As a final application of what was shared in EXSM 5513 I was asked to prepare an Online Marketing Plan. I developed a plan to fit the needs of the farm I own and assist in operating. I was challenged to really critically think about the business side of the farm and what we really want to achieve. I was also challenged to find out where online do middle-aged male farmers hangout? How do I reach and engage them. I was a little surprised what a search of Twitter revealed! Farmers spend time on Twitter. My own research has led me to believe that this platform is a news and information source for the farming community.
In developing the plan I also noticed the many applications to my current position. The organization I work for has a mandate to increase consumer awareness of it's brand and educate people about how to cook and use our product. I know that I will absolutely apply the knowledge that was shared with me and use it to develop a plan for my organization. Lets hope it works so good I get a raise!
Wowza, assignment C is a lot of work but it is definitely beneficial.
I’ve done a few marketing plans in my undergrad days and a couple after I
graduated, but they are nothing like this online marketing plan. First thing I
notice is the empathies on web navigation; rather it is for a social media post,
direct email or webpage click-through. The plan needs to be written in a way
that mixes the proper communication, target marketing and customers’ experience
into one form. This is very different with a traditional marketing plan, where
these focuses are usually separated by different functions; mass media for
communication, then target specific market with promotions and distributions
and finally ensure customer satisfaction through direct selling.
Another area that is different is definitely analytics. Online
marketing requires the support of immediate reporting, where changes needs to
be made as quick as possible to fit certain market. Metrics (ex. bounce rate,
dwell-time, etc) need to be in place, and must be monitored constantly. One
benefit from such metrics is on measuring conversion; one can almost pin point exactly
what is resonating and motivating to buy/act with the target marketing. This is
something that traditional marketing cannot accomplish economically.
Other than metrics and easy navigation (aka web or post
design), some of the other must have for online marketing include SEO, online
advocates or network, a genuine email list, and proper content development.
Image from http://www.eseade.edu.ar
By the way, I found a video that gives a good Coles Notes version of online marketing plan! Check it out!
I've worked in communications for nearly eight years, and I realized when working on the final assignment that I've never designed an online marketing campaign, nor have I been asked to prepare one. I think that many people overlook the necessity of having a solid plan, which is strange since I work at a post-secondary institution. You wouldn't teach a course without having a solid plan (i.e. syllabus), would you? In creating this online marketing campaign I've learned many things that will be beneficial to my future marketing projects. For example, you need to examine your target audience and determine the ways that they prefer to interact with your organization--adjust your strategy to fit with your customer, and not the other way around. For this project, my target audience was females aged 30-50 who had a Master of Nursing degree. Where do they spend their time online and how do they like to receive their information? You need to suss out specific information related to your target and create campaigns that they can relate to and deliver it to them in their preferred manner. As well, timelines are incredibly important. Give yourself a deadline for a task to ensure accountability and be specific; the more specific you are the clearer your vision. Finally, examine your analytics! See what's driving people to your website/product (and often!) and don't be afraid to tweak your campaign. As I examine what I've learned throughout this course and in completing the final project, I think that when you're marketing in the online environment you always need to track your efforts. Whether you rely on Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, etc. you need to be able to measure your efforts so that you can analyze the results and make adjustments to the campaign--how else will you know whether you've run a good campaign or know where it all started to fall apart!
