9 Different Digital Marketing Types: PPC, SEO, Content Marketing

Digital marketing types encompass various strategies businesses use to promote their products or services online. These digital marketing techniques are essential for reaching target audiences in today’s tech-driven world.

What type of digital marketing you should choose for your business is a tricky question. Outreach Monks found a clear preference for SEO among marketers, with 70% opting for it compared to 30% who favored PPC. Others would say email marketing provides the best results, and some will tell you that social media is the best marketing channel you can invest in. The truth is that top brands combine various strategies to achieve their goals – and this is what you should learn, beginning by understanding each digital marketing strategy nuances.

From content marketing to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, each digital marketing method offers unique ways to engage customers, increase visibility, and drive sales. Understanding the different digital marketing areas is crucial for creating an effective strategy that combines various digital marketing tactics to achieve your business goals.

Read this article, discover which digital marketing types will be the best for your business, and learn what makes each strategy and campaign successful in terms of conversions.

What Is a Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing, in the simplest words, is the practice of promoting brands, products, or services through online channels. It encompasses various strategies and techniques designed to connect with target audiences, drive traffic, and generate leads or sales. Common digital marketing channels include search engines, social media, websites, email, and mobile apps, allowing businesses to engage potential customers wherever they spend their time online.

The key difference between traditional and digital marketing is the possibility of measuring the efficiency of each campaign. To picture this, imagine a simple billboard promoting a specific service. You invest money in a traditional marketing channel, and you can’t check how many people saw your billboard, how many of them considered checking out your company, and what proportion of your real customers were acquired just through this marketing campaign. This way, you can’t calculate ROI and don’t have real data that will tell you whether you should continue investing in similar campaigns.

Conversely, digital marketing allows businesses to track each campaign‘s performance in real time, providing invaluable insights into key metrics such as website traffic, user engagement, conversion rates, and overall visibility. By leveraging advanced analytics tools, companies can assess the efficiency of their strategies, identifying what works and what needs improvement. This data-driven approach makes it easier to calculate ROI, helping businesses understand the profitability of their campaigns and make informed decisions about future investments.

In essence, digital marketing is a crucial part of modern business strategy, helping companies remain competitive and adaptable in the digital landscape. It provides opportunities for brands to engage with customers in a more personalized and interactive way, ultimately driving long-term success.

What Are the 9 Different Types of Digital Marketing?

The most popular digital marketing types include search engine optimization (SEO), pay–per–click advertising (PPC), social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, video marketing, and conversion rate optimization (CRO). Various digital marketing channels provide businesses multiple ways to engage audiences, promote products, and build brand awareness online. Check out which types of businesses benefit most from specific digital marketing strategies and discover what they are best for.

1. Content Marketing

The first common digital marketing type is content marketing. It focuses on creating, distributing, and promoting valuable, relevant, consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. The goal of investing in content marketing is to drive profitable customer action. It’s a long-term strategy that involves building relationships with customers and prospects by providing them with information and resources that are helpful to them.

For whom:

• B2B companies
• Small businesses and startups
• eCommerce and retail businesses
• Service-based businesses

For what purposes:

• Building brand awareness and authority
• Nurturing and educating leads
• Boosting SEO and organic traffic
• Keeping customer engagement

Digital marketers can leverage various forms of content for their digital marketing strategy, including blog posts, videos (educational, entertaining, or promotional), infographics, ebooks, podcasts, webinars, and social media posts. A great example of a content marketing strategy is the HubSpot and My First Million free guide, designed to attract a specific audience and promoted on a standalone page. The landing page also includes persuasive, relevant content, thanks to which attracts users and guides them toward taking the desired action:

Through a strategic blend of content creation, landing page optimization, and keyword targeting, they executed a successful content marketing plan that attracts visitors, captures leads, and fulfills their marketing objectives

The main benefits of leveraging content marketing strategies involve increased website traffic, improved search engine rankings, effective lead generation, boosted brand awareness, and more. Leveraging high-quality, SEO-friendly content can improve your website’s visibility in SERPs, attracting more visitors. While providing valuable information to potential customers can help generate leads, consistent content creation effectively builds brand recognition and trust. Moreover, content marketing can position your business as an expert in your industry.

2. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The second common digital marketing strategy is SEO – Search Engine Optimization. This strategy aims to increase a website‘s organic search visibility by making it more relevant and user–friendly for search engines.

For whom:

• Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)
• eCommerce stores
• Content-driven websites
• B2B companies
• Service-based businesses

For what purposes:

• Increasing organic traffic
• Building long-term visibility
• Enhancing credibility and trust
• Capturing local customers

Unlike paid advertising, SEO is a long-term investment and provides great, yet not immediate, advantages, including sustainable growth, cost–effectiveness, and improved user experience. A strong SEO strategy can enhance your brand’s visibility and credibility. While paid digital advertising stops generating traffic once the campaign ends, SEO is an investment that provides consistent results over time. It can provide a higher ROI as it generates organic traffic that is more likely to convert into customers. A well-optimized, relevant website can build trust with users and improve your brand reputation.

SEO involves on-page optimization, which assumes optimizing website or landing page elements (content, keywords, and page structure); technical SEO, which ensures the website is technically sound and easily crawlable by search engines; and off-page SEO, which involves building high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites.

One great search engine optimization technique is localized SEO, which Airbnb leverages. The company optimized its website for local search by using local keywords, translating listings, and adapting descriptions to reflect regional preferences. Airbnb focused on incorporating local keywords into their content, helping search engines understand the geographic relevance of their offerings.

This case exemplifies how effective SEO strategies can significantly enhance a company’s online presence and user engagement, particularly through localization and keyword optimization.

3. PPC (Pay-Per-Click)

The third popular digital marketing type is PPC. Pay-per-click advertising charges advertisers per click on ads. This model is commonly used for search engine, display, and social media advertising. The PPC strategy provides immediate results, making it perfect for boosting brand visibility or driving sales.

For whom:

• eCommerce businesses
• New businesses and startups
• Local businesses
• B2B companies
• Seasonal or time-sensitive businesses

For what purposes:

• Instant traffic and lead generation
• Targeted audience reach
• Time-sensitive offers promotion
• Brand awareness improvement

There are many platforms where businesses can launch their digital marketing campaigns, including Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Meta Ads, X Ads, and more. Each platform offers various ad types and formats, such as search or video ads, allowing businesses to adjust their campaigns to the specific platforms’ users. Still, despite these differences, all of them are based on one methodology – bidding for ad placement. The goal is to craft an immersive, relevant ad to reach target audiences and generate high ROI.

Thanks to a great keyword implementation, attractive and relevant ad copy, consistency between ads and linked pages, and effective bidding, PPC search ads display on the top of SERP, boosting the brand’s visibility, increasing user experience, and providing a straight path to conversion, as on the example below:

The main PPC benefits include immediate and measurable results, targeted reach, flexibility, and scalability. Advertisers can target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors to reach their ideal audience. PPC allows you to measure the effectiveness of campaigns, giving you opportunities for continuous data-based optimization.

Moreover, campaigns can be easily started, stopped, and scaled up or down to meet changing business needs. It’s a highly flexible and effective digital marketing strategy for those who want to reach their audience quickly and efficiently while maintaining tight control over costs.

4. Social Media Marketing (SMM)

The fourth popular digital marketing type is SSM – Social Media Marketing. This form of digital marketing involves using social media channels to reach and engage with your target audience. By creating and sharing valuable content, businesses can build brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales.

For whom:

• B2C companies
• Small businesses and startups
• eCommerce brands
• Influencers and personal brands
• Nonprofits and social causes

For what purposes:

• Building brand awareness and community
• Triggering customer engagement and interaction
• Driving website traffic and conversions
• Launching new products or services
• Targeted advertising and retargeting

The key areas of SMM involve content creation, community engagement, and paid advertising. Businesses can leverage various social media platform characteristics to reach their target audiences, build long-term relationships, or boost sales. As SMM combines a few digital marketing strategies, it’s a perfect data source, allowing businesses to track and analyze their social media performance to measure the effectiveness of their digital marketing efforts. Moreover, marketers can monitor conversations on social media to identify new trends and opportunities.

Thanks to their huge user bases, social media are the perfect channels for promoting new brands, products, collections, events, and services. For example, leveraging PPC on social media (e.g., on the Facebook platform) is a great opportunity to reach target audiences, build interest, and drive sales. For this purpose, some companies use carousel ads, as shown below. They focus on targeting options, ensuring their ads appear for relevant audiences based on demographics, behavior patterns, and interests.

The main benefits of social media marketing involve increased brand awareness, improved customer engagement, and effective lead generation. Engaging with your audience on social media can build stronger relationships and loyalty. Moreover, social media can help you gather valuable insights about your target audience. Social media marketing effectively boosts sales through both organic and paid strategies.

5. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

The fifth common digital marketing strategy is CRO – Conversion Rate Optimization. This strategy, involving various techniques, focuses on enhancing the number of website visitors who take a desired action, such as purchasing or subscribing to a newsletter. Optimizing various website elements can significantly improve the ability to convert visitors into paying customers.

For whom:

• eCommerce businesses
• Lead generation websites
• SaaS companies
• Content publishers and bloggers
• Startups and small businesses

For what purposes:

• Increasing sales and revenue
• Improving website performance and user experience
• Boosting lead generation
• Maximizing ROI on traffic
• Reducing cart abandonment

Key CRO techniques include understanding the target audience, A/B testing, landing page optimization, and mobile optimization. Thanks to proper analytics, businesses can evaluate a page’s performance, adjust it to user behaviors and preferences, and, as a result, effectively increase conversion rates.

A well-performing page always includes key elements, such as a catchy headline, attractive visuals, social proof, and a strong CTA. As you can see in the example below, well-optimized landing pages clearly convey the value proposition and engage visitors through engaging content that addresses their needs, guides them effortlessly toward the desired action, and minimizes any friction during their journey. This combination helps increase conversions and ensures a seamless user experience that keeps visitors engaged and motivated to take the next step.

The main benefits of CRO are increased conversions, improved user experience, higher ROI, and data-driven optimization. Conversion rate optimization strategies lead to a better user experience, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. These digital marketing methods can improve your return on investment (ROI) – this data-driven process allows you to make informed decisions about your website’s design and functionality.

CRO is best for businesses that already attract traffic but want to improve how effectively they convert that traffic into tangible results, such as sales, leads, or subscribers. It focuses on maximizing the value of each visitor, making it a powerful tool for businesses looking to optimize growth without increasing their marketing budgets.

6. Email Marketing

The sixth popular digital marketing type is email marketing. This strategy is considered as a cornerstone of digital marketing, offering a direct and personalized channel to reach and engage with target audiences. It proves highly effective in cultivating leads, retaining clientele, and endorsing products or services.

For whom:

• eCommerce businesses
• B2B companies
• SaaS companies
• Service-based businesses

For what purposes:

• Nurturing leads
• Delivering personalized content
• Promoting products and services
• Building long-term relationships
• Driving website traffic and conversions

Utilizing email marketing is perfect for nurturing potential customers throughout the sales process by offering valuable content and deals at each stage of their journey. Consistent and personalized email communication is key to establishing trust and loyalty with your audience, which ultimately fosters long-term relationships.

Email campaigns can also be leveraged to showcase products or services, drive sales, and encourage repeat purchases, as you can see in the example below. This simple eCommerce banner sent as a newsletter effectively announces a special offer, building engagement among the target audience and encouraging them to check out the seasonal deals.

The key benefits of effective email marketing include high ROI, measurable results, and targeted reach. Email marketing campaigns are highly trackable, so you can check key metrics to evaluate their efficiency. By segmenting your email list, you can send highly targeted messages to specific audience groups, which boosts relevance and engagement. Additionally, email marketing automation tools can streamline your campaigns, saving time and effort and ensuring consistent communication.

7. Affiliate Marketing

The seventh common digital marketing type is affiliate marketing, which relies on partnering with affiliates to promote products. Affiliates receive a commission for every sale or lead they generate through their marketing endeavors. It works wonders for businesses aiming to boost brand visibility and sales without incurring initial advertising expenses.

For whom:

• Digital products and SaaS companies
• eCommerce businesses
• Content creators and influencers
• Niche businesses
• Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)

For what purposes:

• Increasing brand exposure and reach
• Driving sales and revenue
• Generating qualified traffic
• Increasing trust and credibility

Affiliate marketing allows businesses to tap into the networks of affiliates who promote their products to new and larger audiences. It aims to increase sales. Affiliates endorse products or services through their content, prompting their audience to make purchases using unique links. Businesses only pay when a sale is made, making it a cost-effective way to boost revenue. The additional advantage of this digital marketing type is increased brand credibility. Affiliates usually have established trust with their followers, which makes their product endorsements more reliable.

The simplest example of how affiliate marketing works is the popular platform – Skyscanner. They excel in SEO, providing comprehensive content for travelers and tourists, including guides and professional articles. The company is a reliable source for users. As a result, hotels, airlines, and other industry-related businesses pay commissions to be featured in Skyscanner’s recommendations or lists on its price comparison tools.

Key benefits of affiliate marketing include scalability, performance-based compensation, and increased reach. Affiliates can reach a wide audience without significant upfront costs, and businesses are charged only for results, ensuring a cost-effective approach.

8. Influencer Marketing

The eighth popular type of digital marketing is influencer marketing. It entails collaborating with influential individuals or brands to endorse products or services. These influencers boast a loyal following on social media accounts and can leverage their influence to impact their audience’s buying choices.

For whom:

• B2C companies
• eCommerce Brands
• Startups and emerging brands
• Luxury and lifestyle brands
• Niche businesses

For what purposes:

• Building brand awareness
• Boosting engagement and trust
• Driving sales and conversions
• Launching new products or services
• Reaching targeted audiences

Influencer marketing involves identifying influencers who align with your brand’s values and target audience and creating a strategic campaign that leverages the influencer’s strengths and resonates with their audience. Teaming up with influencers to create captivating content can be a powerful way to market your product or service. For instance, a well-known florist influencer can endorse a product that resonates with their followers, as shown in the example below:

The key benefits of influencer marketing are authenticity, targeted reach, increased engagement, and boosted brand awareness. Influencers have the ability to genuinely endorse your product or service, thereby establishing trust with their audience. By collaborating with influencers, you can reach a highly targeted audience that is more likely to be interested in your offerings.

This approach is perfect for businesses aiming to rapidly connect with specific customer segments and increase sales by leveraging genuine, personalized recommendations from influencers who genuinely connect with their followers.

9. Video Marketing

The ninth and probably most popular digital marketing type is video marketing. It has surged in popularity as a strategy due to its highly engaging and effective nature for connecting with the target audience. Videos can effectively display products, educate viewers, narrate stories, and boost conversions.

For whom:

• Startups and Tech companies
• Educational platforms and content creators
• Service-based businesses
• eCommerce and retail businesses
• B2B companies

For what purposes:

• Demonstrating products and services
• Building brand awareness and emotional connection
• Educating and informing audiences
• Boosting engagement and social media reach
• Increasing website traffic and conversions
• Improving SEO rankings

Businesses leverage videos for various purposes, including product demonstrations, sharing tutorials and guides, showcasing customer testimonials, and more. Using videos is a powerful method to teach audiences about complicated subjects.

Video content is highly shareable and performs well on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, where it can easily engage your audiences and persuade them to take the desired action. Yet, brands can employ explainer videos, webinars, or training sessions to disseminate information, simplifying learning and capturing the interest of potential customers or clients, as you can see in the example below:

The benefits of video marketing are numerous. They include increased engagement, improved SEO, higher conversion rates, and enhanced brand awareness. Videos are highly effective at capturing attention and engaging target audiences. Search engines tend to prioritize video content, so adding videos to your landing page or website can improve your rankings. Short videos shared on social media can help establish a strong brand identity and boost brand recognition. Most importantly, videos are currently the best way to educate viewers about your products or services, making them more likely to convert.

How Do Landing Pages Integrate with Different Digital Marketing Types?

Landing pages play a central role in digital marketing strategies by helping convert traffic from various sources into leads or customers. These focused pages are designed to streamline customer journeys and guide users effectively toward the desired action. Depending on various purposes, they integrate differently with various digital marketing types, as follows:

• Content marketing uses landing pages to guide users from engaging content to actionable offers.
• SEO helps bring organic traffic to landing pages that are optimized for search engines.
• PPC directs paid traffic to conversion-focused landing pages aligned with ad messaging.
• Social media marketing drives users to tailored landing pages, often with specific offers or promotions.
• CRO enhances landing page performance by optimizing elements to boost conversion rates.

These digital marketing types synergize with landing pages to generate leads, sales, and brand engagement. Landing pages provide visitors with a focused and optimized experience, guiding them toward desired actions and ultimately contributing to your campaign’s success.

That’s why you should craft a landing page for every digital marketing campaign. With Landingi, the best landing page platform, you can easily boost your online presence by creating effective landing pages. Landingi offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder, making it simple to design professional landing pages without needing coding skills. Its vast selection of customizable templates allows you to quickly tailor pages to fit your campaign’s goals, whether you’re focusing on lead generation, product promotion, or event registration.

The Landingi platform gives you all the best tools for conversion optimization. Thanks to AI landing page features, you can generate attractive, engaging, and SEO-friendly content for your newly designed page. If you leverage localized SEO strategies, you can use Landingi to craft multi-language pages in minutes – the platform supports 29 languages, allowing you to reach global audiences. Built-in Form Builder lets you create optimized forms for successful lead generation, and thanks to over 180 integrations, you can easily connect the platform with external email marketing software for effortless lead nurturing.

Landingi also offers advanced features like A/B testing, which allows you to experiment with various page versions, and an EventTracker tool for tracking events and user behavior across your pages. These tools help you continuously refine your landing pages for higher conversions and better performance. Access to data is highly important in paid campaign optimization, so Landingi is also a great solution for PPC landing pages.

With its robust set of features and ease of use, Landingi is a powerful solution for marketers looking to build high-converting landing pages quickly and efficiently across all their digital marketing efforts.

Leverage Diverse Digital Marketing Types for Comprehensive Campaign Success

The digital marketing world offers various strategies, each with unique strengths and applications. From the immediacy of PPC to the long-term benefits of SEO and content marketing, businesses have a diverse toolkit to achieve their digital goals.

A well-rounded digital marketing strategy is more than just a collection of tactics. By carefully selecting and integrating methods like social media, email marketing, and CRO, you can create a powerful campaign that helps your brand stand out and achieve its objectives. However, for any digital marketing strategy to succeed, you need a virtual space where conversions occur – that’s why creating well-optimized landing pages is so important.

Try Landingi now and discover how focused pages can help you boost brand awareness, generate leads, and, ultimately, increase conversion.