For the longest time, social media marketing and digital marketing have somewhat been used interchangeably in the marketing space. Most people can’t even tell that they are different entities, well the majority of the blame stems from the rise of social media like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter as key components of every brand marketing campaign and also because newbies mostly adopt social media in the marketing world. But what is our take on this? One thing we know is that social media marketing is just a drop in the ocean of digital marketing; It’s a fraction of the entire strategy incorporated under digital marketing. Although when used right, social media marketing is massive and the most reliable digital marketing strategy.
Digital Marketing Vs Social Media Marketing
Both marketing strategies work for the sole purpose of increasing the profitability of the business, but how it is executed is different. For example the tools used and the communication materials.
Digital Marketing
Since digitalization, businesses have evolved, taking complete control of what the internet and digital technology offer. The advent of digitalization birth the rise of digital marketing as the answer to all-round profitability for businesses. And as stated earlier, digital marketing is expansive, for it involves offline mediums like SMS and TV compared to social media marketing which utilizes social media platforms alone.
Digital marketing is multifaceted and has a lot of layers underneath; finding the right one to explore depends on factors like; Business type, Target Audience, Short and long-term goals, Budget, etc.
Components of a digital marketing strategy include;
- Affiliate Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Mobile Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Pay Per Click Advertising (PPA)
A digital marketer is usually the one who decides which digital marketing strategy works best for the growth of a business. The factors mentioned earlier are considered to determine the right approach.
Social Media Marketing
Simply put, social media marketing involves using social media to promote a product or service. When done correctly, social media marketing is effective for the growth of a business and increases ROI. Customers and social media enthusiasts nowadays resort to social media because it proffers the opportunity to engage with companies directly. One can pick up their smartphone and send a DM on either Instagram or Twitter to inquire about a product or service. Social media marketing works best for B2C as compared with digital marketing, which encompasses both B2C and B2B respectively.
Also, when it comes to the execution of strategy, social media marketing utilizes way less time than digital marketing because it focuses on the relevant social media channel for the business type. There are many social media platforms, but not all are relevant to your business needs. For example, if you own a photography studio, promoting it on Twitter wouldn’t be as effective as when it is advertised on Facebook and Instagram. The latter is set up majorly for visual representations like videos and pictures to be seen by users. Not all social media platforms should be explored. Tailoring your social media strategy to specific platforms saves you time and money.
Below are examples of social media platforms that can be explored for your business needs;
- Facebook (now Meta)
- Snapchat
- Quora
- TikTok
- Discord
- YouTube
Takeaways
Social media marketing is a vital component of a much larger digital marketing strategy. And they both have different approaches in regards to their strategies as well. Digital marketing is expansive, whereas social media marketing is streamlined to the social media platform in question. However, they both depend on each other and require proper research of the marketing industry and the business-type to maximize profits through the marketing efforts.
