Digital channels are no longer optional to marketing. These days they are a must and should be the focus of your marketing efforts. We cover a few of these channels to consider when drawing up your marketing plan.
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Think of marketing platforms in terms of three categories:
- Owned media: You have control over the company’s website, brochures, business cards and other physical branded collateral. Social media pages are owned spaces in terms of what you decide to post but these platforms are open to anyone to comment and so they have to be carefully monitored.
- Earned media: This is media that earns an audience based on the value it brings. Media outlets may choose to give you exposure because it is relevant to their audience. It can also be reviews or social media posts that your stakeholders choose to write about you.
- Paid media: This is content you pay to place in front of an audience. It is any form of advertising such as traditional media (TV, radio and print advertising) or digital advertising such as Google search ads, display ads or sponsored content on social media.
No matter what type of business you conduct, your website is like your shop window. When you walk past a shop and decide to go inside, you immediately get a sense of what that shop offers and who it is aimed at. The website should therefore be built around the user and what they are looking for to convince them of your credibility. Clean, clever programming, graphic design and compelling writing. All three need to work together through elegant and simple user interfaces to ensure a powerful, meaningful web presence.
Social media advertising has really taken off in recent years, with excellent sales generated through platforms like Facebook, while LinkedIn is effective in reaching niche segments, as well as recruiting talent. Social media strategies and roll out plans must be tailor-made so that they are current and relevant to your audience. The basics must be right in order to enhance the organisation’s brand, sales and customer relations in the long term.
Digital marketing is an incredibly cost-effective and measurable way of reaching people in a target market. This may include: Google advertising, Social media advertising, Digital campaigns, Online competitions, Email marketing and Search engine optimisation (SEO).
Public relations (PR) is about providing effective and relevant ideas on building brands, developing and protecting corporate reputations, establishing long-term relationships with stakeholders, contributing towards the profitability of a business and minimising the impact of reputation-damaging incidents.
This can be achieved by using creative ideas based on a holistic strategy. Traditional media and new media platforms play important roles as efficient channels to take a message or position to the market.
