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When Did Digital Marketing Start, and Who Started It?

 

🕰️ When Did Digital Marketing Start?

Digital marketing began in the early 1990s, when the internet started becoming available to the public. The first clickable web ad was created in 1993, and it marked the start of online advertising — a key part of digital marketing.

However, the real growth of digital marketing began after Google was launched in 1998, followed by social media platforms like Facebook in 2004 and YouTube in 2005.

👤 Who Started Digital Marketing?

There is no single person who can be credited with "starting" digital marketing. It evolved gradually through the efforts of various innovators.

However, the first recognized digital marketer was Ray Tomlinson, the man who sent the first email in 1971. This laid the foundation for email marketing, one of the earliest digital marketing tools.

Later, companies like AT&T and HotWired (Wired Magazine) ran the first online banner ads in the early 1990s, which helped launch internet advertising.

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