Have you ever wondered about the history of Digital Marketing? Wondering why it became so important? Or how have businesses evolved into marketing more online? 

If you have, then you’re in luck because this blog and the succeeding ones will answer all these questions and more. 

In this blog, we will look at the history of Digital Marketing and how it has evolved over the years. This will tell you why it has become such an important asset for marketers and businesses in general. 

What Is Digital Marketing?

Before diving into the whole history of digital marketing, we first need to define what Digital Marketing is. 

By definition, Digital marketing is a marketing method that uses the internet and other forms of digital communication to drive sales. This includes not only email, social media, and web-based advertising but also text messaging which can come in handy when a customer inquires about your product or service.

It’s rare for any business not to have some sort of digital presence or marketing strategy to help potential customers learn about the company and its product. 

So many businesses either have a website or try making digital ads on social media. Digital content and advertising are becoming more prevalent in today’s business world because consumers now expect and rely on them as a way to learn more about a brand that they might be interested in purchasing from. 

The internet is an amazing tool, especially online where so much information can be found with just one click of the mouse, not only to current consumers but also to those who know nothing about your products other than what they’ve read online.

Now that you know what Digital Marketing is and why it is vital for your business, let’s move on to how digital marketing started. 

The Beginnings

Digital marketing has been an ever-evolving strategy for the past 20 years now, with digital marketers still sorting out the best strategies to use. 

The digital age began before the advent of the internet but rapidly progressed in the early 90s with social media and web adoption.

The term was first used in the 90s, triggered by the onset of the coming of the internet when Web 1.0 was developed which provided the users with a way to access specific information. 

However, this didn’t allow them to share the information that they have found until Web 2.0 was developed and this is when marketers worldwide found an opening for their strategies to go digital and reach a wider audience. 

To give you a deeper understanding of how Digital marketing started, let’s delve into its evolution, shall we? 

The Evolution of Digital Marketing: How It Started

In 1993, HotWired became the first website to feature banners that were linkable with web viewers, which made them popular, and during this same year, HotWired purchased a few banner ads. These banners or adverts marked the beginning of the digital ad era. 

There was an influx of similar technologies being developed around this period because these banner ads became so popular – like Yahoo in 1994.

Yahoo was a search engine that was most often described as the biggest game-changer in the history of internet marketing. This search engine came into being two decades ago and within this first year, it received close to 1 million hits from all over the world. 

With results like these, owners of other businesses were compelled to start playing catch up by making their sites or business pages as visible as possible online. 

This is one reason why 1996 saw several new online ventures being launched with similar goals just like Yahoo which included HotBot, LookSmart, and Alexa.

The year 1998 saw the birth of companies like Yahoo and Google. At that time, MSN was in the spotlight but its internet search engine became outdated soon enough and lost favor with users. 

The digital marketing world saw a surge after 2006 when search engine traffic grew to about 6.4 billion in a single month. Microsoft decided to disband its previously launched MSN service and use Live Search to start competing with Google and Yahoo for search engine traffic.

The Evolution of Digital Marketing: Web 2.0

In the beginning, people only watched passively as information traveled from one place to another. 

Web 2.0 gave users tools and opened doors that allowed them to become active participants in that process instead of remaining on the sideline as consumers. 

Web 2.0 was an exciting time for the internet because we saw websites like Friendster and MySpace developed that allowed people to share pictures, videos, and texts via the internet, giving birth to a new genre called ‘social media’ which businesses began using a lot more in 2008 and 2009 along with PPC (pay per click) ads through platforms like Google AdWords.

Soon, more social networking sites began to emerge. MySpace was the first social networking site to arrive and soon many other sites started to follow suit. 

Many companies began to realize that these fresh new sources meant more avenues for them to market their products; it represented a fresh, new chapter in doing business. With this in mind, businesses needed new approaches to promote their brands on social media platforms.

And that is when digital marketing fully emerged and remains to be practiced even at present. 

Popular digital products are now available to customers at all times. According to Digital Marketing.Org, people spend an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media globally. 

Consequently, 99% of digital marketers use Facebook to market, 97% use Twitter, 69% use Pinterest and 59% use Instagram. 70% of B2C marketers have acquired customers through Facebook. 67% of Twitter users are far more likely to buy from brands that they follow on Twitter. 83.8% of luxury brands have a presence on Pinterest.

And now, 3 out of 5 popular social networking sites used by marketers are LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook (with Google+ coming in 4th). 

Digital Marketing Continues to Evolve 

Digital Marketing is a term that covers all aspects of marketing over digital platforms. It has many different aspects and is considered a subset of Digital Communication.

 Digital Marketing grew with the growth of the internet and has now become an indispensable part of marketing strategy. Digital Marketing is a tool for reaching potential customers in today’s marketplace. 

With the advancement of digital marketing, it has become easier for consumers to obtain information and compare products from different sellers. As it can also be used to maximize the potential of your business and help you achieve your goals.

And, as time goes on and as technology continues to evolve, digital marketing is a space that also continues to change. 

And, this is exactly why it is the most vital aspect of modern businesses nowadays since people are slowly residing in the virtual world, it is only right that your business takes advantage of this chance to widen your reach and maximize the web market’s potential. 

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