What's the difference between digital marketing and social media marketing?
Digital marketing is the umbrella: all marketing that happens online, including search, websites, email, messaging and social media. Social media marketing is one part of digital marketing, focused only on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
ShoaibUpdated 3 min read
How do the definitions compare?
HubSpot defines digital marketing as all marketing efforts that take place on the internet, using channels such as search engines, social media, email and other websites. HubSpot defines social media marketing as creating content for social media platforms to promote your products or services, build community with your audience and drive traffic to your business.
So every social media campaign is digital marketing, but not all digital marketing is social media.
What sits under the digital marketing umbrella?
HubSpot's own list of digital marketing types includes SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, pay-per-click ads, email marketing, influencer marketing and instant messaging marketing, among others.
| Digital marketing | Social media marketing | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | All online channels | Social platforms only |
| Examples | Google search ads, SEO, website, email, WhatsApp, social media | Instagram posts, TikTok videos, Snapchat ads, influencers |
| Reaches people who | Search, browse, read email or scroll social | Scroll social |
Which one does my business need?
Start from where your customers are and how they buy. Illustrative example: a restaurant might win most orders from Instagram and TikTok, while a B2B service might win more from Google search and its website. Both are doing digital marketing; only the first leans mainly on social.
For the full list of options, see digital marketing channels. For the social side, see what social media marketing is. And if the terms still blur, read online marketing vs digital marketing.
Not sure which channels should lead your digital marketing? See our growth consulting service.