​Even traditional agencies say they see the value of internet marketing and specialization.

​Today’s biggest brands understand the value of digital marketing. Social media channels and branded blogs add credibility to a company’s web presence, and they also provide new and existing customers with extensive resources to educate their purchasing decisions. The evolution of digital marketing has steadily advanced over the past two years, with a significant percentage of both B2B and B2C organizations jumping on board with content marketing.

The new Econsultancy and SoDA Digital Marketing Outlook Report suggests digital marketing adoption is still only in its infancy. Approximately 39 percent of surveyed companies say they will increase their digital marketing spend in 2013 at the expense of other channels. Sixteen percent indicate they will allocate more resources toward digital channels in tandem to overall marketing spend. The study shows that brands not only see the importance of digital channels, but that they will back up their beliefs with increased investments in various channels.

This year’s Digital Marketing Outlook Report saw an increase in the percentage of respondents from traditional ad or marketing agencies with both traditional and digital capabilities. The split shows that seasoned firms realize they must hone their digital outreach skills to keep up with the innovation curve. However, the two types of service providers disagreed on certain points. When asked for their opinions about how specialization can be the best route for sustained growth, digital firms agreed more often than traditional agencies. Fifty-six percent of independent respondents agreed compared to 32 percent from full-service ad houses. Econsultancy noted that almost one-third of full-service respondents said the best route to growth is with specialization, despite their employers not operating with a similar business model.

Internet marketing specialization allows businesses to partner with agencies that focus on emerging outreach channels. Content marketing firms, for example, provide clients with unique campaigns that drive web traffic, generate premium leads and showcase industry credibility. With social media marketing an increasingly essential strategy for brands, content creators have even begun to leverage sites like Facebook and Twitter for greater reach, and brands can participate in social chatter.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.