What Is Digital Marketing? Channels, Strategies & Basics
Digital Marketing — All marketing efforts that use the internet and electronic devices — including SEO, social media, email, paid ads, content marketing, and analytics — to reach and convert customers online.
Digital marketing encompasses every marketing activity that happens online. It's the umbrella term covering search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, affiliate marketing, and more. If it involves a screen and an internet connection, it's digital marketing.
What makes digital marketing powerful is measurability. Unlike a billboard where you guess how many people saw it, digital marketing tells you exactly: how many people saw your ad, how many clicked, how many converted, and how much revenue each campaign generated. This data lets you optimize in real-time.
For modern businesses, digital marketing isn't optional — it's primary. 81% of consumers research online before purchasing. 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. If your business isn't visible online, it's invisible to the majority of potential customers.
Why It Matters
Your customers are online. Whether they're searching Google, scrolling Instagram, or reading email, they're making purchasing decisions digitally. Digital marketing meets them where they are with the right message at the right time — and unlike traditional marketing, you can prove exactly what works.
Key Components
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Ranking your website in Google for terms your customers search. Free traffic that compounds over time. The foundation of long-term digital strategy.
Paid Advertising (PPC)
Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram, LinkedIn — paying for targeted visibility. Faster results than SEO but requires ongoing budget.
Social Media Marketing
Building brand awareness, community, and engagement on platforms where your audience spends time. Organic + paid strategies.
Content Marketing
Creating valuable content (blog posts, videos, podcasts) that attracts your ideal customers and builds authority in your space.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Trying to be on every platform
Master 2-3 channels before expanding. Spreading thin across 7 platforms means mediocre performance on all of them.
No tracking or attribution
Set up conversion tracking, UTM parameters, and analytics before spending a dollar on marketing. You can't improve what you can't measure.
Chasing tactics instead of strategy
TikTok, Reels, Threads — new platforms come and go. Build a strategy based on customer journey, then choose channels that serve it.
How CoreOrbit Helps
CoreOrbit's service offerings cover the full digital marketing spectrum — SEO, paid ads, social media, email marketing, and funnel building. All connected to your CRM so every campaign's results are tracked from first click to closed deal. One platform, full attribution.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I spend on digital marketing?
Most SMBs invest 7-15% of revenue in marketing, with 60-80% of that going digital. Start with what you can afford to test, prove ROI, then scale. Even $1,000/month in the right channel can generate significant returns.
Which digital marketing channel is best for my business?
Where your customers are. B2B: LinkedIn + Google Ads + email. Local services: Google Business Profile + Local SEO. E-commerce: Instagram + Google Shopping + email. B2C: Facebook + Instagram + TikTok + email.
Should I hire in-house or outsource digital marketing?
Outsource until you have proven channels and enough volume to justify a full-time hire. CoreOrbit offers both done-for-you and done-with-you service models.
Explore the full CoreOrbit Glossary