Theory: Digitalisation and Tourism

The internet and emerging technologies are profoundly influencing the way we consume, interact, search, and learn in today's world. Digital marketing, a subset of marketing, aims to modify traditional marketing strategies, methods, and instruments to suit the constantly evolving digital landscape.

Digital Marketing involves utilizing the internet, mobile platforms, social media, search engines, and other digital platforms to target and engage with a specific audience.

Digital marketing is a popular approach for reaching a target audience because of the widespread use of the internet among consumers. Small and medium-sized companies have access to digital marketing, which provides better targeting capabilities and allows for personalization. Additionally, it utilizes advanced analysis and feedback tools to improve its performance and yield a higher return on investment (ROI). Digital marketing takes advantage of current consumer habits and offers endless customization options to meet the needs of the business. It can also be applied across various mobile platforms.

The main forms of digital marketing are (based on digital skills):

• The PPC advertising

PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, advertising is a popular digital advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked. It is a way to drive traffic to websites, increase brand visibility, and generate leads or sales. The most well-known platform for PPC advertising is Google Ads, but there are also other platforms such as Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, and Twitter Ads that offer PPC advertising options.

In PPC advertising, advertisers set up campaigns by selecting keywords, defining a target audience, setting a budget, and creating compelling ad copies. When a user performs a search or visits a website, an ad auction takes place, determining which ads will be displayed and in what order based on factors like bid amount, ad quality, and relevance. Advertisers select relevant keywords and set a maximum bid amount, which represents the highest amount they are willing to pay for a click on their ad. The ad's position in the auction is determined by the bid amount and other factors.

When a user's search query or website visit matches the keywords selected by the advertiser, the ad is eligible for display. The ad appears alongside organic search results or within websites and social media platforms as sponsored content. Advertisers are only charged when a user clicks on their ad, and the cost per click (CPC) may vary based on competition and ad quality. Advertisers have control over their budget and can set spending limits.

PPC advertising offers immediate results, targeted advertising, measurable performance, and cost control. It allows businesses to reach their target audience, increase online visibility, and achieve marketing goals. Advertisers can track campaign performance and make adjustments to optimize their results by refining keywords, ad copies, or targeting parameters.

Overall, PPC advertising is an effective digital marketing strategy that provides businesses with a means to reach their audience, drive traffic, and achieve specific marketing objectives while maintaining control over costs and performance tracking.

• The social media marketing

Social media marketing is a powerful strategy used by businesses to promote their products, engage with their audience, and build brand awareness. It involves creating and sharing relevant content, running targeted ads, and actively interacting with users. By leveraging popular social media platforms, businesses can connect with a wide audience and benefit from features like audience targeting, influencer collaborations, analytics tracking, and social listening. Social media marketing offers benefits such as increased brand visibility, enhanced customer engagement, targeted advertising, and valuable consumer insights, making it a crucial component of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.

• The email marketing

Email marketing is a form of direct digital marketing that utilizes emails to connect with a company's target audience. It entails sending out informative or promotional content with the aim of raising awareness about a product or brand and generating leads or sales.

In a company's marketing strategy, email marketing holds significant importance as it facilitates the development of customer relationships and ensures ongoing engagement with customers even when they are not making immediate purchases. As an email marketer, you are given the privilege of being a guest in your customer's inbox, which enables you to communicate with them on a more intimate and personal level.

• The content marketing

Content marketing refers to a strategic marketing approach that focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience. The goal of content marketing is to provide information, educate, entertain, or inspire the audience, rather than directly promoting a product or service.

Instead of using traditional advertising methods, content marketing aims to build brand awareness, establish credibility and trust, and ultimately drive profitable customer action. It involves creating various forms of content such as articles, blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, e-books, and more, tailored to meet the needs and interests of the target audience.

Content marketing relies on understanding the audience's preferences and interests, and delivering valuable content that addresses their pain points or provides solutions. By consistently delivering high-quality content, businesses can attract and retain a loyal audience, enhance their reputation as industry leaders, and increase the likelihood of converting audience members into customers.

Overall, content marketing focuses on creating and sharing valuable content to build relationships with the target audience, ultimately driving profitable customer action and contributing to the company's overall marketing objectives.