Digital marketing is an expansive term that encompasses all marketing efforts carried out on online platforms. In a world where people are increasingly connected to the internet, digital marketing is an essential strategy for businesses looking to reach their target market efficiently and cost-effectively.

The foundation of digital marketing lies in its ability to connect businesses with their current and prospective customers through various digital channels. These channels often include search engines, social media platforms, email, and websites. The choice of channel depends on the nature of the business, the target audience, and the specific objectives of the marketing campaign.

One of the key tactics used in digital marketing is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO involves optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results pages. This increases the visibility of the website, leading to more organic, or non-paid, traffic. SEO involves various techniques, such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.

Content marketing is another crucial component of digital marketing. This strategy focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a defined audience. The goal is to drive profitable customer action. Content can come in various forms, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, eBooks, and more.

Email marketing is a direct form of digital marketing that involves sending emails to people who have expressed interest in a product or service. This is an effective way to nurture leads, build customer loyalty, and increase sales.

Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms to promote a product or service. With billions of people using social media every day, this provides businesses with a vast audience to interact with. It's not just about promoting products or services, but also about creating a community and engaging with customers.

Pay-per-click (PPC) is a digital advertising model used to drive traffic to websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher (typically a search engine, website owner, or a network of websites) when the ad is clicked. It's often associated with first-tier search engines like Google Ads and Bing Ads.

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where a business pays one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's marketing efforts.

The primary goal of digital marketing is to reach audiences where they spend most of their time and make decisions: online. Digital marketing allows businesses to target specific audiences, measure campaign effectiveness, and adjust strategies in real-time. It's a flexible, versatile, and vital tool in today's digital age.