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Formerly known as “The Six Pillars of Internet Marketing” and having undergone several stages of evolution over the past 10 years, the “ 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing ” is a framework for the learning, strategy, budgeting, execution and analysis of the entire universe of digital marketing tactics and techniques.  7 Pillars is an active and constantly evolving ecosystem that covers a lot of ground. Each Pillar is like a force that dictates, to a large extent, how the World Wide Web works.  The framework contains logic and lessons for teaching hands-on execution, as well as high-level strategy, philosophy and the history of digital marketing. Building on my prior blog post on raising your Digital IQ , herein is a basic overview of the 7 Pillars and how you can start using it to improve or evaluate your own marketing.  Mastering these principles, or at least grasping them all and then diving deeper into one or two Pillars, will enable your web strategy to be smarter and more profitable. What are the 7 Pillars? 1.  Content – All forms of web content, from copy to photography to video, comprise Pillar 1.  Content is still king, and the bloodstream of digital marketing.  Content, which is equally important in the traditional marketing world, is the most overlooked area of digital marketing, and where businesses surprisingly struggle to produce. 2.  Design – Pillar 2 is comprised of web page templates, layouts and the overall UX (User Experience), be it via computer, mobile device or iPad.  Usability, User Interface and User Experience are different ways to define this essential Pillar.  Branding is a subset of Design.  Design determines brand and perception of quality more than anything else. 3.  Search – SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the key component of organic Search, and the holy grail of what every business wants to dominate in for their industry and product categories.  The Search Pillar also includes other types of search, such as organic Comparison Shopping Engines, onsite search (within websites and portals), and Universal Search (for music, images, videos and places).  Multi-lingual and mobile search are also considered herein. 4.  Media – PPC (Pay Per Click), retargeting, display advertising, affiliate marketing and CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) media comprise the loaded Pillar 4, digital Media.  This is where the most advertising dollars are flying to, making Pillar 4 the richest digital marketing strategy.  Digital Media tactics have significant overlap with Search, Social and Mobile Pillars, which are some of the primary pathways to digital Media spending. 5.  CRM – CRM or Customer Relationship Management is all about how customers, leads (and frankly, any relationship that a business maintains) are managed, organized and communicated to.  This includes contact management systems, Email Marketing, and Analytics of how prospects and existing customers interact with an organization’s websites and various digital campaigns. Google Analytics data is actually one of your most important CRM tools. 6.  Social – All social networks, blogs and other forms of user-generated content (forums, polls, surveys) are considered in Pillar 6.  Social websites are growing faster than any other kind; and even the “Search King” (aka, Google) is investing more in Social than any other area.  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, Stumbleupon, Flickr and hundreds of other innovative social media companies and technologies are covered under Social media. 7.  Mobile – 5+ billion mobile phone subscriptions exist in a planet of 7 billion.  Mobile is the new access point to the web and all other Pillars, making new commerce opportunities available and opening the door for those who practice creative digital marketing to take advantage.  Mobile apps, mobile websites and mobile payment systems are revolutionizing the field, making this possibly the most important Pillar of digital marketing. Each Pillar has numerous sub-categories, which contain thousands of specific tasks that encompass them.  As the constantly-changing field of digital marketing evolves, so do the Pillars.  Certain tactics and strategies, such as Comparison Shopping Engines, actually cut across different Pillars. To organize how one should approach the 7 Pillars, we can take a look at 7 key stages in the overall marketing process.  Each stage is a process of its own that is relevant to all the Pillars, while also existing beyond them to the overall marketing campaign. The 7 Pillars framework covers all of these bases, by explaining what typically happens and what the key actions and decisions are required at each stage, for each Pillar.  View a recent entry on the 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing Blog for more depth on the 7 Stages. Over the coming months, strategies, lessons, best practices and case studies for all 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing will be elaborated upon in this blog column.  For now, I’ll leave you with a couple of assignments that will help shape your own digital strategy. Your Assignment Looking across the 7 Pillars, make a note about what your company’s approach and commitment are to each. What is your own personal Digital IQ in each domain? As far as the 7 Key Stages go, assess how well your current marketing approach or digital strategy conducts each stage. Arman Rousta is Founder & CEO of digital agency, Blueliner, which services start-ups and established companies such as IZOD, California Closets and Lufthansa. Read more about Arman here .