What is digital marketing and what does online marketing include? The main channels, a map of marketing terms with links to read on, how a small shop can start, and which numbers to watch.
Digital marketing is promoting products and services through digital channels such as social media, websites, search engines, email and marketplaces. The aim is for people to know the shop, take an interest and decide to buy, with results you can measure in real numbers. This article is an overview, with a map of terms that leads you to read on one topic at a time.
Key takeaways
- Digital marketing is marketing through digital channels, and it can be measured in numbers
- The main channels are social, search, email, marketplaces, content and ads
- A small shop need not use every channel; pick 1 or 2 where customers are
- The term table in this article leads to a detailed read on each term
What is digital marketing
Digital marketing uses online channels to make people aware, interested and ready to buy. Unlike older marketing with signs or print, the shop sees numbers at once, such as how many people saw a post, how many tapped the link and how many orders came in.
In Thai it is often called online marketing, which means the same thing. People who search for it usually want to know two things: what it includes, and where they should start.
What does online marketing include
These are the main channels a small shop meets most often. The table shows what each is good for.
Main digital marketing channels
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Each channel does a different job. Some help people discover you and some help them decide. A good shop rarely relies on one channel, but it does not need every channel at once.
How the channels connect
A common way to think is as a customer path of 4 steps. Each step uses different channels and numbers.
Customer path and the channels used
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Why this matters: if a shop runs ads to get many people to discover it but the product page is not ready, people arrive and do not buy. A strong-looking number like views therefore does not mean sales. See an example of connecting social to closing a sale on a marketplace in from social to marketplace.
A map of digital marketing terms
Online marketing has many terms. This table groups the ones people often ask about, with a short meaning. The linked ones are articles you can already open.
Digital marketing terms by group
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NoteRead on, term by term
Every term in the table links to a full explainer with examples. New to this? Read one group at a time, top to bottom.
Where should a small shop start
Most small shops have limited time and budget. Doing every channel at once often leaves none done well. Try these steps.
Know who your customer is
Write briefly how old they are, what they like and which apps they use.
Pick no more than 2 main channels
Choose where customers really are and where the shop can post consistently.
Get the shop front ready
A clear profile, products with good photos, and price and how to order easy to see.
Plan 30 days of content
Set topics and posting days ahead so you need not think anew each day.
Check numbers every week
Choose 2 or 3 numbers, see whether they rise or fall, then adjust one thing at a time.
ExampleInvented example
An invented shop sells sunscreen through Instagram. It picks 2 main channels, Instagram and LINE. Instagram helps people discover and take interest, then invites them to add LINE to answer questions and close the sale. It skips SEO and ads until it has time and enough numbers.
For a content plan you can follow, use the first 30 days content plan for a new shop as a template, and if you are thinking of boosting a post, read the checklist before boosting a post first.
Which numbers to watch
Online marketing is measurable, but there are so many numbers that it is easy to get confused. Start with these.
Basic numbers to watch
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To decide what to do after you look, read read social analytics to decide where to invest, and if you are still unsure what to sell, see what to sell online: low-cost product ideas for new sellers.
Checklist to start digital marketing
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Is there a service for a brand-new shop
A shop that has just opened its account and wants it to look less empty before it starts promoting can consider Instafollow's follower service. It does not guarantee sales, reach or marketing results, and does not replace good products and consistent content. See Instagram follower service or the free trial, available only for services that offer one.
ArticleWhat Is Social Media Engagement and How to Calculate ItEngagement is the number of times people interact with a post, such as likes, comments, saves and shares. See what counts on each platform, two engagement rate formulas and a worked example.If you want to know how to work with content makers:
ArticleWhat Is a KOL? KOL vs Influencer vs KOC ExplainedWhat is a KOL and how does it differ from an influencer and a KOC? A three-way table, which one a small shop should use when, how to find KOCs among your customers, an outreach message and what to check before hiring.And the services for your shop's Instagram account:
ServiceBuy Instagram Followers, Likes & Reels ViewsGrow your Instagram with followers, likes, Reels views and comments. See the price per 1,000 up front, pay by PromptPay, and never share your password.Questions about online marketing
What is digital marketing
Marketing through digital channels such as social media, search engines, email and marketplaces, so that people discover, take interest and buy, with results measurable in numbers.
What does online marketing include
The main channels are social media, SEO, marketplaces, online ads, email and LINE, and working with creators.
Which channel should a small shop start with
Start with 1 or 2 channels where customers really are and where the shop has time to post consistently. You need not use every channel.
How much budget does digital marketing need
There is no fixed figure. You can start at almost no cost by making content yourself. Start ads with a small test budget and measure before adding more.
How is online marketing different from traditional marketing
It is measurable in more detail and faster, such as seeing taps and orders at once, and it can target a more specific audience.
Do I need to learn every term before starting
No. Start doing it and learn terms as you meet them. The term tables in this article are a starting point for reading one topic at a time.
Summary
Digital marketing is marketing through measurable digital channels. A small shop starts by knowing who the customer is, picks no more than 2 channels, gets the shop front ready and checks the numbers weekly. Use the term tables above as a map to read on one topic at a time.
