Digital Marketing

A1. Introduction

A crucial component of the marketing process is the marketing funnel. It describes the simplest
route that clients might follow to make a transaction. The marketing funnel is, in the end, a
useful structure for communicating with and involving clients along their journey.

Since more than a century ago, the idea of a marketing funnel has been used to categorise key
moments in the purchasing process, from awareness to contemplation to choice to loyalty. The
customer journey, sometimes known as the conversion funnel, is related to it, but the path to
purchase nowadays is much more complicated, and very few customer journeys will exactly
match the funnel. A more thorough strategy, like full-funnel marketing, is used in successful
marketing efforts to target customers at every stage of the buying cycle. The idea is still crucial
even though the customer journey may not be as straightforward as the one exemplified by the
marketing funnel. The digital road to purchase is anything from linear, and the digital marketing
funnel takes into consideration that customers join and exit the funnel and move across it, and
that their buying isn't restricted to a single business or location.

Given that customers can shop whenever and wherever they want, brands need to consider
how to connect with them throughout the entire customer journey. Consumers can conduct
comprehensive online research and product comparison at the consideration stage of the
digital marketing funnel, which is no longer just restricted to in-store comparisons. Many
businesses have adapted to this new way of shopping and embraced this less-linear path to
purchase by establishing genuine and beneficial connections with customers at every stage of
the funnel.

The lead generating and lead nurturing processes both benefit from the use of marketing
funnels. Campaigns are used by brands to draw in new leads during the awareness and
consideration phases. Campaigns assist brands expand current leads and eventually turn
customers into brand champions during the decision and loyalty phases. Connecting the dots
between what channels, methods, and content are generating the most attention, dialogues,
and, eventually, sales for their business is made possible by digital marketing and the marketing
funnel.

Concept

Stages of the Marketing funnel:-

1. Top of Funnel: Awareness/Attention- The first and most crucial stage of the marketing
funnel is awareness. 88 percent of marketers believe content marketing is the most
 successful for raising brand awareness, according to a Content Marketing Institute
poll. Potential clients first become aware of your brand or product when they hear
about it. They might stumble into your website in the search engine results, for instance,
or one of your social media advertisements. You should concentrate on bringing as
many people's attention to your brand as you can during the awareness stage. You can
achieve this through practises like content marketing, paid promotion, search engine
optimisation (SEO), and social media platforms marketing.
2. Middle of Funnel: Interest/Consideration- The interest or consideration stage is the
next in the marketing funnel. Potential clients are aware of your brand and are starting
to learn more about it at this point in the marketing funnel. They might have read one of
your blog pieces, seen a product-related video, or gone to your website. You want to
keep educating potential clients about your product or service at this point by
continuing to offer them valuable content. This can be accomplished using blog articles,
videos, info graphics, case studies, e-books, webinars, and videos.
3. Bottom of Funnel: Intent/Action- Intent or action is the third stage of the marketing
funnel. Potential clients are considering purchasing your good or service at this point in
the marketing funnel. They might put your product in their shopping cart or ask for a
demo if they want additional details.
4. Post Funnel: Loyalty/Advocacy- Loyalty or advocacy is the fourth and last step of the
marketing funnel. 78 percent of marketers believe that brand loyalty is one of content
marketing's most successful applications, according to the Content Marketing Institute
Survey. Customers have now used your product or service after making a transaction.
It's critical to keep giving your customers helpful material and support at this point. This
will guarantee that they continue to support your company with loyalty.

Conclusion

It's time to start developing your strategy now that you are aware of every stage of the
digital marketing funnel. Understanding who your customers are, what they want, and how
to give them that experience is the first step. Create content to lead them through each
stage of the marketing funnel starting there. For optimal impact, remember to adjust your
marketing message and methods for each level of the marketing funnel.

A2. Introduction

Any business that wants to connect with its audience online needs to have a digital
marketing strategy. You need to have a clear and practical plan in place if you want to
leverage social media platforms, live streaming platforms to advertise your ecommerce
products, or your blog to drive visitors to your website.
A digital marketing strategy is a plan you create to use a variety of digital marketing
channels across your owned, paid, and earned media to assist your business in achieving its
goals.

You should describe your goals before you start spending time and money on digital
marketing, for example:

 Raising consciousness
 Producing leads
 Driving prospects through your sales funnel
 Maintaining your current clients

After determining how your strategy will benefit your company, you should plan how you
will use digital channels to achieve your objectives. You can use a variety of digital channels,
and the one you choose will depend on the objectives you have in mind.

The final step in building a company's digital marketing strategy is to create an

implementation plan for the customer segments and marketing mix that will be used to
chart the course for the company's digital growth. We created a "6S Framework" using the
"Digital Presence Analysis Matrix" as the foundation to design this implementation plan.

Concept

The matrix has been divided into six distinct columns to create the six stages of the 6S
implementation. These columns represent the progression of a company from having no
digital presence at all (shown in the extreme left by the DS1 Column) to being present on
multiple digital channels and platforms (shown in the extreme right by the DS6 Column).
The 6S Framework is made up of all six stages of digital deployment. The other five
progressive columns, with the exception of DS1, all cut across at least two quadrants, which
indicate that any given stage covers all types of businesses for that digital presence,
whether they are market leaders or laggards. Here are the 6S stages in more detail:

Stage DS1 (Digital Scoping): Businesses that are entirely traditional and don't have any
presence on any digital channels are included in this level. They are essentially analysing
their alternatives to determine how and which channels would be the best to connect with
for a start because they are either in a denial state or have been thinking about digital for
some time. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and other individuals who have not
yet grasped the potential of the digital platform or who are succeeding so well with their
offline presence that they have no immediate plans to go digital often fall into this category.
Stage DS2 (Digital Shadow): Companies that have already made their first efforts towards
going digital, such as adding their names to product listing websites or listing basic
information about their existence on Google Maps/Places, are included in this category.
They may also have acquired a modest online presence through earned media (social media
platforms like Facebook or a Twitter account), which is similar to their robust offline
operations. Businesses at this stage have yet to grasp the significance of an owned media
presence online.

Stage DS3 (Digital Set-up): The third column shows businesses that have acknowledged the
value of an online presence for their offline activities and are prepared to invest time and
money in creating the necessary channels to compete and advance up the digital ladder.
The businesses in this area have established their initial websites (owned media presence)
as well as campaigns through paid media channels, primarily SEM and Display.

Stage DS4 (Digital Stability): We now move on to the quadrants that have robust online
presences. The digital stability column includes businesses that have a consistent online
presence and have done so for some time. These businesses also have functional websites
and blogs, are active on earned media channels, are using paid marketing strategies, and
may even regularly use concepts like SEO management, analytics-based optimisation, etc.
Almost all new digitally launched businesses and the majority of large businesses would
undoubtedly be at this stage.

Stage DS5 (Digital Scale-up): In the preceding state, businesses are rapidly expanding their
use of digital across important strategic business domains, and their online presence is
becoming just as important to their success as their physical presence and profits. At this
stage, businesses have begun to develop native applications for new platforms like mobile
and tablets and to be present on those platforms.

Stage DS6 (Digital Spectrum): This final level of the 6S Framework highlights businesses
that prioritise digital initiatives and where the majority of digital activities and campaigns
are well planned with a clear understanding of the expected results. These businesses can
also be referred to as digital leaders because they have mastered the full range of cutting-
edge digital marketing techniques, including retargeting, content optimisation, response
marketing tailored to certain funnel stages, analytics-driven personalised suggestions, etc.
The leading firms in this market segment use digital extensively to boost offline sales as
well.

Conclusion
Let's examine how businesses can use digital marketing implementation strategies based on the
stage at which they are operating. Knowing the stage at which a business is operating allows it
to develop specific strategies for its digital state based on its operational goals and the type of
digital leverage it requires. It also enables businesses to know the channels and tactics they can
use for a given set of circumstances. Gives advice on how to effectively model their marketing
mix to provide offerings with pricing and promotions tailored to the digital stage where the
company's goods or services may be found. It enables businesses to map the presence of their
rivals across these six stages and determine where they need to make more investments or
adjust their digital marketing strategies in order to be present on platforms and quickly adopt
new ideas and media presences.

A3. A) Introduction

Traditional marketing is advertising that involves audience engagement through offline media
channels. Print, radio, direct mail, telephone, and outdoor advertising are some of these
marketing strategies. Pamphlets, newspaper and magazine adverts, and other print media are
examples of print marketing channels. Outdoor marketing strategies include billboards and sign
boards. The broadcast category includes commercials on radio, television, and cable.

Digital marketing is a technique for connecting brands and consumers online. Social media,
websites, search engine marketing, multimedia communications, content marketing, pay-per-
click (PPC), and email are a few examples of digital marketing platforms. Digital marketing now
enables businesses and individuals to interact with audiences across the world through their
websites, search engines, social media accounts, and email addresses.

Concept

The following are just a few of the many distinctions between traditional and digital marketing
strategies:

Channels and reach

The method of message delivery is the main distinction between traditional and digital
marketing. In traditional marketing, advertisers reach customers by phone, radio, TV, banners,
radio commercials, and print advertisements. Digital marketers use online platforms including
websites, social media, SEO, and PPC to market goods and services. The reach of a corporation
also depends on the channels used.

Cost
Compared to digital marketing platforms, traditional marketing strategies are often more
costly. For instance, it is expensive to create video commercials and advertise on TV and radio.
On the other hand, people and organisations with a strong online following can utilise their
social media accounts to gain a lot of publicity for their own brands or for others.

Branding Benefits

Digital marketing strategies are better suited for building brands. The main cause of this is that
many companies that use conventional marketing channels for advertising don't own the
channels. For instance, if a company wants to run radio ads, the station will only play the
commercials at certain times. As a result, companies need constant advertising to reach their
target audience with their messages.

Performance tracking

Digital marketing channels make it simpler to monitor marketing performance than traditional
marketing platforms, which has consequences for calculating return on investment. The main
issue is that many digital marketing platforms already come with data analytics tools, whereas
traditional marketing methods do not.

These differences impact the small business owner’s decision due to many reasons such as:-

 Small businesses can create enduring client relationships with the aid of digital
marketing.
 To increase conversions, digital marketing provides a multichannel strategy.
 With the help of digital marketing, small firms can successfully compete against larger
ones.
 ROI from digital marketing is quantifiable.
 The cost of digital marketing is lower than that of traditional marketing.

Conclusion

Digital marketing provides greater cost-related flexibility than traditional marketing. Depending
on the scope, some digital marketing strategies, like social media, might be completely free to
use. Digital marketing gives advertisers more ways to interact with customers, which can
improve the effect and reach of campaigns. Businesses may more effectively target audiences
via digital marketing channels thanks to data analytics insights.

B) Introduction

Marketers now frequently use social media channels to find new clients. The advantage is that
you may use social media to find clients in a variety of industries. However, choosing the best
social media platform for your company can be challenging given the large number of options
available. In actuality, some social media channels lend themselves to marketing more than
others. Accordingly, you must make sure that you're using the appropriate social media
platform for your target market.

Concept

The following is a list of social media marketing sites that you might want to use to promote
your brand:

1. Face book - Your top option is Face book because it has more than 2.27 billion active
monthly users. You may use the Face book Ads Manager to develop ads that specifically
target people based on their age, location, gender, relationship status, level of
education, interests, job title, buying habits, device usage, etc. Targeting clients who
have visited your website is another option you have with Face book Pixel. Each
business needs a Face book business page, but make sure to update it frequently.
2. Twitter - A daily average of 186 million people use Twitter. It is a dynamic platform
where many users go to find out new information. It makes it a good marketing tool for
businesses that regularly release original content. If you make it a habit of sharing
interesting and useful content from other websites, you will establish your authority in
your field.
3. Instagram - Face book owns Instagram, which claims a monthly active user base of over
a million. It offers comparable advertising choices to face book. Instagram is a visual
medium that gives you the chance to show off the character of your company. It is not a
platform with a lot of text, and posts cannot contain links.
4. YouTube - There are more than 2 billion active viewers on YouTube. It is the ideal social
media channel for showcasing corporate culture and producing guides and examples.
YouTube may be a fantastic tool for communicating with users if your business is
capable of producing its own content. In addition to the views you receive directly on
the platform, YouTube also lets you host videos that may be added as embedded
content to your website.

Conclusion

For the past ten years, there has been an increase in the number of users of social media
platforms worldwide. By the end of 2020, there should be 3 billion active social media users
worldwide. Face book, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and other popular social media platforms
have some of the largest user bases. Your marketing objectives can be attained by using social
media marketing platforms like:
  Raising brand recognition and increasing website traffic
 Increasing engagement and communication with important populations
 The development of a brand identity and favourable brand associations

It will be simpler for you to accomplish other marketing objectives as long as you interact your
audience on social media platforms more frequently.