D373 Marketing in the Digital Era

Explanation

Retargeting is a digital marketing strategy where ads are shown to users who have previously interacted with a brand’s website, app, or content but did not convert into customers. By tracking user behavior through cookies or pixels, advertisers can display tailored ads to remind or encourage these individuals to complete an action, such as making a purchase. This technique helps re-engage interested audiences who have already demonstrated awareness of the brand.

Correct Answer

Showing ads to people that already seen your content

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Targeting new customers with ads

Targeting new customers is a form of prospecting, which focuses on reaching audiences who have never interacted with the brand before. Retargeting specifically aims at people who have already engaged with the brand, making this option incorrect.

Showing ads to customers based off your email list

Using an email list to show ads is a form of customer match or list-based targeting, not classic retargeting. Retargeting relies on behavioral data such as website visits rather than existing contact lists.

Promoting your content to abandoned cart customers

While reminding customers about abandoned carts is a specific type of remarketing, retargeting encompasses a broader approach of reaching anyone who has previously interacted with your content, not just those who left items in a shopping cart.

Explanation

An influencer is typically an individual who has built a large and engaged audience on social media and can sway the opinions or purchasing decisions of that audience. Unlike traditional celebrities who may rely on mainstream media exposure, influencers often gain their following by consistently sharing content in a specific niche, such as fashion, technology, or fitness. Their power lies in the trust and connection they build with their followers, making them effective partners for brands seeking authentic promotion.

Correct Answer

A normal person with a huge following on social media

Why Other Options Are Wrong

A celebrity spokesperson with an exclusive endorsement deal

While a celebrity can influence purchasing decisions, the term “influencer” refers to people who typically build their presence and credibility primarily on social platforms rather than through traditional celebrity status. Exclusive endorsement deals are more characteristic of traditional marketing campaigns than of influencers’ ongoing engagement with their audience.

A social media platform, such as TikTok or Facebook

A platform is a service or application where influencers operate, not an influencer itself. TikTok or Facebook provide the space for influencers to share content but are not individuals capable of influencing audience behavior in the personal way an influencer does.

A company that uses social media to advertise

A company advertising on social media is simply a brand running a marketing campaign. Influencers are individuals, not companies, and their influence is built on personal engagement and trust rather than corporate promotion.

Explanation

The type of marketing that focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a company’s target customers is content marketing. Content marketing uses formats like articles, videos, podcasts, and infographics to provide helpful information or entertainment that builds trust and drives profitable customer actions. Unlike traditional advertising, it aims to educate or inspire the audience, nurturing long-term relationships and encouraging brand loyalty.

Correct Answer

Content marketing

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Website marketing

Website marketing is a broad approach to promoting a website to increase traffic, which can include many tactics such as SEO or paid ads. It is not limited to creating valuable and relevant content specifically designed to engage and inform target customers.

Blog marketing

Blog marketing focuses on publishing blog posts to attract readers. While blogging can be a part of a content marketing strategy, content marketing encompasses a wider variety of content types and distribution methods beyond just blogs.

Email marketing

Email marketing involves sending targeted messages directly to a subscriber list to nurture leads or drive sales. Although email campaigns may contain valuable content, the strategy is about direct communication rather than the broader creation and public distribution of content across multiple channels.

Explanation

Digital marketing strategies are methods that leverage digital channels such as websites, email, and online advertising to reach and engage customers. Email marketing, blogs, newsletters, and digital advertising all operate primarily within digital spaces. Guerrilla marketing, however, is typically an unconventional and low-cost offline tactic that relies on surprise or creative stunts to capture attention in physical environments. While it may be shared online, guerrilla marketing itself is not a core digital strategy.

Correct Answer

guerrilla marketing

Why Other Options Are Wrong

email marketing

Email marketing is a key digital marketing strategy that uses email to communicate with potential or existing customers, promoting products, services, or content directly to their inboxes.

blogs and newsletters

Blogs and newsletters are central components of digital marketing, providing valuable content that can attract and retain audiences while boosting brand visibility and search engine rankings.

digital advertising

Digital advertising uses online platforms such as social media, websites, and search engines to promote products or services, making it a fundamental digital marketing strategy.

Explanation

The process of creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience is best described as content marketing. Content marketing focuses on delivering consistent, valuable information such as articles, videos, and infographics to build trust and establish a relationship with potential customers. Unlike advertising that directly promotes a product or service, content marketing aims to provide helpful material that draws the audience naturally, building brand awareness and loyalty over time.

Correct Answer

Content marketing

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Social media management

Social media management is the practice of handling social media accounts, including posting, monitoring engagement, and responding to comments. While it may involve sharing content, its primary focus is on managing interactions and maintaining a brand’s presence on social networks, not on creating and distributing valuable content specifically to attract and engage an audience as a marketing strategy.

Social media advertising

Social media advertising refers to paid promotional campaigns on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. These campaigns target specific demographics through paid placements, aiming for direct conversions or brand visibility. This differs from content marketing, which is primarily organic and centered on providing value rather than purchasing ad space.

Social media optimization

Social media optimization involves enhancing a brand’s social profiles and content to increase visibility and reach. Techniques like keyword optimization and improving post timing belong here. It is about improving discoverability rather than the ongoing creation of valuable content designed to draw in and keep an audience.

Explanation

When using social media as a marketing channel, the marketer’s main goal is to generate engagement—likes, shares, comments, and interactions—that increase brand visibility and foster relationships with the audience. High engagement signals relevance to both the platform’s algorithm and potential customers, helping content reach a wider audience and encouraging loyalty and trust. Engagement metrics also provide valuable feedback on how well the content resonates with followers.

Correct Answer

Generating as much engagement as possible on your page

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Connecting people who are interested in a product with someone who sells that product

This describes the function of a marketplace or e-commerce platform more than a social media marketing strategy. Social media marketers aim to build relationships and engagement rather than simply matching buyers with sellers.

Enabling individuals to connect with others who have similar interests

This is a core purpose of social media platforms for personal use, not specifically the marketer’s goal. While marketers benefit from these connections, their objective is to promote brand engagement and awareness rather than merely facilitating social interaction.

Encouraging comments and conversations on your page

Although encouraging conversations is part of engagement, the broader marketing goal is to generate overall engagement, including likes, shares, and clicks, which have a more significant impact on reach and brand growth than comments alone.

Explanation

The advertising model where the advertiser pays only when a user clicks on the advertisement is known as pay-per-click. PPC is commonly used in search engine advertising, such as Google Ads, where businesses bid on keywords and pay only when their ad receives a click. This method ensures that advertisers are charged for measurable engagement rather than for impressions or other actions, making it cost-effective for driving traffic directly to a website.

Correct Answer

PPC

Why Other Options Are Wrong

PPA

Pay-per-action (or pay-per-acquisition) requires payment when a specific action occurs, such as a purchase or sign-up, rather than simply for a click. This goes beyond the scope of paying only when a user clicks on the ad.

CPM

Cost per thousand impressions (mille) charges advertisers based on the number of times an ad is displayed, not on the number of clicks. It measures exposure rather than direct user interaction.

CPI

Cost per install is primarily used in app marketing, where advertisers pay when users install an application. This is not the same as paying per click on an ad.

CPE

Cost per engagement requires payment when a user engages in a specific interaction, such as liking, sharing, or commenting on an ad. It differs from paying solely for clicks.

Explanation

Native advertising is a form of paid media in which ads are designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding content of the platform on which they appear. These ads match the look, feel, and function of the media format, making them less disruptive and more engaging to users. Examples include sponsored articles on news sites or promoted posts on social media feeds that resemble regular content while being clearly labeled as sponsored.

Correct Answer

Ads that appear like the usual content on a Website

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Online ads in your own language

The term “native” in native advertising does not refer to language or nationality. It refers to how well the ad integrates with the native environment of the platform or website.

Ads that make incredible promises so that people click on them

This describes clickbait advertising, which relies on sensational headlines or misleading content to lure clicks, not the seamless integration characteristic of native advertising.

Ads you are shown because they match your interests and behaviour

These are targeted or behavioral ads that use data tracking to show ads based on browsing habits. While native ads can be targeted, their defining feature is their natural appearance within the content, not simply matching user interests.

Explanation

The process of improving a website and its content to increase visibility in search engine results is known as search engine optimization. Search engine optimization (SEO) involves techniques such as keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and improving site structure to help a site rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By enhancing relevance and technical performance, SEO drives organic traffic and ensures that users searching for specific terms are more likely to find the website.

Correct Answer

Search Engine Optimization

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Content Marketing

Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience. While high-quality content supports SEO, content marketing by itself does not specifically include the technical strategies required to improve a site’s search ranking.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing aims to promote products or services through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter). It involves engaging users and creating brand awareness on social networks rather than optimizing a website to perform better in search engine results.

Email Marketing

Email marketing uses emails to communicate with current or potential customers, promoting offers or sharing updates. This strategy is unrelated to improving a site’s visibility in search engine results.