DIGITAL MARKETING
1. DEFINITION
Digital marketing is the use of digital sources based on
electronic signal like Internet, digital display advertising and other digital media
such as television,
radio,
and mobile phones
in the promotion of brands and products to consumers. Digital marketing may
cover the more traditional marketing areas such as Direct
Marketing by providing the same method of communicating with an
audience but in a digital fashion.
2. FACTORS IN DIGITAL MARKETING
1) Master the basics; Whilst social media, mobile and other
channels are dominating discussion in the digital landscape it is important to
master the basics. Email is one channel which many marketers are still
utilising the spray and prey approach. By deploying a more sophisticated
strategy in the email field, organisations can gain far more value from their
database asset.
2) Play the field; It is important when developing a digital
strategy not to rely on one singular channel to drive the majority of site
traffic. This is important for a few reasons. The first is that there are
inherent risks involved in relying on channels like organic search as a Google
algorithm change can cause a significant decline in visitors overnight. The
other key reason is that different digital channels support the achievement of
different goals – for example email marketing is a key part of any retention
strategy online whilst PPC is a core acquisition strategy.
3) Become a publisher; Content makes the web go round and
brands which invest in delivering valuable and unique content will excel online
in social and search and even email.
4) Focus on site not just digital marketing; Digital success
is derived from utilising a combination of digital marketing strategies and
delivering a good user experience. Often organisations throw more and more
money into their promotional activity without optimising their site experience.
5) Give digital the talent it deserves; Many organisations in
Australia are hiring junior resources to champion digital and drive value from
the channel. Brands that are successful online will be those that invest in the
senior professionals who are experienced in monetising the channel and that can
drive organisational change.
6) Manage with an analytical mindset; As most things in
digital can be measured it is important that decision making is based on
analysis of individual channel performance. My personal tip is to establish
dashboards for major digital channels that you are investing in to monitor
outcomes and identify tactical changes / next steps to improve channel
performance.
7) Be sceptical of buzz; Before investing in particular
initiatives / channels understand the implications of your decision. A classic
example is the assumption marketers are making about iPhone being the most
popular handset in Australia. The truth of the matter is Android is growing and
Nokia is still the most popular handset in Australia – so why is everyone
building an iPhone app and ignoring the need for a mobile site. Some digital
trends gain more media attention than others so it is important not to take
things at face value and become well read within the digital space.
8) Dedicate some of your time / resources to experimentation;
To get ahead in digital you sometimes need to push the boundaries and do
something a bit different to be noticed. In Australia, this may even mean going
digital in the first place.
