your brand. 

To improve your website’s ranking for relevant voice search queries, implement schema markup so search engines can understand your web pages’ content and context. Since many voice searches occur on mobile devices, ensure your website has a responsive design that offers a seamless user experience on smartphones and tablets.

How To Choose The Best Digital Channels for Your Business

Focusing on a few key things can help you identify the channels to reach your target audience and help you achieve your marketing goals. 

 Know Your Goals & Audience

Define your marketing objectives. 

• Do you want brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, or sales?  
• Who are you trying to reach? 
• What are their demographics, online behavior, and preferred platforms? 

While brand awareness and sales are common goals, delve deeper. Generate a specific number of qualified leads per month. Define SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) for each digital channel you explore.

SMART goals is a common method in marketing to identify business goals. 

Analyze Your Competitors

Research which digital channels your competitors are using. What kind of content do they create, and how do they engage with their audience? This can give you valuable insights and inspiration in your industry. 

For SEO competitor analysis, you can use SEMrus or Ahrefs. Buzzsumo and Similarweb are great options for content marketing competitor analysis. While working on the social media competitor analysis, use Talkwalker or Sprout Social.

Talkwalker is a tool to analyze your social media competitors. 

Consider Your Resources:

Be realistic about your budget, time, and personnel. Some channels require more investment than others. Focus on channels you can manage effectively at once. 

For example, content marketing might be cost-effective but requires consistent content creation. Paid advertising offers faster results but requires ongoing investment. 

Consider your team’s capabilities. Do you have in-house talent for video marketing or social media management? If not, factor in outsourcing costs when evaluating channels.

Experiment and Analyze:

Use website analytics tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic, user behavior, and conversions for each channel. Identify what’s working and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Test different content formats, ad variations, and channel messaging to see what resonates best with your audience. Then, adapt your approach for continuous improvement.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Choosing the best digital channels marketing for your business will depend on your specific goals, audience, and resources.

Conclusion

Digital marketing provides numerous opportunities for businesses to reach their desired audiences online. Types of digital marketing channels serve different purposes, depending on what a business wants to achieve.

Whether you aim to increase sales, improve brand awareness, or attract more visitors to your website, there are digital marketing channels suited to your goals. To stay ahead of the competition, keep up with market trends and continually update your knowledge. Stay informed and stay ahead with ROI Digitally!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How Do Businesses Select The Right Channels?

Selecting the right digital marketing channels requires careful consideration of several factors:

• Target Audience: Understand your target audience’s demographics, behaviors, and preferences helps identify which channels they frequent the most.
• Business Goals: Align channel selection with specific business objectives ensure that resources are allocated efficiently.
• Channel Suitability: Assess the nature of your products/services and determining which channels best showcase them is crucial.
• Competitive Analysis: Analyze competitors’ presence and success on various channels provides insights into which platforms are effective within your industry.
• Budget and Resources: Evaluate available budget and internal resources helps choose channels effectively managed within constraints.

2. What Challenges Come With Managing Multiple Channels?

Managing multiple channels can lead to challenges such as:

• Maintain consistent brand messaging across platforms
• Allocate resources effectively
• Keep up with platform-specific trends and algorithm changes. 

It requires careful planning, coordination, and monitoring to ensure each channel contributes to overall marketing goals.

3. How Can Businesses Measure Digital Marketing Success?

Businesses can measure digital marketing success through website traffic, conversion rates, click-through rates, social media engagement, and return on investment (ROI). Using analytics tools, businesses can track these metrics over time to evaluate the effectiveness of their digital marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions for optimization.