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Introduction

 

Besides SEO, you have two other options when launching a digital marketing campaign: SMM and SEM. These two are a few key digital marketing acronyms you would likely encounter when promoting your products or services online. 

 

SEO, also known as search engine optimisation, is perfect for driving organic traffic to your website. But when raising brand awareness and generating leads instantly, SMM and SEM may be the better choices for your digital marketing campaign.

 

But the question is, what is the difference between SMM and SEM? Let us first discuss what SMM is.

 


 

What Is SMM?

 

What Is SMM

 

Social media marketing is the meaning of the term SMM—and in digital marketing, it is a strategy that focuses on raising brand awareness, gaining leads and engaging with customers through social media platforms. The goals of SMM are to build relationships with customers and raise brand awareness.

 

DISCOVER: What Are The 5 Core Pillars Of Social Media Marketing?

 

There is an endless list of opportunities if you decide to use social media marketing platforms to promote your company in Singapore. You can discover new people, join groups, and build communities with the same interests. Not to mention, you can even choose any social media app or site where you can run your digital marketing campaign.

 

In our case, as a leading digital marketing agency in Singapore, we chose multiple social media platforms to engage with our target audience who are interested in digital marketing services or topics. 

 

SSM examples

 

Examples of social media marketing strategies include:

 

  • Using automated chatbots to communicate with customers
  • Sharing quality content on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
  • Joining groups and sharing valuable insights with members
  • Delivering paid ads to your target audience

 

DOWNLOAD NOW: Mark The Dates: Social Media Calendar 2023

 


 

What Is SEM?

 

What Is SEM

 

SEM is also known as search engine marketing, a digital marketing method of promoting a business through paid advertisements. You will bid on keywords that users on Google are most likely to use when searching for products and services.

 

The SEM campaigns of your company in Singapore are also known as pay-per-click (PPC) ads. If your search campaign is well optimised your ad  can appear on top of Google’s search results to attract potential customers to your website.

 

ALSO READ: 4 Effective Strategies For Boosting Your Pay-Per-Click Performance

 

Below is an example of a text-based SEM campaign ad in Singapore. Here, you can see that the cake shop also uses two extensions, so their potential customers will get directed to the web page where the items available for ‘Free Delivery service’ are and which are available for 1-hour express delivery.

 

Text-Based SEM Campaign Ad Example

 

This kind of paid ad is an efficient digital marketing asset because it immediately appeals to search engine users and encourages them to purchase your products or visit your website on the spot. For that reason, you can reach your target audience more quickly with SEM campaigns of your company than with any other digital marketing strategy.

 

LEARN MORE: Types of SEM Services in Singapore

 


 

What Is The Difference Between SMM and SEM?

 

What Is The Difference Between SMM And SEM?

SMM SEM
Social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram) Source Search engines (e.g. Google, Bing, Yahoo!)
Reach, Engagement Goal Reach, Conversion
Content and connecting with your target audience Optimisation Keyword research, campaign budding strategies, (e.g., bid budget, conversion goals, audience targeting, etc.)
What Is The Difference Between SMM and SEM

 

SMM and SEM are different in many ways. To help you understand, you should know that social media marketing tends to focus more on engaging with potential customers by earning their trust, building relationships, and encouraging them to purchase your products. 

 

Social media marketing is the best option if you want to increase brand recognition and customer engagement. Have proper social media management in Singapore since it  helps you widen your reach. 

 

To do so, you must first research your target audience and choose the ideal social media site where most of them are active. You can choose from different social media sites or apps, such as:

 

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • TikTok

 

Choosing a suitable social media marketing platform for your business is crucial. If you chose the one where your target audience is less likely active, then your digital marketing campaign would not reach as many people as you think

 

ALSO READ: 6 Steps For Choosing The Right Social Media Marketing Platform For Your Business

 

That is why you need to promote your business on a social media platform where most of your potential customers are active.

 

For example, if your target audience consists of professionals and companies, LinkedIn is the ideal platform for your digital marketing campaign. On the other hand, if you want to target a younger audience, perhaps TikTok and Instagram are the better choices.

 

In short, your choice of SMM platforms would determine the success of your digital marketing campaign. Thus, you should wisely decide where you should run your promotions. 

 

DISCOVER: What’s Next: The Rise Of Social Media Marketing In Singapore (2023)

 

On the other hand, search engine marketing uses paid ads in its digital marketing campaigns to take a direct advertising approach, attract traffic, and gain leads quickly. After all, SEM campaigns are often on top or bottom of search engine results pages (SERPS) for particular keywords, which capture the users’ attention right away due to their placement. 

 

Like the example of the SEM campaign above, it appears on top of SERPs for the specific keywords: best birthday cake delivery Singapore. The cake shop has bid and won the keywords, which allow their SEM campaigns to emerge whenever users search these. 

 

LEARN MORE: How To Create A Successful SEM Campaign?

 

However, every time someone clicks on SEM campaigns or PPC ads, the SEM vendor will have to pay for it regardless of whether or not it generates conversions. 

 


 

SMM vs SEM: The Pros And Cons

 

If you reach this point, chances are you have not decided which one is perfect for your business. In that case, look through the following pros and cons so you can weigh your choices even better.

 

THE PROS AND CONS OF SMM

PROS CONS
Engage with an active audience It is time-consuming
Raise brand awareness Your brand is vulnerable to negative publicity
Promote your business to a broader audience Measuring your return on investment (ROI) is hard
Gain social media exposure Lack of total control
THE PROS AND CONS OF SMM

 

THE PROS AND CONS OF SEM

PROS CONS
Gain leads instantly if campaign is optimised properly Search engine marketing is sometimes costly, depending on the competition
Only pay whenever someone clicks on your ads Results are only efficient for short-term marketing
Search engine marketing is highly scalable
Results can be measured in metrics
THE PROS AND CONS OF SEM

 


 

The Final Verdict

 

Both SMM & SEM are effective digital marketing strategies that can help your business grow if you do everything right. Try combining both with your digital marketing campaign to get the best of both worlds. 

 

Nevertheless, to know which one is better for your business, define your objectives, know your target audience, and then calculate your budget before getting in touch with an SEM agency in Singapore.

 

Contact OOm at +65 6391 0930 or leave a message on our website if you are interested in outsourcing SEM needs from our agency in Singapore!

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