E-Tools

Social Networking

Social networking allows members to reconnect with old friends, make new friends and come together with members of similar interests. A user creates a profile and is then granted access to the site where they can view other user profiles and connect with them. Popular social networking sites include Myspace, Facebook and Twitter.

Advantages

1: Social media is cost-efficient, A business only has to pay per every click they receive on their page.

2: Facebook allows a business to advertise directly towards their desired audience which makes advertising a lot more efficient.

Disadvantages

1: Maintaining a social media account takes a lot of maintenance. In order to efficiently run a social media account, a business will need an employee to maintain the Facebook page which will make it less cost efficient.

2: It may be difficult for a business to continually post engaging posts, if a business is too repetitive they may lose followers.

Rich Media

YouTube is an example of rich media, it is a video sharing platform that allows individuals, businesses and groups to share video graphic content. The videos can generate a lot of cash depending on the amount of views it receives.

Advantages

1: Advertising on YouTube is great due to it having a HUGE database of regular users, this provides marketers with the opportunity to achieve massive viewing audiences in a short space of time.

2: YouTube is owned and strongly supported by Google, If a business is successful on YouTube they will rank higher on Google search response.

Disadvantages

1: A lot of effort is required to create a captivating and interesting video, this needs be done in order to have success on YouTube as it is likely that a business will face harsh competition.

2: With a platform with such a massive collection of users, there can be some disadvantages such as a business may receive a negative review on their promotional videos, these comments cannot be deleted so they are there for everyone to see which could tarnish the businesses reputation.

Google Adwords

Google AdWords is an online advertising service was created by Google (who would have guessed it), this service will boost a business’s advertisement is order to to attract more web users. Google AdWords is partly based on predefined keywords and cookies.

Advantages

1: Google Adwords will boost a business’s website higher in their results. This can give a business an impressive edge over a business in the same industry.

2: Internet advertising can be more targeted than traditional media as it directly aims at users who Google in the area their business is based.

Disadvantages

1: Studies show that people who use Google will usually click on the results below the boosted websites.

2: A major disadvantage of advertising on google is that the business’s marketing materials are available for anyone in the world to copy, regardless of possible legal ramifications. This is different from television advertising where images have to be replicated instead of being copied electronically.

Blogging

Blogs are websites which continuously upload content on a regular basis. Blogs are usually done in an informal or conversational style, they are usually operated by an individual or small group but it is not uncommon for businesses to do so as well. Vlogs are essentially the video version of a blog and they have become very popular.

Advantages

1: Blogs allows businesses to easily create polls for their customers to give feedback and their opinion.

2: Blogs work brilliantly with search engine algorithms and can be very beneficial if they are directly connected with businesses website which can allow traffic to be directed to a businesses website.

Disadvantages

1: Businesses need to put a policy in place which may be hard to enforce. Having an employee update the blog means there needs to be an employee to monitor the content being created which is time-consuming and may not be cost effective.

2: In order for a businesses blog to be successful, the content must be of a high quality or else it may reflect badly on a business. In order for content to be compelling it must be well written and free of spelling errors. Low quality blogs will do more harm than good.

SOSTAC

SOSTAC is a planning model developed in the 1990’s by ‘PR Smith’ to help with marketing planning. The SOSTAC planning model does not have to be exclusive to business planning but can also be used for communications planning, social media planning or even as a guide to your own personal life plan. SOSTAC focuses in on the six most important elements of any business. Each element relates to a key step in the process.

SOSTAC is an acronym and stands for:

Sitution, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action & Control.

1. SITUATION ANALYSIS WHERE ARE WE NOW?

How are we performing?
What are our distinctive competitive (marketing) advantages?
How effective is our Marketing Mix?
Are we focusing on the best segments with the right type of customer?
Are we using the most appropriate channels for communication and distribution?
What uncontrollable event(s) or trend(s) can impact my business.
2. OBJECTIVES WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO?

Business Mission?
Business Objectives?
Marketing Objectives – Business Development?
Marketing Communication Objectives?
The SMART Test for Objectives
Make sure your objectives are practical and measurable. Do they fit the following criteria?
Specific (with numbers)
Measurable (to monitor progress and confirm achievement)
Actionable (can we do it?)
Reasonable (realistically attainable)
Timed (incorporate deadlines)
3. STRATEGY HOW DO WE GET THERE?

Segmentation – How do we want to divide up the market(s)?
Targeting – Which segments of the market do we wish to focus upon?
Positioning – How do we want to be perceived in each different target segment?
4. TACTICAL PLAN HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGY?

Which Communication Tools are we going to use?
How are we going to use them?
What message(s) do we wish to communicate?
Are we being consistent across different tools and messages?
Do we have the necessary resources/budgets?
5. ACTION PLAN WHO, WHAT, WHEN?

Who is going to do what?
When are they going to do it?
What is the resource allocation for the action?
What are the key performance measurements?
How is performance going to be recorded?
6. CONTROL KEEPING TRACK OF PROGRESS

Do action performance measurements relate to objectives?
Responsibility for measurement?
Frequency of measurement?
Resources for measurement?
Review of measurements?
Actions on variance?
SOSTAC® is a registered trade mark of PR Smith. For more information on SOSTAC® Planning & becoming a SOSTAC® Certified Planner visit www.SOSTAC.org .

Digital Marketing Strategies

There is a big difference between digital marketing and traditional marketing, the difference being that digital marketing is marketing that is done on the internet through the use of E-tools such as social networking, rich media and blogs. Traditional marketing is mostly accomplished through newspapers, billboards and word of mouth.Digital marketing is superior to traditional marketing in many ways such as it gives you a level playing field, provides greater exposure to new customers and it is relatively cheaper than traditional marketing.

Integrated Marketing is the attempt to create a seamless and smooth experience for consumers to connect with a brand. This type of marketing attempts to blend different aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion and public relations.

Marketing on social media is necessary for any business. A customized page tab give you the advantage to offer exclusive information to followers. A personalized page tab can be used to promote registration for upcoming events or discussions and attract more followers.This has been demonstrated by businesses which offer a discount which then influences the engagement for that page. Businesses are likely to experience a 40% increase in activity.

In regard to marketing through Email, having a subject line that triggers curiosity can dramatically increase the Email open rate. It is important that the subject line is relevant to your audience and honest, otherwise this marketing technique will fail. The Email itself has to be professional and concise with a bit of personality to it.

Paid advertising on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook is very effective, there are 3 ways to do it which are promoted trends, promoted accounts/pages and promoted tweets/posts. This is very effective reaching people that would be interested in your page as it targets people through those who have shown interest in that area.

Marketing through Google Adverts is an excellent idea, Google Adverts gives you an edge on the competition as it puts a business above the search results. Google Adverts also doesn’t charge you unless a possible consumer has gone onto your website.

Definition Of Digital Marketing

Definition Of Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing is a term that covers a magnitude of marketing  products and services associated with digital technologies, primarily on the Internet. Common assets of Digital Marketing are display advertising, social media channels and online coverage such as good public relations and reviews.

Characteristics Of Digital Marketing

There are many characteristics of digital marketing. Some of these characteristics are a high quality website, marketing through Email, creating an easy & convenient user experience, a strong presence on social & rich media and the ability to identify and reach your target audience. These characteristics may be the difference between a businesses’ booming success and its demise.

The 7 P’s Of Digital Marketing