Digital Marketing vs. Social Media (And Why You Need Both!)
Sometimes the terms “digital marketing” and “social media” are thrown around synonymously, but in fact there are important distinctions between the two. This is especially true when establishing your strategic business goals and allocating resources to build your business online.
What’s the difference between digital marketing and social media?
The difference between digital marketing and social media is a little bit like the difference between strategy and tactics. As you’ll recall, a strategy is a longer-term plan or set of plans that help you achieve a goal, while tactics are nearer-term steps to help you get there.
You likely already know that there are many reasons to invest in content marketing, including digital and social. So let’s take a closer look at each.
Ultimately, you need both digital marketing and social media to generate meaningful business growth.
What smart brands want is not just “exposure” or even “engagement” but measurable and meaningful growth, as defined by revenue and profitability. That’s the outcome of solid digital marketing.
Meanwhile, social media planning helps you cut through the noise of any specific platform. Social media strategists ensure you’re getting the right message in the right place, in front of the right people. That’s the outcome of a good social media plan.
Social media itself is not a strategy, but social media is important as a tactic to amplify your message inside a larger digital marketing strategy.
Smoother social media operations within an overarching digital marketing strategy? Say goodbye to wasted resources, hello to increasing profitability.
How do you define digital marketing?
We think of Digital Marketing as the careful development of a branded online presence alongside curated market outreach aligned with strategic business goals.
Digital marketing (aka online marketing) helps businesses connect with potential customers online, using digital communication and the internet.
Digital marketing includes social media, but also encompasses blog content, email, text, multimedia messaging, and online advertising.
What exactly is the definition of social media, again?
Social media can be defined as the web-based applications (apps, games, and tools) that allow people to share content and interact. It was historically known as "social networking" and is still evolving as our digital environment is rapidly changing.
Social media planning outlines your goals, tactics, and metrics across these web-based applications and social channels.
How should businesses use digital marketing in 2023?
Any marketing campaign that uses digital communication channels is considered digital marketing. So digital marketing strategy helps you position your business in the marketplace. It ensures you retain your best current customers while attracting the right new customers.
Digital marketing is essential to any marketing in 2023 because of its profound size and reach. Consider these statistics from Demandsage.com:
Some 5.07 billion people around the world are on the internet as of 2023.
The global reach of social media has grown to 4.74 billion people as of January 2023.
An estimated 63.5% of the world population has access to the internet.
So you’d be remiss if you were only focusing on social media for business growth, without considering direct communications and online advertising.
So, how should businesses use social media in 2023?
This year, we recommend taking a look at the latest algorithm-friendly approaches tailored to specific apps – whether on TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or some combination of the above plus even newer apps like BeReal. We’re monitoring app development trends such as AI-powered chatbots, expansion of the cloud, and the expanding metaverse.
Social media methods consider how to use in-app options like reels, stories, and posts. They consider how to use colors, imagery, text, emojis, stickers, filters and effects. They tell you how to engage with accounts and users – how and how often.
It’s not merely about content pillars and cat filters anymore (if it ever was).
As algorithms change and evolve over time, all businesses must be prepared to adapt.
This doesn’t mean you have to take on every new trend as it happens – or at all! Instead, we coach our clients to regularly evaluate trends and make more conscious and intentional decisions.
It means you should re-evaluate what you are doing periodically – by reviewing data monthly and being ready to make slight pivots every six months to a year. Time, attention, and resources given to social media efforts should be allocated accordingly. Think about how your brand could communicate via smart devices, wearables, and voice assistants, as examples.
What goals, KPIs, and metrics are needed for strong digital marketing strategy and useful social media outreach in 2023?
The best digital marketing strategies and methods are custom-tailored and results-driven for the stage of business you're in now and where you want to go – in alignment with your brand. They clarify your goals, outline key performance indicators (KPIs) and establish clear metrics.
The best digital and social strategists take into consideration your particular business’s current goals and objectives. They assess your existing team capacities and strengths, and weaknesses. And – not for nothing – they bear in mind your budget and potential ROI of any digital or social initiatives.
That way, you and your team take on only the tasks that best fit for your business needs, at this very moment. Find the synergies between social media shares and other parts of your ongoing marketing, like regular blogging and gathering testimonials.
Creating excessive content for multiple channels and chasing vanity metrics (likes, loves, followers) can be a road to burnout. The old adage that “more” equals “growth” is no longer true.
The bottom line for digital marketing and social media decision-making?
Everyone has something to say about digital marketing and social media – your friends, your family, your clients, your advisors, your next-door-neighbor who’s practicing “the box” in their kitchen every night hoping to “go viral.”
The internet itself is chock-full of the strongly worded, “You must do this!” -style opinions. As a result, the digital and social cacophony can become almost overwhelming. However, if you’ve ever felt scattered or paralyzed by the advice out there – remember that this kind of easily-accessible free advice is often outdated and irrelevant tactical advice that is safe to ignore at any given moment.
So be careful who you listen to regarding digital and social strategy. Find advisors with tool-agnostic perspectives and deep industry expertise. Look for brand-savvy guides who (1) can coach you to make the most of everything you’ve got and who (2) absolutely have your own best interests at heart.
