What Is Emarketing?

Emarketing (also called electronic marketing and digital marketing) is the practice of using the internet to promote your products or services. And it has the potential to connect you with a massive audience.

Why?

Because billions of people use the internet to find information, connect with others, shop, and be entertained every day. 

We'll explore some specific channels marketers use in detail later in this guide. 

But now that we’ve defined electronic marketing, let's first see how it compares to traditional marketing.

Emarketing vs. Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing and emarketing are similar in approach. But differ in where they reach target audiences.

That means traditional marketing relies on offline methods to reach customers. Like running newspaper, TV, radio, and billboard ads. And participating in events like tradeshows.

It can quickly become expensive. But it’s often great for growing brand awareness.

Emarketing reaches audiences via channels like search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and digital advertising (display ads, search ads, etc.).

The learning curve is a bit steeper for emarketing. But it’s ideal for reaching specific audiences and precisely tracking performance.

For example, you can easily measure whether you’re appearing for valuable search terms using Position Tracking.

7 Emarketing Types + How to Get Started

1. SEO

SEO is the process of improving your website’s visibility in search engines’ organic (unpaid) search results. Which makes it easier for people searching topics related to your niche to find you.

This is important. Because online search is one of the primary ways people discover brands.

And appearing in organic results gives you visibility without having to pay anything aside from the cost of what it takes to create that content. Unlike ads, which involve paying a certain amount for each click.

Look at Udemy as an example. They attract millions of visitors to their site through search.

How to Do It

A lot goes into SEO. But one of the main components is to find the words and phrases your audience is searching for. This is known as keyword research.

And you can do that using Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.

Just enter a broad term related to your business. And the tool will show a long list of related keywords.

Choosing the right keywords often comes down to finding terms that are particularly relevant to you.

But you should also look for terms that have a reasonable number of monthly searches. And that you can feasibly rank for.

To do this, enter your domain in the “AI-powered” search bar. You’ll then get a Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD %) score—a measure of how difficult it will be for your specific domain to rank for a given term.

Once you find some good keywords, you need to optimize existing pages or create new pages for these keywords. By including them in places like the title, subheadings, and body content.

It’s also a good idea to try to gain backlinks (links from other websites that point to yours) and ensure your website is healthy from a technical standpoint. To increase your odds of ranking in search results. 

If you want to learn how to do all of this in detail, read our SEO for beginners guide.

2. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is about more than just posting updates; it's about building a community, fostering relationships, and establishing your brand's presence where your audience spends their time. A strong social media presence can drive brand awareness, engagement, and ultimately, sales.

The keys are to choose the platforms where your audience is most active and to consistently provide valuable, engaging content.

For example, Lego has a strong presence on Instagram. They regularly engage with their audience by sharing photos and videos of creative builds.

How to Do It

1. Choose the right platforms: Start by identifying the social media platforms where your target audience spends the most time. Use Semrush's One2Target tool to gain insights into your competitors' audience demographics and social media preferences. Enter at least one competitor's domain into the tool, go to the "Behavior" tab, and look at the "Social Media" section. This will help you prioritize the platforms that matter most to your business.

2. Create compelling content: Develop a content strategy that resonates with your audience. This could include photos, videos, or text posts that inform, entertain, and inspire your followers. Leverage the power of tools like Semrush's Social Content AI to effortlessly generate unique and engaging content ideas, captivating visuals, and on-brand copy.

3. Streamline your workflow: Use tools like Semrush Social Poster to schedule your posts, manage your social media accounts from one central location, and track your performance. The easy-to-use calendar interface, draft saving, and AI Assistant make content creation and scheduling a breeze.

4. Analyze and optimize: Regularly review your social media analytics to understand what's working and what's not. You can also use tools like the Social Tracker to see what your competitors are posting—and use these insights to refine your strategy. 

3. Email Marketing

Email marketing involves using email messages to engage with your audience and promote your products or services. And this form of emarketing has the added benefit of reaching people directly in their inboxes.

For example, eyewear brand Warby Parker regularly sends emails with updates on new collections, special offers, and educational content on how to choose the right frames.

Image Source: Really Good Emails

This helps them maintain strong relationships with their audience.

Plus, email is ideal for personalized communications that allow you to speak directly to different segments. And it can be great for remarketing messages that persuade previous customers to buy again.

How to Do It

The first step to start using email for marketing is to collect email addresses to build your email list. Which you can do by adding a sign-up form on your website. 

Then, decide what emails to send. 

You can send weekly newsletters, regular promotional emails, seasonal campaigns, etc.

And use an email service like SendGrid to send your emails.

Platforms like these also help track performance. So you can see how many people opened your emails and clicked on links within them.

4. Digital Advertising

Digital advertising involves running ads in various places online. And this emarketing activity can be used to generate brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales.

Some popular places where you can show ads include:

• Search engines like Google
• Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram
• Video platforms like YouTube
• Other websites your audience visits

One of the biggest perks of digital advertising is that you can start seeing results almost immediately. 

Ads are also a great avenue for experimenting. And trying different approaches to targeting, imagery, and messaging.

For example, Dollar Shave Club (a razor company) became known for their funny video ads on YouTube and social media. 

How to Do It

Here’s a quick overview of the main steps involved in launching a successful advertising campaign.

First, define what you want to achieve with your campaign. Such as increasing brand awareness or boosting sales.

After that, select the platforms where you want to run your ads. Then, decide how much you’re willing to spend on your campaign and allocate your budget accordingly.

Next, craft compelling ad content. Which is often easier when you gain some inspiration from your competitors’ ads. 

Use the AdClarity app to get those insights.

You can then apply what you learned to your own campaigns.

Once your ads are live, regularly monitor their performance to ensure they’re delivering results. And adjust future campaigns based on what you learn.

5. Affiliate Marketing


Affiliate marketing involves paying publishers (like blogs, websites, or content creators) to promote your products or services. And you only pay when you get results like sales or leads. 

Many brands do this by joining an existing affiliate program.

For example, let’s say you’re a merchant who sells products on Amazon. 

That makes it possible to have your offerings promoted via Amazon’s affiliate program. Which many publishers use.

Case in point, Wirecutter (a popular review site):

How to Do It

For beginners, we recommend setting up an affiliate program through platforms like ShareASale or ClickBank.

These platforms connect you with potential affiliates and handle the technical aspects of tracking sales and paying commissions.

6. Video Marketing


Video marketing involves using video content to engage with your audience and promote your business.

It’s a great way to connect with new audiences. Because some people prefer watching videos to reading text.

And you can post videos on places like your website, YouTube, TikTok, etc. Just know that some platforms have limits on video length.

One example of a brand that leverages video is GoPro. They post YouTube videos showcasing footage their cameras capture. 

These videos demonstrate the quality of GoPro’s products and inspire viewers to create their own adventure videos. 

How to Do It

Before you can start posting videos, you need to decide on the type(s) you want to create. 

That could be product demonstrations, how-to tutorials, or behind-the-scenes looks at your business. 

Consider studying your competitor’s videos on the platforms you plan to use. To get a sense of what their audience is most interested in.

Then, plan your calendar and start creating. 

You don't need expensive equipment to begin. Your smartphone camera is good enough.

When filming, make sure you have good lighting and clear audio. 

After filming, edit your video to make sure it’s polished and engaging. 

Once your video is ready, share it on your chosen platforms.

7. Influencer Marketing


Influencer marketing involves partnering with people who have large online followings to promote your products or services. 

It can be quite effective for expanding to new audiences who are likely to be receptive to your brand. Because influencers have loyal followers who trust their recommendations. 

For example, Daniel Wellington (a watch company) regularly partners with fashion influencers who post photos featuring the watches.

How to Do It

Start by looking for influencers who operate in the same niche as you.

The Influencer Analytics app can help you find those who are relevant to your business.

When you've found suitable influencers, reach out to them with a clear proposal. 

Explain your products or services, how they can help promote them, and how much you're offering to pay.

Once you've agreed on terms, launch your campaign.

Then analyze the results directly in the app to measure the impact and refine your strategy.

Get Started with Emarketing

Now that you've learned about these emarketing options, you likely have a good idea of which ones are right for you. 

What are you waiting for? 

Start implementing these tactics with the help of Semrush. 

Sign up today.