DIGITAL MARKETING

Watch the video titled “What is Digital Marketing?” by Reliablesoft Academy.

WARM UP
What is digital marketing? Choose one of the following definitions.

1. Digital marketing is the buying and selling of goods or services via the internet, and
the transfer of money and data to complete the sales.

2. It is a type of marketing where marketers use platforms such as print, radio,

billboards, direct mail and newspapers.

3. Digital marketing is a form of marketing for promoting and selling products or

services on the internet, through various channels.

Now, answer the following questions:

a) Does your company use digital marketing to promote their products or services?
b) Does your company use any traditional marketing methods?
c) As a class, discuss the different types of traditional and digital marketing.

ESL Pals 1 Business English

 MARKETING EXAMPLES
Study the examples of marketing below. Under each advertisement, identify the
company and product being promoted.

1. _____________________________ 2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________ 4. _____________________________

Questions:
a) Explain the purpose of each advertisement.
b) Which advert do you think is most effective?
c) If you were a digital marketer, where would you feature the adverts?
d) Has your company used a similar style of advert?
e) Describe a time you were influenced by digital marketing to buy a product.

ESL Pals 2 Business English

 CONTENT MARKETING: VIDEO ANALYSIS
Complete the quotes taken from the video using the words from the box.

relevant podcast attention strategy

In the digital world, marketing is done through the use of online content. Things like blog
posts, videos, images, and ________________ are some of the content types that John can
use to grab the audience’s ________________ and generate interest in his brand.

This is what content marketing is all about. Through a well-planned content marketing
_____________, John can identify his audience’s problems and create valuable and
_____________ content to satisfy their needs.

Questions:
1. Does your company have a content marketing strategy?
2. How can relevant content marketing generate more sales?
3. Describe a piece of content marketing that grabbed your attention.
4. Would podcasts be useful for your company? Explain.
5. Are there any risks or negative aspects of content marketing?

ESL Pals 3 Business English

 SEO: VIDEO ANALYSIS
Match the vocabulary to their meaning, complete the quote, then answer the questions.

1. Rank a) Closely connected to the thing being discussed.

2. Deal with b) To give something a grade.
3. Relevant c) To take action on something.

deal with rank relevant

“The next task John has to ____________ is Search Engine Optimization. SEO will help
John’s website to ____________ higher in the search results and reach the billions of people
that use search engines on a daily basis. During this stage, he will make sure that his
content is ____________ to what users want, and that search engines can access and
understand his website. SEO is the best form of online marketing that can get you highly
targeted traffic 24/7 without paying for it but it takes time to work.”

Discussion:

1. Describe why SEO is a crucial aspect of digital marketing?

2. How can a company improve their ranking on Google?
3. Are there any disadvantages of SEO?

ESL Pals 4 Business English

 PAY PER CLICK: VIDEO ANALYSIS
Complete the text by choosing the correct word. Then answer the questions.

With PPC advertising, John can show his ads on (top / bottom) of the Google search
results, and in the thousands of websites that participate in the Google advertising
network. Every time someone (clicks / looks at) an ad and visits his website, John will (pay
/ receive) a fee to the advertising platform. His ads will not be shown to all users, but to
those that are (passively / actively) searching for information related to his site.

1. Do you click on the PPC ads at the top of Google when you’re browsing online?
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of PPC advertising.
3. Does your company have a PPC marketing strategy?

SOCIAL MEDIA: VIDEO ANALYSIS

Read the quote taken from the video. Replace the underlined words with synonyms
from the box. Then, answer the questions.

grow intrigued by prospective split socialise

The next item in John’s task list is social media marketing. To further expand his reach, he
needs to have a presence in the same places that his potential customers’ hangout, and this
is none other than social networks. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, have
billions of active users that might be interested in John’s brand. These platforms have
advertising tools you can use to segment users based on their location, interests,
demographics, and target them with image and video ads..

1. Do you think social media ads are effective or annoying?

2. Describe the potential positives and negatives of marketing through influencers.
3. Does your company have a social media marketing strategy?

ESL Pals 5 Business English

 EMAIL: VIDEO ANALYSIS
Complete the quotes from the video using the words from the box.

messages customers channel grows engaging

As John's audience ________________ and more people visit his website, he can start
________________ with them. The best channel for this task is email marketing.

Email is the most commonly used communication medium and a highly effective sales
________________.

Through carefully crafted email ________________, John can keep his audience engaged and
nurture them until they become new ________________.

Find the synonyms of the following words from the quotes.

1. Written
2. Method
3. Look after
4. Useful

Questions

a) Do you read marketing emails or do you think they are spam?

b) How can you make an email grab your audience's attention?
c) Does your company have an email marketing strategy?

ESL Pals 6 Business English

 CASE STUDIES
The businesses below have hired you as their digital marketing strategist. Describe how
they should advertise themselves online, and the methods they should use and why.

1. Fitness4Life is a new gym in the centre of London. They have been open for 2
months, but they still don’t have many customers. The gym needs a marketing
strategy that reaches local people in the area that are interested in health and
fitness. The gym has world-class equipment, a range of classes every day, and
excellent changing room facilities. Furthermore, the gym is the cheapest in the city,
and offers discounts to students and pensioners.

2. Hello Mobiles is a mobile phone shop in the centre of Manchester, they also have an
online store. They sell all the latest phones at excellent prices, and they offer repair
services too. During the past 6 months, their sales have declined a lot so they have
decided to hire a digital marketing expert. They chose digital marketing because
their customers usually find them through google, and they have contact details of
all their previous customers saved on a secure database.

3. Bright Berries is a new cereal company. The company only sells their products
through their online store. The cereal is unique because of the nutritional value, and
the taste. Also, Bright Berries provide great deals and promotions. However, sales
are low because not many people are aware of the company. They need a national
digital marketing campaign to increase brand awareness. Their cereal is targeted at
young people who are interested in healthy eating.

ESL Pals 7 Business English

 GRAMMAR: REPORTED SPEECH
Read the grammar about reported speech and then complete the exercises.

What is reported speech?

Reported Speech is when the general points of what someone has said are reported. The
direct words are not written out. Examples:
● Jane said that she was tired.
● John exclaimed they should watch out for the car.
● Sam asked why you were wearing a t-shirt.

Verbs in Reported Speech

When we transform direct speech into reported speech, we have to change the verbs in
the sentences. Look at the table to see how verbs change.

Direct Reported

Present Simple Past Simple

will would

can could

am / is / are was / were

Notes

When the past tense is used in the direct speech, it doesn’t have to be
changed in the reported speech.
The Past
Tense “I went home after work.”
Gabi said that she went home after work OR Gabi said that she had gone
home after work.

When the When the situation has not changed, you don’t need to change tense.
situation
doesn’t “I am at work.” (She is still at work)
change... She said that she is at work.

ESL Pals 8 Business English

Task 1: Complete the examples with the correct verb.

1. “I went to the shop after the football match,” said John.

John said that he __________ to the shop after the football match.

2. “Are you going to wear your new shoes?” asked his girlfriend.
His girlfriend asked if he __________ going to wear his new shoes.

3. “I feel sick, so I’m going home,” said Luke.

Luke said that he __________ sick so he went home.

4. “I’ll buy the beer for the party, ” said Jimmy.

Jimmy said that he __________ buy the beer for the party.

5. “Is it raining?” she asked.

She asked if it __________ raining.

Task 2: Rewrite the direct words into reported speech.

1. “I think Manchester City will win the football match tonight, “ said Jill.

2. “Jack is going to buy the shoes,” said Dan.

3. “Do you speak English?” asked Sam.

4. “Have you been to London before?” asked Mindy.

5. “Can you help me?” asked Anna.

6. “Do you think that politicians tell the truth?” asked Ella.

ESL Pals 9 Business English

 DISCUSSION: ADVERTISING
Discuss the general advertising questions below as a class.

1. Do you buy products because of advertising?

2. Should businesses be allowed to advertise to children?
3. Do you think alcohol and tobacco adverts should be banned?
4. Can advertisements be a force for good?
5. Describe the negative impact of advertisements.
6. Have you noticed a difference between ads today and ads 10 years ago?
7. Are there any companies in your country that have good, effective ads?
8. Describe a memorable ad from your country.

ESL Pals 10 Business English

HOMEWORK
Read the article titled “6 Advantages of Online Advertising” by Webfx.com

AFFILIATE: VIDEO ANALYSIS

Continue working on the video from the lesson. Use the words from the box to complete
the quotes below.

brand sale products oldest

“Affiliate marketing is one of the ________________ forms of marketing that has grown
considerably with the rise of the internet.”

“The way it works is simple. John will give a commission to other businesses for promoting
his ________________ on their website.”

“For John, this means more customers while his affiliates are getting a commission for each
________________.”

“Affiliate marketing is not only a great way to increase sales but affiliates can become the
best representatives of your ________________."

Find the synonyms of the following words from the quotes.

1. A lot (Paragraph 1)
2. Recommending (P2)
3. Grow (P3)

Questions
a) In your own words, explain how affiliate marketing works.
b) What are the advantages and disadvantages of affiliate marketing?
c) Does your company have an affiliate marketing strategy?

ESL Pals 11 Business English

 ARTICLE: 6 ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL MARKETING
Read the article below, then complete the writing exercise on the next page.
1. Digital marketing is cost-effective -
With traditional marketing methods, it’s
difficult for small businesses to compete
with larger companies. Digital marketing,
however, puts businesses on the same
playing field, as it works with your
budget. The most significant cost of
digital marketing is time. It can take time
to implement strategies and develop
results from those strategies.
2. Digital marketing is measurable -
Traditional marketing has no clear way to
track the origin of leads without asking
every person that visits a business. With
digital marketing methods, you can
accurately track the results of your
campaign. Each type of campaign has a
tracking system. For example, you can
monitor the progress of a PPC
performance with Google Analytics,
where you can see what’s working for
your business and what isn’t.
3. Digital marketing allows you to target
ideal customers - Targeting people with
traditional marketing methods is difficult.
But, with digital marketing, you reach
people interested in your business. You
can specifically target consumers with
interest in your company, services, or
products. Whether you create a Facebook
ad or PPC ad, you’ll set your target
audience. You’ll define your audience by
attributes such as age and gender.
Narrowing your focus helps you reach
people more interested in your business.
ESL Pals
4. Digital marketing allows you to reach
people at the start of the buying journey -
When shoppers start looking for a
product, it’s crucial that you make an
impact early. People often turn to the
Internet at the start of the buying journey.
They begin to research and look for a
product or service that fits their needs. By
utilizing online marketing, you can direct
these users to your page to provide them
with the information they need. Even if
leads don’t convert right away, they will
remember your business.
5. Digital marketing enables you to make
changes as you go - This is another huge,
unique benefit of digital marketing. With
traditional methods, you can’t make
changes once you’ve committed. Once
your flyers or your billboard is up, you
can’t alter the ad until the end of your
campaign. When you invest in online
marketing, you have the power to make
changes whenever you want.
6. Digital marketing improves your
conversion rate - Perhaps one of the most
notable benefits of digital marketing is
the improvement of your conversion rate.
This is due to your ability to target your
audience precisely. When you focus on
people more likely to be interested in your
business, you increase your chances of
earning a conversion. Your company earns
more conversions, which helps you grow.
Article adapted from webfx.com - link
12 Business English
 ARTICLE QUESTIONS: WRITING TASK
Read and answer the questions below, all of which are based on the article.

1. In your own words, explain why digital marketing is more cost effective than
traditional marketing.

2. How is digital marketing measurable?

3. Why is being able to target your ideal audience an advantage?

ESL Pals 13 Business English

 4. Why is it important to reach people at the start of their buying journey?

5. Why is it a benefit to make changes to your digital marketing campaign?

6. How can digital marketing improve a company’s conversion rate?

ESL Pals 14 Business English