History of Digital Marketing | Evolution of Digital Marketing | When Online Business Started

History of Digital Marketing


History of Digital Marketing in India

Public access to the internet was introduced in India in 1995 and it resulted in the advent of Digital Marketing in the country. India’s internet user base has been growing since then and has crossed the 500 million mark in 2019. The extensive use of computers and mobile devices has led to the growth of a variety of digital marketing channels. Digital marketing has impacted businesses by helping them make a mark in the online marketplace and consumers by changing their buying journey. Each day a larger number of people are using the internet for varied functions such as surfing, shopping, transacting and educating themselves. Digital marketing has over the years grown to reach these people on their various devices to capture their attention.

 

The term Digital Marketing was coined in 1990. It can be defined as the promotion of your products and services to a targeted audience using digital channels. Back in 1990, personal computers and server-client architecture were popular so digital marketing was limited to search engines only. Today these digital channels include websites, search engines, social media, email, mobile phone applications or any other electronic devices. The first-ever search engine ‘Archie’ had been launched in the same year and the journey of promoting a business online began. The first clickable web-ad banner was put up online in 1993. Soon after, the first e-commerce transaction took place in 1994 laying the foundation of an online marketplace. A year later, in 1995 India joined the scenario with the introduction of public access to the internet and the launch of mobile phones in the country. The following year i.e. in 1996 India MART B2B marketplace was established in India.

This was all just the beginning, the scene majorly changed with the launch of Yahoo followed by Google in 1998. Businesses had started realizing the potential of online selling and tried marketing through digital media. The concept of mobile devices had crept in the market and led to further innovations in marketing and the first mobile marketing campaign was launched in 2001.

The scene was brimming with action, when it was accelerated by social media platforms Myspace, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Tumblr all launched within a decade. In 2007 India’s leading e-commerce portal Flipkart was established. By 2010 businesses had realized the importance of Digital Marketing and it had become an effective medium to create brand awareness and maintain lasting relationships with the customers. Indian businesses also saw opportunities to expand globally and reach customers with ease.

The last decade has seen geometric progression in the statistics for advertising via mobile phones and tablets. By 2016, 34% of the companies had an integrated digital marketing strategy in place, as 72% of marketers had started to believe that the traditional model of marketing was no longer sufficient. There are around 241 million active Facebook users in India which is far more than the U.S. This clearly shows that though digital marketing crept in India later than the world yet it has grown manifolds in a short time.

Factors resulting in the boom of Digital Marketing in India 

According to a  report by  Forrester,  India may become the fastest growing e-commerce market in the Asia-Pacific region. The key drivers of e-commerce in India are:

  • A large percentage of the population using high-speed internet and broadband connections.
  • Rapidly increasing 4G internet users across the country.
  • Increased usage of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.
  • Rising standards of living leading to penetration of technology to rural parts of India.
  • Availability of a wide product range at competitive prices.
  • Companies have recognized the potential of Indian markets.

 

Future of Digital Marketing in India

The booming prevalence of Digital Marketing in India is here to stay and grow. Customers have now become savvy and use their devices for more things than communication. They use their devices to bank, shop, transact, entertain and look for recommendations on the internet. Businesses have realized that digital marketing is more affordable and effective compared to traditional practices.

Here are the reasons why the future of Digital Marketing is brighter than ever in India.

  • It has been accepted as a more affordable and effective medium to connect with customers and is now preferred over traditional marketing.
  • Real-time content appears more realistic and is more engaging.
  • The strategy can be customized and even the budget is adjustable.
  • Creating awareness about the brand and building customer trust has become easier for businesses.
  • It provides easy access to global markets.
  • It offers a wider reach and even small scale businesses can use it to look out for an audience outside their zone.
  • Government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative to digitally empower all sections of society.
  • Government’s eMarketplace which has given a boost to small scale businesses.
  • It has opened up business opportunities in small towns and rural India.
  • Decreased charges of availing internet services leading to an increase in the number of internet users.
  • Educational courses in digital marketing are available to create trained professionals.

 

Upcoming Trends in Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing is here to stay and you must stay updated with the upcoming trends. Here are the latest trends that digital marketers may keep in mind while formulating and implementing digital marketing strategies in an organization.

  • Artificial Intelligence for efficient automation.
  • Smart Digital Assistants to keep users connected.
  • Influencer Marketing to build lasting relationships with customers.
  • Chatbots to communicate effectively and in real-time.
  • Creating Quality Content that is engaging.
  • Focus on Social Media Channels and advertising on them.
  • Increased use of Voice search will require adapting the SEO accordingly.
  • Personalization of Video Content to attract your audience.

 

Digital Marketing is bound to evolve in India as across the globe with the advancement of technology. Companies will be required to devise new strategies and adapt current ones based on the latest trends to stay competitive.