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Digital and Alternative Marketing

(1) E-commerce
- focuses on selling goods and services over the internet. Many types of e-commerce
businesses exist, ranging from click-only operations that vend entirely online to
bricks-and-clicks that supplement physical store operations with an online presence.

- E-commerce involves both businesses selling to consumers (B-to-C) and businesses

selling to other businesses (B-to-B).

Characteristics of Successful E-commerce Sites

 Search-optimized design
- E-commerce sites should be designed to optimize search results. Few consumers go
directly to a retail website. Instead, most type the product into a search engine. The
design of the e-commerce page influences where the website appears on a search engine
results page (SERP).

 Customer-centric design
- Effective e-commerce sites feature customer-centric designs which allow
individuals to easily locate merchandise. Items will be indexed with terms customers
typically use rather than professional or technical language. If a large number of items
are sold, then the site should provide a drill-down search function that features
customer-friendly terms and allows individuals to find items within one or two clicks.

 Mobile-optimized design
- Websites designed for a desktop computer will not load properly on a mobile device or
tablet. Most sites have moved to an adaptive design, which automatically adjusts
content to the screen size of the device being used to access the webpage.

 Consistent customer experience

- Consumers will expect consistent, positive experiences when they access websites,
whether from a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile device. They have nearly a zero
tolerance for poor website performance. Poor experiences translate into dissatisfaction
and lost sales, as evidenced by a number of studies e.g. Wal-Mart experienced a sharp
decline in its conversion rate when the company’s website load time increased from
one second to four seconds.

 Channel integration
- Channel integration is essential when the business sells through additional channels
beyond the web. A company that offers a printed catalog or has a retail store should
match the printed catalog with its web catalog. Victoria’s Secret features a “catalog
quick order” system which enables customers to enter the product number from the
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print catalog and then go straight to checkout. The program saves considerable time in
trying to find and buy a product on the web

 Brand engagement
- E-commerce sites create opportunities for brand engagement and customer
interaction. Blogs, feedback applications, and customer reviews provide ways for e-
commerce sites to encourage customers to interact with the website. Facebook and
Twitter permit customers to “like” a brand and become fans. Involvement in social
causes that involve customers enhances brand engagement.

 Shopping cart abandonment strategies

- Some online retailers experience high percentages of customers abandoning shopping
carts prior to checkout. The reasons vary, but the most common include hidden
charges, difficulty in checking out, and sites that require customers to register in order
to pay. Greg Hintz of Yahoo! Shopping offers these suggestions to keep customers
from abandoning a shopping cart:
o Show any additional costs, such as shipping and handling, up front, so
there are no surprises when the customer reaches checkout.
o Make checkout easy and allow customers to make purchases without
registering a user name and password.
o Make it easy for customers to enter discount codes from coupons, gift
certificates, and other promotions.
o Provide safe checkout procedures customers believe can be trusted

 E-commerce incentives
- Any lure or attraction that brings people to a website is cyberbait. The most common
forms include financial incentives, convenience incentives, and value-added
incentives.
- Financial incentives help persuade individuals and businesses to make first-time
purchases and encourage them to return. The incentives take the forms of a reduced
price, free shipping, or an e-coupon.
- Convenience incentive encourages customers to visit a website. Instead of traveling
to a retail store, customers place orders in their offices, at home, or while traveling by
using a smartphone or app. The order can be made at any time, day or night, and the
merchandise can be shipped directly to the customer.
- Value-added incentives lead consumers to change purchasing habits over the long
term. It consists of: Customized shopping, Unique product-information, Mobile apps,
Social media engagement, Exclusive shopping, Tutorials, usage tips and repair
instructions.
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 Offline marketing integration

- Without any type of offline advertising or marketing, attracting and keeping
customers becomes difficult. Offline marketing efforts should be integrated with the
e-commerce site. Information provided in a magazine ad, television ad, or through
social media should match the information presented on the website

(2) Mobile Marketing

- Mobile marketing reaches every type of device. Mobile devices help individuals
communicate with each other and link them to social networks, thereby allowing users
to post comments, pictures, and videos while reading the thoughts of others.

How mobile differs from other media

 Personal
- A mobile device is personal, and, as such, tends to be used by a single individual, which
feature provides companies the opportunity to build loyalty and engage consumers with
the brand. At the same time, it runs the risk of quickly alienating consumers when they
feel the marketing approach has become too intrusive.

 Geo-location
- Mobile devices incorporate tracking features through a GPS, beacon, or NFC (near field
communication) technologies designed to pinpoint a person’s geographic location. This
information can be more valuable in determining a person’s behavior than demographic
information as it opens the way for highly targeted marketing tactics.

 Two-way communication
- Mobile features a unique form of two-way communication that differs from text
messaging, social media, and the internet. Brands and individuals engage in
conversations and interact in several ways. These take place at any time and in any
location. The quality of such conversations may be enhanced using camera/video
technology and voice recognition.

 Camera/Video technology
- Mobile users share photos and videos rather than relying only on text. Finding
meaningful ways to incorporate photos and visuals into the brand experience becomes
the marketing challenge. As society turns more visually-based rather than text-based,
this aspect of communication grows in prominence.

 Voice Recognition
- Voice recognition adds another key advantage to mobile devices. Individuals do not
have to type a reply or send a video. They can simply talk into their phones. Then apps,
programs, and conversations take place through voice recognition.
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 Phone sensors
- Mobile devices contain numerous sensors, which provide new options. Galaxy phones
hold nine sensors that track temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and human
gesturing through movement of the phone. These sensors compile information
regarding how, when, and where devices are used, along with the context.

- Mobile apps fall into two primary categories. First, some apps are designed to engage
consumers with the brand. Second, apps can be designed to streamline the business use
or the purchasing process. Starbuck’s loyalty app serves as an example of the first
category. The app entices consumers to engage with the brand.

- Uber developed an app that streamlines the buying process. It transmits the location of
the Uber vehicle, an image of the vehicle and driver, and enables voice or video
interactions. The app makes purchasing easy and convenient. It takes one or two taps
on the app to book a reliable ride within minutes. The driver knows where the person
will be going and whether the payment will be cashless.

(3) Digital Marketing Strategies

 Interactive Marketing
- Is the development of marketing programs to create interplay between consumers and
businesses, assists two-way communication and customer involvement.

- Interactive marketing emphasizes two primary activities. First, it helps marketers target
individuals, specifically potential and current customers, with personalized
information. Second, it engages the consumer with the company and product. The
consumer becomes an active rather than passive participant in the marketing exchange.

 Content Marketing and Native Advertising

- Content marketing, or branded content, consists of providing useful information and
product-use solutions to potential customers on a brand’s website or microsite.
Sponsored content marketing is the same as branded content, but a third party hosts the
information. The brand does not own or operate the site.

- Content marketing does not attempt self-promotion or trickery to generate sales.

Instead, it focuses on providing authentic content. Marcus Sheridan shared truthful
information, good and bad, about fiberglass pools. Customers appreciated his honesty
and responded through interactive dialogue and purchases.

- Native advertising is also hosted on a third-party site. It appears to look like an article
that provides useful information to solve a problem, but the solution depends on
purchasing a particular brand of a product or service.
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- Native advertising is paid advertising. Doheny manufactures swimming pool

chemicals. In a native advertising program, someone from Doheny prepares an article
about various types of pool algae. The article describes which Doheny products to use
and how to use them. To gain maximum exposure, Doheny seeks to place the article in
landscaping, outdoor, and pool type magazines in the spring and early summer.

 Location- Based Advertising

- Mobile phones enable marketers to create location-based mobile advertising
campaigns, often called geo-targeting. Geo-targeting involves reaching customers
where they are located by contacting their mobile communication devices. Geo-
targeting represents a unique and attractive feature of mobile marketing. By
downloading an app, a fast-food restaurant can identify a person’s location, show him
how far he is from the nearest outlet, and then provide walking or driving directions to
that unit.

 Remarketing
- Remarketing re-engages individuals who have visited a site but did not make purchases.
A consumer who visits the Ujena website and looks at various swimsuits but does not
put anything in the shopping basket will be an ideal recipient. The remarketing ad can
be sent to the individual’s computer or mobile device that was used to access the
website. It would show the swimsuits she looked at during her visit to Ujena. If there is
no response, then additional ads could offer other swimwear or products.

- Transmitting the same ad to everyone who visits a website does not work. Instead,
remarketing ads should be customized to the products, or similar products, that were
viewed on a website or those placed in a shopping basket or on a wish list. Financial
incentives or other forms of cyberbait can be offered to entice the person to revisit the
site and make a purchase. Remarketing ads leads to high conversion rates because
visitors to a site have already indicated interest. The ads often succeed more than any
other form of digital marketing as they reduce acquisition costs for new customers.
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 Behavioral Targeting
- Behavioral targeting utilizes web data to identify potential customers. The difference
between behavioral targeting and remarketing is with remarketing ads are sent to
individuals from a brand whose website was visited. With behavioral targeting, ads are
sent to individuals based on browsing behavior rather than visiting a specific website.
Behavioral targeting occurs in three different ways. It can be based on
• Pages a person visits on the internet
• Keyword searches or content read -
• Past visitors to a site

- The most common form of behavioral targeting involves tracking a person’s

movements on the internet. Cookies placed on the individual’s computer track the data
points as he moves from site to site. They record the types of sites visited, the
information read, the searches conducted, and the products purchased. Based on this
information, ads will be placed on the websites that match his browsing history.

- The second form of behavioral targeting examines an individual’s search behavior. It

identifies keywords typed into search engines and the content read based on keyword
searches. If an individual has used a search engine to locate articles and information
about new cars, she then may see an advertisement for Toyota or another car brand. If
she has been reading about SUVs, then the ad may actually be for an SUV rather than
a sedan or other type of vehicle. These ads typically appear on the search engine being
used.

- The final form is behavioral targeting based on past visitors. Amazon uses this method
to suggest books and movies that may interest a person shopping on the company’s
website. When someone places a book or movie in a shopping basket or on a wish list,
it triggers the behavioral marketing program. An ad will be generated suggesting that
others who purchased a certain book have also purchased these titles. Several
suggestions are made based on combinations of purchases of other customers.

 Blogs and Newsletters

- Blogs are online musings that cover a wide range of topics. Some permit visitors to post
comments; others do not. Company sponsored blogs can emulate word-of-mouth
communication and engage customers with a brand. Fashion retailers entice customers
to visit the company’s blog to enjoy postings on new styles, upcoming designers, and
fashion faux pas. In the past, customers may have relied on magazines such as Vogue
for fashion news. Company blogs allow them to obtain information quicker, and, more
important, interactively. This makes it possible for the marketing team to engage with
customers and establishes a two-way communication channel.
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 Email Marketing
- Email can be a vital part of a company’s digital marketing strategy. To achieve success,
companies integrate email marketing programs with other channels. It cannot simply
be a program where marketers purchase addresses and send mass emails to individuals
on the list. Most people resent spam, and response rates are extremely low, in addition
to damaging the brand’s reputation. Response rates increase when an email message
resembles the information presented on the company’s website and in its
advertisements and direct mail messages. Emails must be mobile-friendly. Email
marketing tactics:
 Behavior targeting
 Browsing history
 Demographics
 Abandoned shopping carts
 Past-purchases
 Dynamic web cropping - include a live snippet of content from a website in the email.
The content can be changed each time the person opens the email.
 Event targeting
 Weather targeting - With GPS and location indicators on mobile phones, companies tie
the weather to an automated drip campaign.
 Geo-targeting - A tap on the map ties it to the mobile phone’s GPS system that then
transmits driving or walking instructions. A call-to-action button indicates that a tap
will dial the business.

Trigger emails – present the new prospect with a Transaction emails – ideal for
solid brand message promoting additional sales – customers
read them.
 Welcomes
 Abandoned Shopping cart  ‘Your order has been shipped”
 Product ratings and review  Often says “Do not reply to this
 First-time buyer email”
 Birthday or anniversary
 Direct mail support
 “We Missed You”
 Surveys and Polls
Get consent:

1. Expressed: Person has given written or oral consent to get specific types of messages
2. Implied: Person has used your services in the last 2 years

(4) Web Advertising

- Online advertising presents a highly effective method for reaching today’s consumers,
especially the younger, affluent, and internet-savvy market. Online advertising is the
fastest-growing medium with annual growth rates exceeding 20 percent. Part of the
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growth has been fueled by multiscreen advertising, which involves media buys across
the various platforms such as the web, mobile, and tablets.

 Banner Advertising
- The first form of online advertising involved the use of a display, or banner, ad.
Currently, marketers embed banner ads with videos, widget applications, or targeted
display ads that increase the chances viewers will see and click the icon. The newest
online technology, which has been taken from paid search auction systems, allows
advertisers to display a banner ad only to individuals the company chooses.

 Widgets
- Mini-applications embedded in a banner ad, or widgets, enable a consumer access to
some form of dynamic content provided by an external source other than the company
where the ad resides. Widgets provide individuals personalized access to web
information or functionality from any device connected to the internet.

Offline Advertising
- To build a brand’s reputation and brand loyalty, online advertising should be integrated
with offline branding tactics that reinforce each other to speak with one voice. This
process, brand spiralling, features traditional media to promote and attract consumers
to a website. Marketers design television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and billboards
encouraging consumers to visit the firm’s website. Marketers seek to maintain a
uniform brand presence and advertising message in brand spiralling programs.

Search Engine Optimization

- Is the process of increasing the probability of a particular company’s website emerging
from a search. Optimization can be achieved in one of three ways:
1. Paid Search Insertion
- comes up when certain products or information are sought. Companies can speed this
process by registering with various search engines in order to have the site indexed and
by paying a higher placement fee for top positions. Most search engines now indicate
these results with a small “ad” icon by the search results showing it is a paid search
result.

2. Natural or Organic Emergence

- This method involves developing efficient and effective organic results that arise from
a natural search process. Each search engine uses a slightly different set of algorithms
to identify key phrases that match what was typed into the search box. To be listed first
in an organic search requires time and effort.
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3. Paid Search Ads

- includes text boxes or display ads that pop up when a particular word is typed in. A
comScore study suggests that search ads have a strong positive impact on brand
awareness, perception, and purchase intentions even when consumers do not click the
paid search ad.

International Implications

 Shipping Issues
- One key to the effective launch of a global e-commerce site is preparing for
international shipments. Air transport may be affordable for smaller products; DHL
Worldwide Express, FedEx, and UPS offer excellent shipping options. Larger
merchandise normally can be shipped by a freight forwarder that finds the best mode
of delivery, from ships to trucks to rail. Air transport companies and freight forwarders
both offer specialized logistics software and provide the proper documentation and
forms to meet importing and exporting regulations in every country served.

 Communication Issues
- Developing a website that appeals to the audience in each country will be a key task. It
includes adding information that someone in another country would require, such as
the country code for telephone numbers. It also requires removing or changing colors,
words, or images that might offend a particular group of people in another country.
- New globalization software has been developed for companies expanding into other
countries. One software package translates an English-language website into a large
number of foreign languages. Another valuable feature that the software offers is
“cultural adaptation,” which adjusts a website’s terminology, look, and feel to suit local
norms.
 Technology Issues
- The technical side of international e-commerce continues to be challenging. Software
compatibility continues to present unresolved technical issues. Ideally, these various
technologies will eventually be merged into a single system.
- A coherent IMC strategy utilizes local input from the various countries involved. The
brand on an internet site should stay consistent from one country to the next and present
the company’s primary marketing message.
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Social Networks
- Broadly-based general social networking sites seek to appeal to all demographics,
regardless of gender, age, race, income, or education. General sites provide venues for
interpersonal communication. Individuals stay in touch, learn what others in their
networks are doing, share events in their lives, and make new friends. E.g. Facebook

- A niche social networking site focuses on an interest, hobby, or demographic group.

Some, such as LinkedIn, offer interactions between businesspeople. Dating sites
provide an outlet to meet potential mates including target groups on sites such as
OurTime, ChristianMingle, and FarmersOnly.

- Social bookmarking sites allow individuals to share bookmarks of websites. While

most people bookmark their favorite sites on computers, social bookmarking sites make
these public. They can be organized in many ways and can be accessed at any time by
anyone. Individuals provide comments about sites they have bookmarked and
encourage comments by others.

Social Media Sites

- Facebook
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Pinterest
- YouTube

Reasons for Social Media Marketing

- Engage fans
- Increase brand exposure
- Avenue for customer interaction
- Increase traffic (by clicking link in bio)
- Generate leads
- Enhance brand image
- Improve search rankings (boost organic search ranking via mentions and comments)
- Gather customer intelligence
- Develop loyal fans (via consumer engagement)
- Increase sales
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Building a Social Media Presence

1. Determine social media goals
2. Determine online personality
3. Decide on social media platforms - one or two
4. Develop social media strategies

5. Develop an analytical feedback loop - metrics should be continually analyzed and the results
should be reviewed to see if progress toward various goals takes place. If not, then adjustments
will be made with the strategies or tactics used in implementation

Social Media Marketing Strategies

 Content Seeding
- Content seeding involves offering consumers incentives to share content about a brand.
The incentive does not have to be financial, although monetary incentives tend to be
the most frequently used. It can be information, uniqueness, novelty, or anything that
engages consumers and motivates them to share with others. Coupons, rebates,
contests, and other financial incentives are forms of seeding.

 Real-Time Marketing
- real-time marketing is the creation and execution of an instantaneous marketing
message in response to and in conjunction with an occurrence during a live event.
Effective real-time marketing is the creation and execution of an instantaneous
marketing message in response to and in conjunction with an occurrence during a live
event

 Video Marketing
- Marketing professionals recognize that YouTube and other video sharing platforms
present unique opportunities and challenges for social media marketing. Ads embedded
in videos can be pre-roll (before the video starts), mid-roll (in the middle of the video
content), or post-roll (at the end of the content).

- Advertisements placed at the end of a video experience better click-through rates,

because individuals have finished watching the video. Ads at the beginning of the video
result in more impressions while those in the middle have the highest completion rate.

- Video Tactics: Advertising on videos, Posting of television ads, Informational videos,

Cause-related videos, Product reviews, Vloggers
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 Influencer Marketing
- Influencer marketing involves an individual endorsing a brand on social media sites.
Doing so transmits positive word-of-mouth comments from individuals who are seen
as thought or opinion leaders within their social circles or as experts within particular
fields

 Interactive Blogs
- Interactive blogs permit visitors to send comments or posts, making them another
important component of social media. blogs that attract followers and encourage active
participation become more powerful. Such interactions present a higher level of risk,
because the blogging company surrenders some control over content. While employees
can squelch and/or delete negative comments, doing so destroys the blog’s credibility
and damages its reputation. A better approach is for the company’s marketing team to
face any criticism honestly and humbly and react by seeking a solution to the problem
or cause of the dissatisfaction.

- Companies feature three different types of interactive blogs:

- The first occurs when a company or brand creates a blog. Blogs owned and operated
by businesses find it difficult to solicit honest interactions with consumers who may be
more suspicious. Also, company personnel operating the blog may be more sensitive to
negative content and how customers view the organization.

- A blog sponsored by a company or brand is the second form. New regulations passed
by the Federal Trade Commission require an individual being paid by an organization
with merchandise or money, or someone compensated in any other way, to report that
information on the blog. While these individuals have freedom to express personal
opinions, they will likely have to remain positive about the brand in order to maintain
its sponsorship. Site visitors have more freedom to comment as well but recognizing
that a business sponsors the blog’s author often will temper their views.

- The third type of blog involves individuals who speak about a brand but have no
financial connection to it. They truly like the brand. They take pleasure in talking about
it and enjoy interacting with others about the brand. When a company has no affiliation
with a blog, visitors feel comfortable in making comments and relating their honest
opinions. The marketing team finds out what consumers really think about a product or
service. They use this type of blog to ask questions and seek opinions, if permission is
granted by the blog’s author.

 Consumer-generated reviews
- Many companies that vend multiple goods or services solicit consumer-generated
reviews of those products. Amazon.com stands at the forefront of this approach. Each
book offered online contains a space where individual customers can write reviews,
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with words and a one- to five-star rating. The site informs the shopper of the number of
reviews, the average star rating, and notes if the reviews are written by anonymous
critics or those who provide their real names.

 Viral Marketing
- Refers to preparing a marketing message to be passed from one consumer to another
through digital means. Viral marketing takes the form of an email or a video posted to
a personal blog and passed to other blogs or websites such as YouTube. It can evolve
into a form of advocacy or word-of-mouth endorsement. Viral marketing messages
include advertisements, hyperlinked promotions, online newsletters, streaming videos,
and games.

Elements of Viral Marketing

1. Gives away products or services

- “Free” is a powerful word.
- Viral marketers practice delayed gratification. It requires patience.
- Free attracts eyeballs that converts to revenue…. eventually.

2. Provides for effortless transfer to others

- Viruses only spread when they’re easy to transmit.
- Simplify your marketing message so it can be transmitted easily and intact.
- Short is better!

3. Scales easily from small to very large

- Plan for rapid expansion.
- Build in scalability to your viral model
- Without room to grow the virus will slow and die!

4. Exploits common motivations and behaviors

- Exploit the desire to be cool
- Greed drives people.
- Build on the hunger to be popular, loved, and understood.

5. Utilizes existing communication networks

- Each person has 8 to 12 people in his/her social network
- Place your message into existing communications between people
- Tap into existing online networks

6. Takes advantage of other resources.

- Deplete other people’s resources
- Place text or graphic links on other websites
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- Allow others to link to your stuff

- Help others to help you!

Keys to successful viral marketing

• Focus on the product or business
• Determine why individuals would want to pass along the message
• Offer an incentive
• Make it personal
• Track the results and analyze the data