The ten types of digital marketing are search engine optimisation, paid search, social media, paid social, content, email, affiliate, influencer, mobile and video marketing. Your neighbour's provision store taking orders on WhatsApp and the barber running ₦2,000-a-day Instagram ads are already using several of them.
TL;DR
- Ten channels, most of them already in use around you.
- They split into capture, create and retain.
- Specialise in one; understand the rest.
Ten channels, grouped
Capture demand that exists: search optimisation and paid search. Create demand: paid social, influencer, video, display and mobile. Retain and repeat: email, WhatsApp and content that keeps people coming back. Affiliate sits across all three as a payment model rather than a channel.
What each looks like locally
The provision store on WhatsApp is conversational commerce. The barber's Instagram ads are paid social. The clothing brand ranking for its category is search. The fintech paying for sign-ups is affiliate. None of it is theoretical.
Choosing one
Pick the channel your customers already use, or the one your temperament suits: patience for search, fast feedback for paid, language for content. Go deep before you go wide.
Frequently asked questions
Which type is best for beginners?
Search or social, depending on whether you prefer patience or speed.