So what is this session all about?

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So what is this session all about? In this session we will be looking to understand the key aspects of the digital marketing mix with specific emphasis on digital communications techniques. This session will focus on how organisations can use the various digital communications techniques available to them as part of their digital marketing activities. As there are so many communications tools to look at, we have split this into two sessions. Digital changes rapidly and especially with technology applications. The best resources available to support your learning for this session will be found online and provided by professional organisations or individuals. We ve provided you with links to relevant articles as well as videos, webinars and podcasts, we would encourage you to further reading around these topics online and via the Digital Knowledge Bank. We d also recommend you read Chapter 7 in the Chaffey & Smith recommended text as well as Chapters 4, 6 and 9 in the Ryan and Jones recommended text. 2

Digital marketing affects all aspects of the traditional and service marketing mix. Product looking at opportunities for modifying the core or extended product for digital environment. Price the implications for setting prices in digital marketing; new pricing models and strategies Place considering the implications for distribution for digital marketing. We considered the key terms disintermediation and reintermediation in Session one. Promotion exploring the new opportunities for promotional technique, which we will look at in more detail in this session and the next. People considering additional staff that may be needed to service any online proposition as well as additional training required. Physical evidence this refers to online physical evidence; the website and how it s designed as well as usability. Processes consideration for optimisation for internal and external processes through digital technologies 3

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All marketing communications need to deliver against one or more of the following four main tasks: Differentiate Standout or create position. This is especially important in competitive markets where there is little to separate the products on offer Remind - Remind people of a need they might have or reminding them of the past benefits of past transactions and so to convince consumers of a repeat purchase Reassure for example, immediately prior to exchange or post purchase to confirm the customer has made the right choice. Inform provision of information about offering and organisation Persuade - current and potential customers of desirability of purchasing products 5

This slide outlines the main objectives of marketing communications 6

The Internet can vary the promotional element of the marketing mix: New ways of applying each of the elements of the communications mix for example, advertising, sales promotion, PR and direct marketing Different ways of reaching the customer in the various stages of the buying process for example, using email to send follow up information for consumers who abandon their online basket. Different ways to assist stages of customer relationships management This includes getting initial visitors to the site and gaining repeat visits through a variety of communications techniques. 7

A digital marketing campaign plan should have five types of goals included. Example traffic building goals: Achieve X unique visitors within one year Deliver X online sales within one year, with an average order value of X and at a cost-per-acquisition of 10. Example conversion and engagement goals: Grow email database by X over the next 12 months Achieve X% conversion rate of new visitors to the website Convert 30% if first time buyers to repeat purchasers within 6 months. Example third-party site reach goals: Increase brand awareness by X% within 3 months Example multichannel marketing goals Achieve X sales from offline adverts (within a given period) 8

Achieve X% of sales achieved in the call centre as a result of website visits (within a given period) 8

To help to develop a suitable strategy to reach and influence potential customers online, it s common to refer to three main types of media channels that marketers need to consider today. Paid media: These are bought media where there is investment to pay for visitors, reach or conversions through search, display or affiliate marketing as well as traditional media such as TV advertising or direct mail. Earned media: This is the media (or space) that is earned by the brand so the audience is reached through editorial comments or sharing online. This can include PR activities, content marketing activities, word-of-mouth and social media. Owned media: This is the media owned by the brand this can include their websites, blogs, email database, social media presence and mobile apps. Offline, this could include stores. A organisation should consider the owned media available to them and how what investment is needed as part of their digital marketing activities 9

Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick (2012), identified 6 main digital media channels. We will look at each of these in turn throughout this session and the next. 10

This slide outlines some of the considerations for selecting communications media. It provides a useful framework for evaluating the various digital media we will be looking at as part of this session. Each media discussed in this session will include an evaluation of the media using this framework. 11

There are two types of SEM that have been outlined on this slide. PPC is often classed as advertising as this involves paying for a placement within a search engine, while SEO is a longer term approach that involves understanding and manipulation of search engine algorithms. We will talk about these in more depth over the next few slides but here is a useful article that explains the differences between the two types: http://www.seoworks.com/01-seo-news-views/sem-seo-versus-ppc/. 12

This slide shows in Google the difference between Natural Search and Paid Search. Those on the right hand side are always paid ads and are also listed as paid (see the small yellow icon that says ad ). There are often other paid ads right at the top of the page too, but this will depend on the key term used (again, labelled as ads by the yellow ad icon). Go to Google or another search engine of your choice now and see if you can spot the difference between paid ads and SEO. 13

The diagram here shows how search engines work. Search engine optimisation uses a number of tactics to draw the attention of search engines to an organisation s site. The idea behind SEO is to make a site fit as closely as possible with the searches performed by a target market. This is achieved by streamlining the elements within the site in order to make it more easily read by search engines. SEO is also designed to help make a site appear the most relevant to the searches that target viewers are likely to make. This is what makes SEO such a tricky game to play. While search engines, algorithms and computer behaviour follow lines that are relatively easy to predict, human behaviour is slightly more complicated and a lot more volatile. This is where keywords come in. A keyword is a term that is commonly used in connection with the subject of a site. When a site is found to have a certain number of keywords that are related to those used in the search, it appears relevant to the search query. Sites are then listed in order of relevance, although this is calculated via a far more complex equation than is easily explainable or guessable. When a person searches through a search engine, the query is compared with stored information hauled back by the search engine s spiders. How these spiders choose the information and how it is then sorted is a secret closely kept by the search engine companies. Optimisation begins at the page level and branches out to include everything about a site that is on the web (including social media) as well as how consumer engage with the relevant content. From the pages place within the site and its URL, through its code and content and out to its links, SEO tactics can be implemented to make it more search engine-friendly. 14

The slide also highlights some of the key factors involved with SEO, which we will explore further in the next slide. Watch this previous webinar from Oxford College of Marketing providing a useful introduction to SEO: http://oxfordcollegeofmarketing.adobeconnect.com/p4bazjqkf9q/. 14

SEO Success factors On-page SEO what is on the site Content freshness, engagement, relevant keywords, quality HTML meta description tags, title headers, Architecture crawability (how easy is it for the search engine to crawl the site, Flash designed sites often make this tricky), duplication (only one page available on the site, or duplication of content), site speed. Off page SEO what is directing traffic to the site Links number of links in, quality of these links and link/anchor text Social social signals play an increasingly important part of signalling site popularity and content, monitoring social shares. Google are undertaking constant algorithm updates which can impact significantly on organisations and their web properties. This useful article describes the key things you need to know about SEO: http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/seo-site-keyword-optimize-ht. This article is useful at explaining the three key aspects organisations need to be aware of for SEO in 2014: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/01/28/the-three-pillars-of-seo-in-2014/. 15

Google explain the best practices to help Google find, crawl, and index a site: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35769?hl=en. 15

According to Econsultancy s (2013): Paid search marketing means you advertise within the sponsored listings of a search engine or a partner site by paying either each time your ad is clicked (pay-per-click - PPC) or less commonly, when your ad is displayed (cost-perimpression - CPM). Why would an organisation use paid search? An organisation will feature at the top of the SERPs. With organic results decreasing rapidly further down the screen, it s vital that a company appears within the top five results in order to stand a chance of click-through. If the organisation has enough investment, PPC is the fastest way to get to the top. It s quick and easy to set up a PPC campaign, and appear immediately in the sponsored results. Everything can be tracked every ad, keyword and penny spent can be tracked, allowing for a more accurate ROI. This also means it s a lot easier for an advertiser to test campaigns too. PPC can offer the ability to to schedule ads and target them to specific locations and times. Google Adwords and Yahoo Bing Network (YBN) are the two major networks for undertaking PPC with. 16

You can listen to a webinar that provides an introduction to PPC here: http://oxfordcollegeofmarketing.adobeconnect.com/p2f8uycrulk/. 16

This slide shows the make up of a PPC ad. You can watch a video from the IAB UK about Search Advertising here: http://www.iabuk.net/disciplines/search-marketing/guide 17

Summary of Search Engine Marketing: Benefits of PPC: Cost Control: enables setting of budgets and enables caps to be put in place for spend. Similarly, it enables an organisation to manage each keyword s bid to help target higher returning keywords. Targeting: There is a plethora of targeting options in paid search. Everything from location to placement to network targeting. ROI: There are tools within paid search interface that enables goals to be set up and conversions tracked. It is possible to get a true measure of ROI with PPC. Instant and flexible: Campaigns can be set up and start running immediately copy can be changed to suit messaging required, such as for discounts or sale. Limitations of PPC: Complexity of managing campaigns: There are a lot of settings, targeting, and optimization strategies that can be used for profitable campaigns. Organizing and strategizing these can take a lot of time and expertise. Competition: increased competition in this market has driven costs up, more so in certain markets. Higher competition also means that those companies with big budgets and man power tend have the dominant positions. Benefits of SEO: It s free (almost): Search engines don t charge to have a website come up in results. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to develop the successful optimise a website it can require man power or specific expertise (like an agency of trained individual) It s trustworthy. People trust organic results more than paid advertising. They are much more likely to click on organic listings than on a paid ad. Limitations of SEO: Lack of Control: There are numerous factors that are outside an organisations control with SEO and especially 18

the (forever) changing search algorithms Unknown Factors: Google (and other search engines) is fairly secretive about what they use a formula for relevant sites. While some general best practices are known, there is a lot of uncertainty as to what factors truly impact on search results. Long-Term Investment required. 18

October 25th 1994 saw the birth of online display with the first ever online banner being hosted on Hotwired. AT&T s You will campaign was the first web ad to be run. The campaign generated a massive 78% click through rate even though it wasn t animated! In display advertising, one page impression occurs when a member of the audience views a web page. A click-through occurs each time a user clicks on a banner advertisement with the mouse to direct them to a web page that contains further information. A click-through rate is calculated by dividing the number of clicks generated by number of impression served. This is then stated as a percentage. The average click-through rates on web display banners is around 0.2% but higher on mobiles (but some suggest that 50% of mobile banner clicks are accidental!) You can watch a basic guide to display advertising from the IAB UK here http://www.iabuk.net/disciplines/display-advertising/guide 19

This article provides a guide to the various online advertising options open to brands: http://www.brandwatch.com/2013/09/online-advertising-explained/. 20

This slide shows some examples of the different types of display adverts that organisations can use as part of digital display advertising, including Facebook ads. The IAB produce display advertising guidelines, that include the recommended sizes for advertises and sites to use. You can look at the guidelines here: http://www.iabuk.net/resources/standards-and-guidelines/display-advertisingguidelines. 21

There are different targeting options available through display advertising, these are growing in complexity with developments in technology. This video highlights the key developments in the display advertising market: http://www.iabuk.net/disciplines/display-trading/guide You can watch a webinar on display advertising here: http://oxfordcollegeofmarketing.adobeconnect.com/p3il96h4eve/ 22

Benefits of Display Advertising: Reach Increase brand awareness Can achieve a direct response Relative cheap (depending on placement!) Can deliver ROI Increasingly interactive formats Dynamic updates available to ad campaigns Disadvantages: Low click-through rates / banner blindness Banner clutter User annoyance (impact on brand) Brand reputation issues with blind buys and DSPs (real-time bidding) 23

Email marketing is a form of direct marketing that uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or fundraising messages to an audience. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing. However, the term is usually used to refer to: Sending emails with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a merchant with its current or previous customers and to encourage customer loyalty and repeat business. Sending emails with the purpose of acquiring new customers or convincing current customers to purchase something immediately. Adding advertisements to emails sent by other companies to their customers. 24

This slide provides an evaluation of email marketing. Think about how your organisation (or one you are familiar with) currently use email marketing what types of emails do they send? How successful are they for the business? 25

Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick provided a view into the success factors of email marketing, using the mnemonic CRITICAL : Creative This refers to the overall design of the email (layout/images/colour). This should also consider how the email renders in various email readers (Outlook, Gmail, AOL) and on diffeent devices (mobile optimised creative) Relevance Targeting and ensuring emails are relevant and personalised to each recipient Incentive - Recipients look at emails and think WIIFM?, i.e. What s in it for me??. What benefit will they get from opening and clicking on the email? If it s not obvious, they won t open! Timing Organisations need to test which days/time yield the best results for broadcasting emails. Integration How will email integrate with other digital and traditional media campaigns to ensure consistency of messages. Copy The copy will be guided by the objectives of the email (newsletter vs. selling), but should consider calls to action as well as structure of the email template. Attributes these are the attributes of the email, from subject line to from address, the email pre-header (which includes a link to open the email in a browser). Landing Page It s important the user is sent to a relevant landing page to continue their journey and achieve the goal the organisation wants them to (i.e. complete a 26

form, purchase or register). 26

In affiliate marketing a 'publisher' (essentially an individual or organisation with a website) acts as an outsourced digital sales team for a business, promoting a brand s products or services in return for a fixed fee or commission. They do this by hosting promotional adverts on behalf of an advertiser and if visitors to the website click on this advert, the link takes them to a site belonging to the advertiser. Depending on the performance metrics agreed between the advertiser and the publisher, if the customer then clicks (perhaps to receive further information), watches a video, registers, signs up to a newsletter or buys something, the website publisher receives a commission for driving that action. Affiliate Marketing is often used by companies to reach a wider audience, increase sales and their customer base. It is an easy way for companies to get a large number of people (affiliates) to advertise, promote and sell their products and services in return for a small commission. The IAB and PWC reported that affiliate marketing and performance industry are now worth in excess of 9bn in the UK and listed are some of the UK s most recognisable affiliates some are now household names and advertise their services on TV. You can watch an introductory guide to affiliate marketing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr1iomh6ttg 27

The IAB and PWC reported that affiliate marketing and performance industry are now worth in excess of 9bn in the UK and listed are some of the UK s most recognisable affiliates some are now household names and advertise their services on TV. 28

You can look at some of the UK top affiliate networks by accessing their sites: http://uk.cj.com http://www.affiliatewindow.com/uk/ http://www.webgains.com http://www.affili.net/uk/home.aspx 29

This diagram summarises the affiliate marketing process. When a visitor to an affiliate site clicks through to a merchant (such as an online retailer), the visitor will be tracked through a cookie placed on the visitor s device. If the user completes the transaction (so returns to the site) within an agreed period (usually 30 days), the affiliate will be credited with the sale. To summarise: An affiliate promotes products or services for a specified advertiser for a commission A merchant is the advertiser An affiliate network provides the technology platform and assists in managing the relationship between merchants and affiliates Merchants pay a commission to affiliates for desirable actions Networks charge a standard monthly fee and an override on each affiliate sale generated Affiliate marketing relies on the use cookies and tracking pixels to record desired actions. You can download a useful guide to affiliate marketing here: http://performancein.com/resource/performance-marketing-guide-2014/ The Guardian also produced an interesting look at the benefits of affiliate marketing: http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/sep/25/affiliate-marketingbrands-learn-facts 30

The area of online sponsorship has developed in the last few years and given rise to Native Advertising You can watch a video here that looks at providing an introduction on native advertising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=813apfpvef0&list=pl6at9elthi51nodkxxv 3m7O3vIA_A9C5u&index=2 You can watch a webinar on native advertising here: http://oxfordcollegeofmarketing.adobeconnect.com/p5btkuq8ulj/ 31

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