Marketing in a digital way

List of Frequently Used Phrases and Abbreviations - SME Small-to-Medium Business - DMC ROI for Digital Marketing Communications Return on Investment
Short Summary
The digital marketing communication strategy for a real-world medium-sized business is provided in this study (SME). The alternatives that a SME business has in light of the prospects offered are explored in the marketing strategic plan. Additionally, the paper looks at potential digital marketing communications and how they relate to the expansion of SMEs. A strategic digital business marketing plan is presented in the study. By using online advertising and updating the website's content, digital channels can be leveraged to increase brand awareness. The plan involves the use of websites, search engine optimization, and social media. The report also describes a strategy in which the use of web analytics can help the SME business to know customer preferences and needs. Brand awareness can be created through digital and search engine marketing. According to this paper, SMEs are firms that have less than 500 workers. The paper evaluates strategic digital communication planning for grocers in Sheffield.
 

Table of Contents
List of Frequently Used Terms and Acronyms 2
Executive Summary 3
Introduction 6
Details of Proposed Digital Marketing Strategy 6
Digital Marketing Communications (DMC) 6
Digital Marketing Channels 7
Web Pages 8
Search Engine Optimization 9
Marketing and E-mails 9
Social Media Marketing 10
Social bookmarking 10
Media Sharing 11
Social forums and discussion sites 11
Social media submission 11
Social networks 11
Social Blogs 12
Podcasts 12
Micro-blogging 12
Measuring DMC 12
Customer Engagement 13
Digital Marketing Strategy Development 14
Situation Analysis 14
Objectives 15
Strategy 15
Tactics 16
Social media marketing 16
Search Engine Optimization 17
Web-pages 17
Actions 18
Control 18
Conclusion 18
References 19

 
Introduction
Digital marketing is an essential tool in the modern business world. The contemporary economic activity is highly dependent on the adequate marketing. Firms invest a lot in the marketing of their products as well as the launching of new products. Digital marketing efficiently gives a business an advantage since many people use digital media. The Internet provides an impetus for companies to rethink and use technology. The interconnectivity provided by the web allows information to be conveyed smoothly. The major trends of the technology and access to the Internet have enabled the SMEs businesses to rethink and prioritize the use of technology to promote business success. SMEs are innovative sectors and key drivers of employment, output growth, and the economy as a whole.
Digital communication has become a vital transformational tool in the modern marketing. The media landscape has been changed by the advancement of technology and the application of digital advertising. Firms capitalize on the available opportunities presented by the digital platforms including social media platforms. Examples of SMEs include bakeries, green grocers, car dealership, restaurants, health stores, coffee shops, news agents, hairdressers, barbers, local convenience stores, and more (Arens 2011, p. 36).
Details of Proposed Digital Marketing Strategy
Digital Marketing Communications (DMC)
Digital marketing refers to the usage of digital media such as mobile media, the Internet, and other channels to market. (Kotler et al. 2009, p. 124). Digital marketing relates to the Internet one because they are connected. Planning for the DMC is crucial because it involves deliberations that promote content in search engines. Many of the consumers are shopping and viewing products online. Marketers can, therefore, reach a high number of potential buyers. The marketing content is published in the search engines as well as social media sites. Monitoring can be done, and the result can be measured by the number of viewers, followers, or fans in the Internet links. For instance, social media links are designed to collect data on the number of people who have viewed, liked, or shared the content.
The marketing content is well-articulated in the company web pages to attract web surfers and persuade them to purchase products or services. The planning and the articulation of information posted on the public pages determine whether customers will be satisfied or not; thus, the company planners should make their marketing pages worth finding (Armstrong 2015, p. 217).
The analysis of social media usage helps to forecast the effectiveness of a post. The success of a DMC can be measured and evaluated by how many times a post is liked, viewed, or shared. A selling post will make customers happy, and they will say positive things, like, share, comment, and buy more of the advertised product. Marketing is a process, and it continues even after the close of sales because the existing customers are engaged more to repeat the action and also give referrals. Customers who advocate for a product show gratitude for excellent items offered by the firm (Kotler and Keller 2009).
The effectiveness of a marketing strategy is measured by how much sales the communication generates.
Digital Marketing Channels
Companies in the contemporary world have choices about the marketing channels. A company website is one of the most important channels for communication and advertising. Corporations invest in website construction and management to ensure excellent information transmission and display of information. Professionals are hired to design the layout as well as control the sites. The website is usually the main channel while other sites such as social media can be used as support elements (Shimp 2007).
Figure 1
Digital Marketing Media. Source: Digital Strategy 2016.

Web Pages
Website pages are wholly owned and controlled by the firm. A firm manages and effects modifications and changes in the content put in its web pages (Ryan and Jones 2009, pp. 40-42). The latter are designed to have the critical highlights and details of the products. A customer should see the vital and eye-catching information. The Internet sites support the actions done by other supporting elements of digital marketing.
An effective articulation of digital advertising is the one that combines a firm’s organizational culture, goals, and visions with the consumers’ needs. According to Ryan and Jones, the steps of building a website include:
• Planning: defining the target market, analysing competitors, setting goals, making a schedule, and trying to see the page through customers’ eyes.
• Design: setting the page outlook.
• Development: working on the actual pages, making sure that they align with the firm’s goals, setting design and planned content.
• Testing: making sure that the website works as it should.
• Deployment: publishing the content (“Tactical and Operational Planning” 2013).
A well-designed web page can be an excellent tool that can promote access to information. The availability of data to customers makes them aware of the available products and their prices. Consideration of the target market when designing a website promotes customer satisfaction because people will not have to find substitutes. When customers’ expectations are met, they become consumers of the goods. Online content assists the buyers in comparing prices and quality of products. Customers are also able to order commodities online, which is convenient. A web page should also be made accessible and usable (“Customer Engagement vs. Customer Satisfaction: Which Should You Follow?” 2010).
Search Engine Optimization
The intended use of a website is to convey information to customers, both existing and potential ones. Business interacts with the customers mainly through the main site. Creating a website in itself does not guarantee visitors (Ryan and Jones 2009, p. 66). An optimization technique is used to increase the chances of the website appearing in search engines. It is done to improve the volume of traffic to the website pages so that the content can be more visible (Kotler et al. 2009, p. 131). It enhances the webpage visibility in the search engines. The optimization and the web developing are always continuing to ensure efficiency and achievement of the set goals. Advantages of search engine optimization include timely, high-quality, and relevant search results. The choice of effective keywords and the competitor analysis ensure a competitive advantage over the rivals (Ryan and Jones 2009, pp. 69-73).
Marketing and E-mails
Firms communicate with customers to convey promotional, personal, and customized messages. Most businesses send promotional and new product ones via emails. The strategic use of emails to communicate about new products aims at maintaining the relevance of the products. The engagement strengthens the customer relationship and makes the clients own the brand. Besides, the communication adds credibility to the business (Ryan and Jones 2009, p. 134). Various tools are used to manage email marketing. Firms use customer lists, campaigns, and crafts. Specific employees manage the customer lists, track, follow-up on the marketing campaigns, and design the crafts. Customer relationship management is an important part of the process. The administration through selected officials keeps a record of customers and how they react towards products and business as a whole. Tracking customers enables communication to be sent to the right kind of potential buyers. (Ryan and Jones 2009, pp. 135-137). Email marketing cannot be replaced by the social media one because each has a role to play in the strategic digital marketing. Email sphere is stable, reliable and valid because it communicates to individuals directly (Ryan and Jones 2009, p. 148).
Social Media Marketing
Web-based services that join people online have been of great use in modern advertising. Many users unite and view content together through linked platforms. Consumers can be able to see, participate in, comment, and discuss the information posted by a firm. The social platforms allow the consumers to know the products more in social interaction. Social media enables sharing of different marketing materials including videos, pictures, texts, and audio. Examples of these online sharing platforms are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and MySpace among others (“Social Networking Websites” 2017).
The different forms that exist among the social media sites include social forums, social discussions, social bookmarking, social review and rating, social media submission, social media sharing sites, blogging sites, and wikis. The examples are explained below.
Social bookmarking
Online users save bookmarks of their favourite web resources. Web pages can be tagged on the web by the use of web-based tools. The online tagging enables easy access of the tagged content. Social bookmarking promotes exposure, relevance, and traffic in the advertising sites.
Media sharing
Sites may share information to reach many people. Users can be able to communicate through discussions, comments, and sharing and can also choose to publicize or not. The benefit of sharing includes the ability to know what customers in a particular region like or dislike.
Social forums and discussion sites
Individuals enter different social media sites and choose to discuss any topic of their interest. The use of social panels and discussions enables the company to become closer to their customers. Companies collect data through clients’ contribution and debate that assist in planning.
Social media submission
Online users submit, review, comment and discuss specific products online. The provided information can be in the form of a text, a video, an audio, or a photo. The discussion and commenting can take different forms, which might include approval or disapproval making individuals like or dislike the product. Social reviewing can lead to a wave of liking or hating. The benefits of social submission sites include the following: it reveals the trending items and people’s interests, increases online reputation, and also boosts the traffic to the posted material (Shimp 2007, p. 243).
Social networks
Online users create own sites where people can connect and network. Information is shared in different forms like photos, videos, audio, texts and more. The ability of the sites to link many people gives it an advantage of reaching customers from the same locality of the geographical location. The use of social networks improves online reputations while offering advertising options (Arens 2011, p. 36).
Social blogs
Individuals write on topics of their interest and post them on the Internet. The hot topics of the day are easy to establish. Users can then give their thoughts and ideas about the blogs. A firm should investigate and evaluate the workability of blogs. A good relationship with blog writers and exposure to consumers can propel the company’s sales.
Podcasts
Audio and video clips can be shared online with the aim of reaching customers. The shared video clips are called podcasts and are used widely in television and radio platforms. The type of media is also put on a website of a company to give customers a better understanding of the products as well as a chance to comment on it or the idea posted. Podcasts create efficient channels to reach customers.
Micro-blogging
Users use short messages that are not longer than 160 characters. The quick messaging promotes product visibility and increases customer traffic on the websites. Besides, it is an easy way to communicate with the customers (Karunakaran 2008).
Measuring DMC
Creating an efficient digital marketing strategy requires measuring the results. Companies can collect information about the progress of their marketing communications. The effectiveness of the online marketing can be evaluated by looking at the return on investment (ROI). Marketing is as crucial as well as other investments. However, its importance is not well-understood by many organizations, which make them fail in marketing strategies.
According to Tikkanen and Vassinen (2016, p. 78), marketing is not only an expense but also an investment because it leads to increased sales and higher revenues in the long run. Calculation of the rate of return helps the firm effectively compare investment decisions and choices and allocate the budget coherently (Tikkanen 2016, p. 79).
A precise definition and realization of the return on investment require clear goals and focused managers. Calculation of the ROI can only be done based on overall goals. One can receive the return on investment by dividing the net profit by the net investment. The calculated gain excludes the cost of investment. The return on investment of digital marketing is always set higher than other investments because they have higher risks (Tikkanen and Vassinen 2016, pp. 79-80).
Customer Engagement
Finding new customers is one of the goals of advertising. The new technology promotes greater visibility of company profiles and products. The online profiles support new customer acquisition and, thus, more sales. A company should also consider maintaining relationships with the existing clients. Customer relationship management is crucial to maintaining growth in business. Customers need to feel important and valued to identify themselves with the brands they like.
Figure 2
Satisfaction and Engagement. Source: “Customer Engagement vs. Customer Satisfaction: Which Should You Follow?” 2010

The use of digital marketing tools enables meaningful communication. Moreover, marketers can maintain long lasting customer relationships. Clients will love the fact that they can quickly access the company’s managers and directors.
Digital Marketing Strategy Development
Strategy development involves elaborating the plan, deciding the tactics, planning the actions on how to implement the tactics, analysing the situation, setting the objectives, and controlling the results of the process. (“SOSTAC®-model” 2012).
Figure 3
Situation Analysis. Source: “SOSTAC®-model” 2012.

Situation Analysis
A situational analysis aims at obtaining a clear picture of the internal and external business environment. The analysis includes the report of the business market, competitors, products, customer base, environment, and opportunities available for the business (About.com, 2013). SWOT analysis can be done to analyse the marketplace. Internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats of the business are examined (Morris 2009, p. 385).
Table 1
SWOT Analysis. Source: Morris 2009, pp. 386.
The Organization Strengths – S
• Existing Brand
• Existing Customer Base
• Existing Distribution Weaknesses – W
• Brand Perception
• Intermediary use
• Technology and skills
• Channel Support
Opportunities – O
• Cross-selling
• New Markets
• New Services
• Alliances and Co-branding SO Strategies
Leverage strengths to maximize opportunities = Attacking strategy WO Strategies
Counter weaknesses through exploiting opportunities = Build strengths for attacking strategy
Threats – T
• Customer choice
• New entrants
• New competitive products
• Channel conflicts ST Strategies
Leverage strengths to minimize threats = Defensive strategy WT Strategies
Counter weaknesses and threats = Build strengths for defensive strategy
Objectives
The setting of targets of a digital marketing strategy is vital. It enables the company to forecast the future business growth. The goals of a firm may include how the digital communication is used. Objectives of a firm enhance the image and the attitude towards the company. Besides, the image created can enhance demand and sales. The objectives should include ways of maintaining existing customer relationships as well as acquiring new customers. The plan can also include how to use the digital marketing communication to obtain new customers.
Strategy
A company can deliberate on the channels to use in the digital world. A website is one of the channels that a company can fully control. The advantage of using a website is that the information about the firm can be condensed in a page where customers can view, analyse, and discuss the company and its products. The availability of information in web pages enables customers to reach the full information, which enhances decision making. Factors like customer targeting, segmentation, and positioning of a firm among the many competitors in the business must be taken into consideration when designing a digital marketing plan. The designing of the web pages must also include the frequently asked questions so that the customers can receive answers to their questions. Satisfaction will bring customers back to the pages (Hundekar, Appannaiah and Reddy 2010).
Tactics
A digital marketing strategy requires a tactical planning. The tactics include the specification of the channels to be used, how, and when to execute. Besides the web pages, a marketing strategy will consist of other appropriate channels like social network sites depending on the applicability. The chosen channels have to be suitable for the business. For instance, the company can select the use of the search engine and social media beside in addition to the main site.
Social Media Marketing
A firm should consider how products should be presented in different channels of social media. A tactical presentation different from the competitors should be done to promote uniqueness. The unique display makes it easy for the company to stand out and effectively reach the target customers. The plan also needs to incorporate the frequency of updates as it keeps customers aware of what is happening. Communication with customers should be made easy and accessible (“Desktop Research – Methodology and Techniques” 2016). For instance, including single-click surveys that cannot be edited can help obtain first-hand and honest feedback from customers. Fields for comments and leaving feedbacks should be done in a way that customers can share information, ideas, and suggestions. Online conversations and direct messaging is also a crucial part of the marketing that enhances customer satisfaction. Quick responses to online chats make customers feel valued. Clients also take pleasure in direct communication with company representatives and add their confidence with the company.
Search Engine Optimization
Customers need to visit a website to see the content. The use of an optimization technique can ensure that a site is visible to web users. It works by the application of the right keywords. Analytic tools can be used to find out the most searched content on the web. Its example is Google Analytics. Customer search is monitored, analysed, and used by the company to increase visibility in search engines as well as the number of website visitors.
Web-pages
Practical skills and knowledge are required in the webpage development. An external help might be needed to design something that will support the objectives of a firm as well as meet customer expectations. The proper Internet page should be customer-friendly with a smooth and clear usage of visuals. Besides, the most important information should be located with little navigation in the page.
Actions
A plan for strategy implementation is required. Clear guidelines should be made in the implementation of the digital marketing strategy for effective communication. The usability and the control of the web pages should be enhanced by modifying and monitoring regularly. Clarity in the digital communication will lead to the success of the marketing strategy (Lea 2015).
Control
The company can use different methods to control the results of the digital channels. Google analytics can be used to analyse and monitor the activities in the marketing channels. The information collected can be used to enhance the usability of the websites and social media sites. Surveys are mostly used to obtain the required information about the customers and online users. The frequent analysis improves the communication and promotes efficient development of the marketing strategy (Smart Insights 2012).
Conclusion
Marketing strategies and communication have changed due to the advancement of the technology. The progress enables firms and organizations to develop strategies that will suit their businesses and align them with their goals. The use of web pages, search engine optimization, and social media is recommended in the industry to increase revenues. SMEs in Sheffield can maximize revenues by the use of strategic digital marketing in a competitive market where the roles of organizations, firms, and consumers have changed. Firms should be searching and analysing more information instead of sending it. Companies should create a dialogue to engage customers. A marketing strategy should be designed to accord the customer value and recognition. Marketing is all about customer engagement and businesses need customers. The marketing strategy is one way of preparing a firm to meet customer expectations (Greenberg 2014). 
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