Looking to compare salaries between digital marketing and social media marketing specialists? Discover the salary differences, earning potential, and market trends in this comprehensive salary comparison. Gain insights into which role offers better compensation and make informed career decisions also. Explore the earning potential in the digital marketing and social media marketing fields to align your career goals with financial expectations.
Table of Content
What is Digital Marketing
What is Social Media Marketing
Digital Marketing vs Social Media Marketing
Salary Comparison
What is Digital Marketing?
The practice of promoting goods, services, or brands through various digital platforms and technology is known as digital marketing. It encompasses a wide range of online marketing activities aimed at reaching and engaging a target audience, driving website traffic, generating leads, and ultimately achieving business goals also. Global digital advertising spending is projected to reach $389.29 billion in 2021, with a significant portion allocated to digital marketing campaigns (Source: eMarketer, 2021)
Read Also The Future of Personalized Advertising: Innovations in Digital Marketing Careers
Digital marketing strategies typically involve leveraging digital platforms such as search engines, social media, email, websites, mobile apps, and online advertising to connect with customers and prospects. These strategies may include:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimizing websites and content to rank higher in search engine results and increase organic (non-paid) visibility.
- Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC): Running paid ads on search engines and other platforms, where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked.
- Social Media Marketing: Utilizing social media platforms (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn) to build brand awareness, engage with the audience, and promote products or services.
- Content Marketing: Creating and sharing valuable and relevant content, such as blog posts, articles, videos, or infographics, to attract and retain a target audience.
- Email marketing: Email marketing is the practice of sending relevant emails to a subscriber list in order to nurture leads, develop client connections, and advertise goods and services.
- Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with influential individuals on social media to promote products or services and reach their engaged audience.
- Online PR and Reputation Management: Managing online presence, brand image, and public perception through activities like online reviews, PR campaigns, and brand monitoring also.
- Affiliate Marketing: Partnering with affiliates who promote products or services in exchange for a commission on resulting sales.
- Mobile Marketing: Optimizing marketing efforts for mobile devices, including mobile-optimized websites, apps, and targeted mobile advertising.
Digital marketing offers businesses the opportunity to target specific audiences, measure campaign performance, track customer behavior, and adjust strategies in real-time. It provides a cost-effective and scalable way to reach a wide range of potential customers and engage with them throughout the buyer's journey.
What is Social Media Marketing?
Using social media platforms to advertise goods, services, or brands while also interacting with the target market is known as social media marketing. It involves creating and sharing content on social media networks, interacting with followers, running paid advertisements, and utilizing various social media tools and analytics to achieve marketing objectives. Social media advertising spending is projected to reach $105 billion globally in 2021, reflecting the growing importance of social media marketing (Source: Statista, 2021). Read Also Social Media Marketing Salary for Freelancers
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube are commonly used for social media marketing. Social media marketing gives companies a way to increase client loyalty, brand recognition, brand identity, website traffic, and lead generation. It offers real-time interaction with the audience, allowing businesses to directly engage with customers, gather feedback, and provide customer support. By leveraging the power of social media, businesses can create meaningful connections and drive business growth.
Digital Marketing vs Social Media Marketing
Within the larger realm of marketing, digital marketing and social media marketing are separate but closely connected ideas. The main variations between the two are broken out as follows:
Scope and Channels
Digital Marketing:
Digital marketing encompasses a broad range of marketing activities conducted through digital channels, including search engines, websites, email, mobile apps, online advertising, content marketing, and social media marketing.
Social Media Marketing:
Social media marketing is a subset of digital marketing that specifically focuses on utilizing social media platforms (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn) for marketing purposes.
Audience Targeting
Digital Marketing:
Digital marketing strategies can target a wide range of audiences across various digital channels, including search engine users, website visitors, email subscribers, and social media users.
Social Media Marketing:
Social media marketing primarily targets and engages with audiences on social media platforms, leveraging user demographics, interests, and behaviours to reach specific target groups.
Strategy and Objectives
Digital Marketing:
Digital marketing strategies encompass a comprehensive approach to reach, engage, and convert target audiences across multiple digital touchpoints. It includes various tactics like search engine optimization, paid advertising, content marketing, email marketing, and more.
Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing strategies specifically focus on utilizing social media platforms to build brand awareness, engage with the audience, promote products or services, drive website traffic, and foster customer relationships.
Content and Interactions:
Digital Marketing:
Digital marketing involves creating and sharing various types of content across multiple channels, including websites, blogs, videos, emails, and social media. Interactions with the audience can occur through various touchpoints beyond social media.
Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing emphasizes content creation and engagement on social media platforms, utilizing features like posts, stories, videos, comments, likes, and shares to interact directly with the audience.
Measurement and Analytics:
Digital Marketing:
Digital marketing utilizes various analytics tools and metrics to measure the performance and effectiveness of campaigns across different digital channels, such as website traffic, conversion rates, email open rates, and search engine rankings.
Social Media Marketing:
Social media marketing employs specific social media analytics tools to measure metrics like engagement rates, reach, impressions, follower growth, and social media ad performance.
In summary, social media marketing is a subset of digital marketing that focuses specifically on utilizing social media platforms for marketing purposes. Digital marketing, on the other hand, encompasses a broader range of marketing activities across various digital channels beyond social media.
Salary Comparison
Digital Marketing Salaries in India
Entry-level digital marketing positions, such as digital marketing executives or associates, can have average salaries ranging from ₹2.5 lahks to ₹5 lahks per year.
Mid-level digital marketing roles, such as digital marketing specialists or managers, can earn average salaries ranging from ₹5 lahks to ₹10 lahks per year.
Senior-level or director-level positions in digital marketing may have average salaries of ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lahks per year or more.
Social Media Marketing Salaries in India
Entry-level social media marketing positions, such as social media executives or coordinators, can have average salaries ranging from ₹2 lahks to ₹4 lahks per year.
Mid-level social media marketing roles, such as social media managers or specialists, can earn average salaries ranging from ₹4 lahks to ₹8 lahks per year.
Senior-level or director-level positions in social media marketing may have average salaries of ₹8 lahks to ₹15 lakh per year or more.
It's important to note that these salary ranges are approximate and can vary based on factors like the city or region within India, the specific industry or company, and the candidate's skills and experience level. Additionally, the demand for digital marketing and social media marketing professionals is growing in India, which can positively impact salary prospects. Read Also Digital Marketing Internship: Analytics and Data Insights
To obtain accurate and up-to-date salary information for digital marketing and social media marketing positions in India, it is recommended to research salary surveys, job portals, and consult with industry professionals in your specific location and industry.
In conclusion, digital marketing and social media marketing are two distinct yet interconnected components of the broader marketing landscape. Digital marketing encompasses a wide range of strategies and tactics across various digital channels, including search engines, websites, email, mobile apps, and social media. It aims to reach and engage target audiences through a comprehensive online presence.
On the other hand, social media marketing focuses specifically on utilizing social media platforms to connect with audiences, build brand awareness, and foster customer relationships. While digital marketing provides a holistic approach to online marketing, social media marketing leverages the power of social media platforms for targeted engagement and community building.
What is the main difference between digital marketing and social media marketing?
The main difference lies in their scope and focus. Digital marketing encompasses a broad range of marketing activities conducted through various digital channels, including search engines, websites, email, mobile apps, and social media. Social media marketing, on the other hand, specifically focuses on utilizing social media platforms for marketing purposes
Which is more effective: digital marketing or social media marketing?
Effectiveness depends on various factors, including the specific goals, target audience, and resources available. Digital marketing offers a comprehensive approach, utilizing multiple digital channels, and can reach a broader audience beyond social media. Social media marketing, on the other hand, excels in directly engaging with the audience, building brand loyalty, and leveraging social media features.
Can you do digital marketing without social media marketing?
Yes, it is possible to execute digital marketing strategies without social media marketing. Digital marketing encompasses a wide range of tactics, including search engine optimization, email marketing, content marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and more.
Is social media marketing a subset of digital marketing?
Yes, social media marketing is considered a subset of digital marketing. Digital marketing encompasses a broader range of marketing activities conducted through digital channels, while social media marketing specifically focuses on utilizing social media platforms for marketing purposes.
Do digital marketers need to have social media marketing skills?
Having social media marketing skills can be beneficial for digital marketers, but it is not always a requirement. Digital marketers may specialize in various areas.
Can social media marketing replace traditional digital marketing methods?
Social media marketing cannot completely replace traditional digital marketing methods. Traditional digital marketing methods, such as search engine optimization, email marketing, and content marketing, still hold significant value in reaching and engaging target audiences.