Digital marketing is yet another term similar to E-marketing. It is a term increasingly used by specialist e-marketing agencies and the new media trade publications. WSI has also adopted the term to refer to its specialist professional qualifications, beyond Certified Internet Marketing Consultant we now have Certified Digital Marketing Consultant.

To help explain the scope and approaches used for digital marketing working Dave Chaffey* developed a more detailed explanation of digital marketing to better scope it:

Digital marketing involves:

Applying these technologies which form online channels to market: Web, e-mail, databases, plus mobile/wireless & digital TV)

To achieve these objectives:

• Support marketing activities aimed at achieving profitable acquisition and retention of customers… within a multi-channel buying process and customer lifecycle

Through using these marketing tactics:

• Recognising the strategic importance of digital technologies and developing a planned approach to reach and migrate customers to online services through e-communications and traditional communications. Retention is achieved through improving our customer knowledge (of their profiles, behaviour, value and loyalty drivers), then delivering integrated, targeted communications and online services that match their individual needs.

The first part of the description illustrates the range of access platforms and communications tools that form the online channels which e-marketers use to build and develop relationships with customers.

The second part of the description shows that it should not be the technology that drives digital marketing, but the business returns from gaining new customers and maintaining relationships with existing customers.

It also emphasises how digital marketing does not occur in isolation, but is most effective when it is integrated with other communications channels such as phone, direct mail or face-to-face.

Online channels should also be used to support the whole buying process from pre-sale to sale to post-sale and further development of customer relationships.

We in WSI apply the full range of off-line and on-line marketing techniques to help you develop and implement the right strategies.  The ones that deliver you maximum return on investment.

* Dave Chaffey is a a best-selling Internet marketing book author