Social Media Marketing vs Digital Marketing – Difference and Comparison

What is Social Media Marketing?

In the past decade, social media marketing has become an essential tool for businesses of all sizes to reach their target audiences. By creating and maintaining a strong social media presence, businesses can connect with their customers and create a community of loyal followers.

Social media marketing is the practice of interacting with and establishing relationships with clients via websites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. By sharing relevant, engaging, and timely content, businesses can connect with their audience and build a better, more trusting relationship. This may then result in an increase in conversions and sales.

An effective social media marketing strategy will include a mix of content, including blog posts, images, and videos. To create engaging content, businesses should focus on their target audience and what types of content will resonate with them.

In addition to content, businesses should also consider using social media advertising to reach a wider audience and promote their brand. When used properly, social media marketing can be a very successful strategy for expanding a company’s consumer base. By creating quality content and engaging with their audience, businesses can build a strong social media presence that will benefit them for years to come.

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is the practise of promoting goods or services to customers or clients using digital technology, primarily the Internet but also including mobile devices, display advertising, and any other digital medium.

Digital marketing is an essential part of any modern business, providing a way to reach and engage customers with little to no cost. It has become a necessary part of any marketing strategy, as more and more people are using the internet to find products and services

Digital marketing is an incredibly vast and complex field, made up of many different facets. There are a few key areas that most businesses focus on when it comes to digital marketing: website design and development, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing to reach and engage customers.

While some businesses may choose to focus on one or two of these areas, in order to be truly successful with digital marketing, it’s important to have a comprehensive and well-rounded strategy that incorporates all of them.

Difference Between Social Media Marketing and Digital Marketing

  1. Social media marketing is about creating and sharing content on social media platforms to build relationships and interact with potential and current customers. Digital marketing is a broader term that includes all marketing activities that take place online, including email, search engine, and display advertising.
  2. Social media marketing is free or low-cost, while digital marketing can be more expensive.
  3. Social media marketing requires regular engagement and updates, while digital marketing can be more passive.
  4. Social media marketing is more conversational and personal, while digital marketing is more formal and impersonal.
  5. Social media marketing is more flexible and can be adapted quickly, while digital marketing is more planned and structured.
  6. Social media management can be used to drive traffic to a website or blog, whereas digital marketing can be used to increase website conversion rates.

Comparison Between Social Media Marketing and Digital Marketing

Parameter of ComparisonSocial Media MarketingDigital Marketing
FocusCreating engaging contentPromoting content
RequirementStrategic approachTactical
PurposeTo create a brand identity and voicePromote brand awareness
Audience and TargetUsed to create custom audiencesUsed to target general audiences
MotiveBuild relationships with customers and followersGenerate leads and sales

References

  1. Social Media Marketing – Dave Evans, Susan Bratton, Jake McKee – Google Books
  2. A Critical Review of Digital Marketing by Madhu Bala, Deepak Verma :: SSRN