Digital Communication Channels

Digital Communication Channels

1. Benefits

   • Individualisation
     • Tailored to the individual at low cost unlike TM. Based off intelligence gathered to target and personalise comms
   • Immediate Publishing
     • Once content is created it can be duplicated/ shared across multiple platforms and reach a large audience
   • Cost efficiency
     • Opportunities to buy online media at a cheaper rate than TM
   • Interactivity
     • Two way communication - create incentives such as competitions/ sales promotions to gather data
   • Integration
     • Multi-channel marketing, inbound online comms from customer to organisation - Direct response tools, email response, website callback, web support buying decisions even if bought offline = assistive selling, live chat (1.1)

2. Drawbacks

   • Complexity
     • Time takes to create campaign, requires specialist expertise either in-house or from agency
   • Too many choices
     • Overload of options, makes it difficult for company ads to been seen as there is such a variety. Costly to stay relevant
   • Changes in technology
     • Google and other ad servers innovate to offer better service. Meaning staff managing campaigns need more training to keep-updated
   • User distraction/ attention
     • Not everyone views paid ads, 'banner blindness'. Engaging on SM can lead to very low click rate on ads
   • Responding to competitors
     • Competitors often change their approach, more sources has to be used to monitor competitor activity - bid management can assist with this.

3. Types of channels

   • Pay-Per Click
     • * Only paying when clicked * Can be used as branding
       • * Competitive and expensive * Time consuming
   • SEO
     • Used to improve the natural listing on search engines via key words
       • * Significant traffic driver * Highly targeted
         • *Lack of predictability *Ongoing investment
   • Affiliate Advertising
     • Pay per performance - sites which generate sales on behalf of a company (third party) receive compensation
       • *Gain more visibility through SEO listing *Reach different audiences
         • *May damage brand reputation *Program management fee 30%
   • Social Media
     • * Effective viral agent - reach large audience * Cost effective - connects with customers (friends influencial)
       • * High risk - investment/ no guarantee = waste * Difficult to engage/ negative sentiments
   • Email Marketing
     • Outbound/ inbound email marketing
       • * Low cost *Direct response
         • * Deliverability *Email response decay
   • Display Marketing
     • Advertising on websites - ads such as banners/ rich media ads to achieve brand awareness/ encourage click through

4. Examples

   • House of Fraser
     • Peta
       • Uses social media greatly to convey message and also email marketing to gain support and donations
     • Utilises Pay-Per-Click along with all other channels

5. References

   • Chaffey, 2013
     • Mahony, 2015
       • Augmented Reality in marketing communication
     • Key types of digital media channels

6. How DCC supports business objectives

   • 1. Reach
     • Build awareness of brand/ products Build traffic by driving vistits
   • 2. Interact
     • Engage audience with brand website/ online presence to encourage interaction
   • 3. Covert
     • Achieve conversion to generate leads/ sales online and offline
   • 4. Engage
     • Build customer relationships - to achieve retention goals

7. Key Communication concepts for digital marketing

   • Customer Engagement
     • Involvement/ interaction - Customer conversation an integral part of comms. Positive/ negative sentiments
   • Permission Marketing
     • (2.1) Opposite from interruption marketing. 3000 ads a day = dilution of effectiveness. Usually exchange of details
   • Content Marketing
     • Gained permission, encourages sharing, ongoing engagement through websites and SM. Best practice approaches. user generated content, value