Digital Marketing vs. Social Media: Why The Two Work so Well Together

The Rise Of Digital Marketing 

As of 2018, statistics show that 86% of Americans use the internet daily. . The widespread use of this technology has continued to grow in the 21st century. At the dawn of the new millennium, only about half of the US population used the Internet.

The increasing use of the Internet is one reason for the growth of digital marketing. Over time, digital marketing has proven itself more effective than the older, more “traditional” techniques.

The question business owners often have is where to focus their marketing efforts and if their marketing dollars should be channeled into social media or behind other digital marketing initiatives.

What many business owners may not realize, is that it’s not really a digital marketing vs social media scenario. Social media actually works to support your digital marketing efforts. Here’s how the two can work in concert with each other.

It’s Not about ‘Digital Marketing vs Social Media’

About 70 percent of North Americans have at least one social media account today,  with the number of new social media users steadily rising.

Social media is, by and large, where your audience is. If you’re going to invest in digital marketing, you should be using social media to reach your audience.

In fact, digital and social media marketing go hand in hand together.

Social Media Gives You a Signal Boost

Although most people use the Internet, they’re not necessarily visiting your website. They may not even be aware of your agency until they perform a search for something you can offer them.

Even then, it’s easy to be drowned out by your competitors. Social media gives you a way to get your message in front of the people you want to see it, also known as your target audience.

Consider this scenario: You write a great blog post about why Millennials should get life insurance. You post it to your site.

A few days later, you check the metrics on this post. You have a handful of views.

Now you make an Instagram post about this new blog post. You add hashtags relevant to your audience. Your blog post is now getting more traffic.

When you posted to your website alone, only people searching for your site or life insurance found the post. When you posted to Instagram, you reached a much broader part of your target audience.

Interacting with Your Audience

Social media also brings an interactive element to your marketing and helps you stay front-of-mind with your audience.

When you only post your new blog content on your website, it’s unlikely you’re reaching a wide audience. It’s even less likely these people will engage with the post.

Social media is interactive in its very nature. Your Instagram post may attract likes, comments, and the possibility of users sharing it with each other.

People may even start asking questions or sending you requests for quotes. You’ve now started to convert traffic into leads. More leads will translate into higher sales, more clients, and increased revenue

Make Social Media A Part of Your New Digital Marketing Strategy

As you can see, asking about “digital marketing vs social media” isn’t the question you need to be asking. The better question is ‘how can you best use social media to support your digital marketing efforts’?

If you’re ready incorporate social media or revitalize your marketing efforts, talk to us. We can help you make the most of digital marketing and social media with our done-for-you strategy.