Assignment C - Online Marketing Campaign reflection

I have been involved in creating marketing campaign plans before but never an online marketing campaign plan, and this was quite a different experience. The online marketing campaign plan that I created for Shawn Adams Art differed from 'traditional' marketing campaigns that I have worked on in the past, in that I noticed that online marketing channels (web, email, mobile and social media) are not siloed channels, in the same way that 'traditional' marketing channels could be.

I learnt that online marketing audiences are no longer passive audiences receiving ads/information in a one-way system, they are interactive audiences giving feedback in real-time. These direct audience on social media don't supplant paid media entirely, but they give companies who develop a relationship with these audiences a much faster, lower cost means to reach a larger number of interested consumers. I also learnt that some of our online audiences have audiences of their own! These 'amplifiers' or 'influencers' are the fundamental building blocks of earned-media, and the people who make things "go viral". You can't force anyone to amplify your message, but you can incentivize or build relationships and experiences with your brand of such a caliber that people inherently want to share the experience (and hopefully purchase your product)! 

One should always include the following when marketing in the online environment?

• Research! Lots of research into your company, your product(s) and your targeted audience
• Make the process of navigating your website (and products), choosing a product, and purchasing it as easy and as enjoyable as possible. 
• Compelling and engaging content across all your online channels that can create meaningful interactions with your target audience(s)
• Mobile responsiveness, since most people view and buy on a mobile device.
• A clear, concise and effective CTA (Call to Action)
• Stand out visuals (images and video)
• Measure campaign results by monitoring your campaigns and referring back to analytics. Be prepared to make changes quickly in reaction to the results.

http://theultralinx.com/2013/01/carry-digital-marketing-infographic.html

Thanks for a great course Jess. I really enjoyed it and I hope to put what I have learnt into practice in my marketing of Shawn Adams Art.