Ah, “digital marketing” and “social media marketing.” If you or your business have used these two terms interchangeably in the past, you’re not the only one. Many business owners do it all the time.

But while they may sound similar, they play very different roles in growing your brand. 

Think of the whole digital marketing as an entire movie, and social media as one scene. The movie doesn’t work without that scene, but the story is much bigger than one scene.

If you’re wondering what really makes the two different, we’ve got you.

What Digital Marketing Actually Means?

Digital marketing is your broad online strategy. It’s the sum of all your brand’s digital activities used to reach and influence its target audience.

Digital marketing includes the usage of search engines, websites, emails, and content marketing. Basically, if it happens on a digital platform and you use it to promote your brand, it’s digital marketing.

Digital marketing includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) efforts to boost your site ranking on Google 

• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising for quick results

• Email Marketing for direct brand-to-audience communication 

• Content Marketing, which is made of blogs, videos, infographics, animations and more

• Influencer or Affiliate Marketing, which uses other people to promote your brand 

• And yes, social media marketing is a component of digital marketing

Did you know that according to Dentsu’s Global Ad Spend Forecasts for 2025, digital ad spend will reach US$513 billion and capture 62.7% of global ad spend? This proves that digital marketing is no longer optional; it is a major investment by the world’s biggest brands.

What Social Media Marketing Really Means? 

Social media marketing is a subset of digital marketing that concentrates on social networks such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. It is where people make connections, have fun, and build community.

It’s also where brands thrive by being witty, creating amazing posts and reels, and sharing campaigns that go viral.

DataReportal’s 2025 Global Overview shows that there are currently over 5.17 billion social media users worldwide. People spend, on average, 2 hours and 23 minutes on these platforms daily. So, if your potential audience is already there, you should be there, too.

Social media marketing is also about building conversations, visual content, and engagement around your broader digital marketing goals. 

The Key Difference Between Digital and Social Media Marketing: 

If digital marketing is the entire marketing universe, social media marketing is one galaxy within it.

• Scope: Digital marketing refers to all online marketing; social media marketing solely focuses on platform-based content and community building. 

• Audience Behaviour: Search is where the user has a clear intent. Social media is the place of discovery, following, and engagement through browsing.

• Measurement: While digital marketing tracks conversion and ROI across all channels, SMM looks at engagement, reach, and community health.

• Creative Tone: Social media works best with bold and strong visual storytelling, while other digital channels focus more on writing, content depth, length, and, at times, SEO optimisation. 

Both are powerful, but they serve different purposes. 

Is Social Media Marketing Part Of Digital Marketing?

Yes, it is. Social media is a part of digital marketing.

Social media supports all other digital strategies. The awareness generated on social networks feeds into website visits that power SEO, nurtures leads that become email subscribers, and creates engagement data that is retargeted in paid ads. 

Treating social media as separate from digital marketing limits its impact. When integrated, the results amplify; reach improves, ad efficiency increases, and audiences stay connected across multiple touchpoints. 

Why Is Social Media Dominating The Game? 

If you want fast awareness and a direct line to your customer, social media is the place to be.

Short-form videos in particular have revolutionised brand reach. HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing report says 21% of marketers say short-form video has given them the highest ROI of any content format. Platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and TikTok have all made 15-second clips into viral-worthy campaigns. 

Social media has also become a major hub for researching, learning about, and discovering new products and brands. Studies also show that now “about 1 in 4 to 1 in 2 online users” discover new products and services with the help of social media. In short, social is where consumers go to see, decide, and discuss what to buy. 

Real-World Examples: 

To show how this works in practice, let’s look at the two examples of familiar brands: 

• Zomato and Swiggy: 

Both these brands use a variety of digital tactics, including search ads, app downloads and influencer partnerships, but their real magic is in their social media campaigns. Their posts, memes and reactions to trends make for great entertainment and are what keep followers posting about these brands. Case studies of these brands prove that it’s their real-time, social-first content that has helped them build strong brand recall and customer engagement. 

• Google and Apple: 

On the other hand, brands like Google or Apple take a large-scale, truly digital marketing approach that goes beyond social: SEO and search ads, email outreach, paid ads, and content-led storytelling. Campaigns like Google’s Year in Search or Apple’s Shot on iPhone have demonstrated how campaigns leveraging a variety of digital channels can both inspire an audience and command authority across multiple touchpoints.

Both these strategies work. But the difference is the approach and scale. Social media platforms build relatability and brand connection; other digital marketing channels build reach and long-term brand authority. 

Which One To Pick? 

Truth be told, you don’t really have to choose between the two. You need to know which lever to pull first.

Consider:

• Your audience, and where they spend time

• Your goals: awareness, leads or conversions? 

• Your urgency for results

If you target audiences who love short videos, memes and storytelling, then social media is where to start your efforts. If your priority is consistent traffic and long-term awareness, then SEO and SEM (search engine marketing) are the digital levers to pull.

The ideal solution uses both. Use social to build awareness and engagement, then use SEO and email to nurture leads and increase conversions.  

For small and mid-sized businesses: 

Social media is often the most effective “bang for your buck” strategy. It is fast, cheap and flexible to test and adjust.

On average, social media users spend 2 hours 23 minutes on social media platforms per day. Instead of waiting for them to search for your product, social marketing gets you right in front of them, while they scroll, like and comment. 

Paired with effective content strategy and advertising, SMM can give SMBs a lot of high engagement numbers at a lower cost than many traditional digital ads.  

Why Your Brand Needs Both?

When you are planning to grow your brand, it’s important to have both digital and social media marketing strategies in place. Your audience members don’t all sit in one place all day.

Instead, they search, they scroll, they watch, they compare, and they decide. You need to be everywhere they could be.

Digital marketing ensures you are visible when people are in an active “searching” mode.

Social media marketing means people see and find you when they are in passive “scrolling” mode.

HubSpot’s 2024 State of Marketing Report shares that: 

• 83% of marketers report using video content to generate leads. 

• 72% of marketers say social media marketing drives website traffic

Brands that use multiple digital marketing and social media marketing channels convert better than brands that use only one or two.

When you plan and do both of these, your brand will reach more people, and those people will engage more deeply with your brand.  

Content Ideas That Work Across Both Worlds: 

The strongest marketing campaigns use content that can work on multiple channels:

• Use short, high-impact videos on social, then expand those into blog posts or website explainers for SEO. 

• Turn customer FAQs into both Instagram carousels and optimised web content.

• Retarget visitors who engaged with your social ads through email or Google Ads.

• Combine social storytelling with website lead magnets to convert traffic into sales.

This kind of synergy multiplies results and keeps your brand consistent wherever it shows up. 

How does Frame Makerzzz help brands succeed? 

If you feel your brand’s social media presence isn’t quite giving you the results you should be seeing, Frame Makerzzz can help you grow your reach and impact.

We help clients create social media campaigns and video content that is engaging, emotionally connecting and strategically performing. Our team helps brands develop scroll-stopping creatives and high-conversion video content.

As a Mumbai-based agency specialising in social media and video content, we understand what audiences expect and respond to today: wit, clarity, creativity backed with strategy.

If your brand needs a clear, creative, and measurable social strategy that drives results, Frame Makerzzz is here to help. Let’s make your brand not just visible but memorable. 

Get in touch with Frame Makerzzz – Where ideas move audiences.