BA (J&MC) 307 DIGITAL

MEDIA MARKETING
DEVANG CHATURVEDI
UNIT 1: SOCIAL MEDIA
1. Social Media & Social Network: Brief history, meaning and definition
2. Features of Social Media and Social Network
3. Types of Social Networking Sites
4. Social Media & Issues
5. Social Consumers and Social Influencers
Social Media & Social Network: Brief
history, meaning and definition
• In order to understand the growth of social media it is essential for us
to understand a basic and brief history of the internet.
• The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners Lee in 1991 at
CERN in Switzerland.
• Even if interconnectivity began as early as 1969 through the ARPANET
– a network which enabled four American universities to collaborate
on defence projects, it’s popularity only rose after the arrival of the
WWW.
• Internet became a household name in 1995 in the United States of
America.
Brief History of the Social Media
• One of the first social media platforms to have been set up was SixDegrees.com
where one could set up a profile page, create lists of connections, and send
messages within networks. The site had 125 million users but soon shut out.
• The next big thing in social media was Friendster in 2002. Originally a dating site,
Friendster could not keep up with the onslaught of the internet bandwagon and
ultimately had an impact on it’s servers. Users could make a profile, include status
updates, reveal your mood and send messages of friends and friends of friends.
• Perhaps the biggest of social media revolutions before the likes of Twitter and
Facebook came about was Myspace, something which continues till this date.
Originally a rival of Friendster, users liked it more than the former and by 2005 it
had more than 25 million users.
Brief History of the Social Media
• Before Facebook became a reality, users in India and Brazil particularly
were attracted to a short lived platform called Orkut created by Turkish
software engineer Orkut Büyükkökten.
• Mark Zuckerberg’s fascination with social media began with Facesmash,
which he started in Harvard University in 2003.
• The Facebook, yes that’s what it was called, started in 2004.
• In 2005, The Facebook, changed to the present name of Facebook after
the domain for facebook.com was purchased for $200,000.
• 2005 saw the advent of LinkedIn – a business community, Photobucket,
Flickr and Wordpress came about.
Brief History of the Social Media
• Another key development in 2005 was the birth of YouTube, a unique
experiment in video sharing. Jawed Karim, a co-founder of YouTube
uploaded the first video on the website from the San Diego Zoo.
• In 2006, Jack Dorsey launched Twttr, the site that eventually became Twitter.
• Reddit, a very popular and equally controversial social media platform began
in 2006 as well.
• 2007 was another landmark year in the world of social media. 17-year old
David Karp launched Tumblr from New York and Twitter defined the size of
each tweet at 140 characters only. The concept of # (hashtag) also came
along.
Brief History of the Social Media
• After a relatively brief lull in the world of social media, 2010 saw the advent
of Instagram – photo sharing platform and one of the most popular ones till
date and Pinterest.
• 2011 was a landmark year in the world of social media when Twitter and
Facebook were used extensively during the Arab Spring.
• In 2011, Snapchat was also launched albeit as Picaboo. With Snapchat came
the concept of ephemeral content.
• Google+ launched in 2011 as well but found itself struggling with the likes of
Facebook and Twitter.
• In just 8 years of existence, Facebook recorded it’s one billionth user in 2012.
Meaning and definition of social media
• According to the Oxford Dictionary, websites and applications that
enable users to create and share content or to participate in social
networking are collectively called as social media.
Features of Social Media and Social
Networks
• Promote user participation
• Promote networking and connectivity
• Promote media convergence and sharing of content and links across
the digital spectrum
• Bridge distances
• Promote e-commerce
Types of Social Networking Sites/Platforms
• Audio social media platforms – • Shoppable platforms – Facebook
Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, Spotify, Shops, Instagram Stops
SoundCloud
• Video social media platforms –
• Live streaming platforms –
YouTube, Instagram Stories and Reels, Facebook Live, Instagram Live,
Snapchat, Facebook Watch, TikTok Twitch, YouTube and TikTok
• Ephemeral content platforms – • Business social media platforms
Facebook stories, Instagram stories, – LinkedIn
WhatsApp stories, Snapchat and
LinkedIn stories. • Closed/Private Community
• Discussion forums – Reddit and Quora platforms – Discourse, Slack,
Facebook Groups
Social Media Issues
• Highly addictive
• Spread of misinformation and fake news
• Issues related to user privacy and platform transparency
• Data pilferage and unauthorized data sharing
• Lack of regulation for social media companies
• Algorithms contributing to bias, racism, and polarization
• Line between free speech and hate speech is not very clear
• Social media platforms are not always user friendly rather they are
business friendly most of the times
Social Consumers and Social Influencers
• In simple words, anyone and everyone who is a user of social media, is a user first and becomes an opinion leader
or an influencer later, if at all that happens.
• According to the consumer theory of marketing, a consumer may choose to spend his or her money in the way he
or she wants and on the commodities he or she wants. In other words, consumer theory is about making
consumption driven decisions.
• When a user starts making decisions to consume social media, he or she becomes a consumer of social media.
• In basic terms, an influencer is someone who can influence a group of people in forming a bias, making
consumption decisions, and influencing someone’s opinion.
• Not every user uses social media with the intention of becoming an influencer.
• Influencer marketing is a new form of marketing which is very essential to how brands operate in the digital space.
• Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that involves mentions and endorsements of brands and/or
products by individuals who exert influence on a particular audience due to their perceived expertise, trustworthiness
or popularity.
• It has become increasingly popular with the advent of YouTube and Instagram.
• Brands love to splurge money on influencer marketing in order to generate a favorable review for their businesses.
Daniel Wellington is a good example at how influencer marketing should be used.
UNIT 2: Branding on Digital Media
1. Audience Research and Engagement in Glocal environment
2. Building Brand on Digital Media
3. Storytelling and User Generated Content on Digital Media Network
4. SEO, SEM, Keywords, Viral Marketing, E-mail Marketing and ZMOT
Audience Research and Engagement in
Glocal Market
• Why is audience research necessary?
• Let’s consider the following case studies
Why did Pepsi Blue fail?
• In 2003, much before social media took over our imagination, Pepsi
decided to launch the Pepsi Blue in India having previously launched it
in US in 2002 as an alternative to the Vanilla Coke, another failed
product.
• As the official drinks sponsor for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup,
Pepsi thought the blue colour drink would resonate with India’s jersey
and would help gain market in the soft drink crazy Indian market.
• Unwittingly enough, the drink looked like kerosene and people were
averse to consuming something which looked like the blue colour
spirit.
• Even though Pepsi never claimed the product failed in the Indian
market, the reality was otherwise.
• The drink had a peculiar taste and was considered high on sugar – the
fructose levels were agonisingly high.
• The company never admitted that it had failed to research the market
properly arguing that the drink had been formulated over a period of
nine months.
• India’s crushing defeat in the finals of tournament, made Pepsi realize
it’s folly and the drink was promptly withdrawn.
The San Storm story
• San Motors began in 1996 in Bangalore’s Whitefield with a vision
to produce a modern and affordable sports cars for the Indian
consumer.
• The Indian car market looked sleepy with conservative products
like HM Ambassador, HM Contessa, Premier Padmini, Premier
118NE, Maruti 800, Maruti Esteem, Maruti Gypsy, Maruti Omni,
Tata Sierra etc.
• A two-seater convertible sports car sounded obnoxious but the
San Storm was launched in 1998.
• With a price tag of 6.5 lakhs (Maruti 800 with a 800cc engine cost
2.5 lakh rupees in 1998), even the Tata Sierra which was
considered to be a very capable SUV cost only 6.4 lakh rupees on
road), the San Storm was quite on the expensive side.
• Despite boasting of good looks, the car’s build quality was
extremely circumspect and the lack of any market research was
clearly visible.
• Not only was the passenger car oriented Indian automobile
market very conservative, people found it foolish to splurge 6.5
lakh rupees on a two seater with no material comforts that the
car makers provided.
Kodak’s failure
• When the Eastman Kodak company started in 1888, the
company advertised saying – You Press The Button We Do The
Rest.
• In 1975, Kodak even launched the world’s first digital camera but
come 2011 and the company filed for bankruptcy.
• A pioneer in the business of photography, Kodak failed to adapt
to the changing needs of the digital photography industry.
• In 2001, Kodak held the No. 2 spot in U.S. digital camera sales
(behind Sony)
• The film business, where Kodak enjoyed high profit margins, fell
18% in 2005. The combination of these two factors resulted in
disappointing profits overall.
• It’s digital cameras were soon undercut by Asian competitors
that could produce their offerings more cheaply.
• Kodak had a 27% market-leading share in 1999, that dropped to
15% by 2003.
• In 2007, Kodak was No. 4 in U.S. digital camera sales with a 9.6%
share, and by 2010, it held 7% in seventh place behind Canon,
Sony, Nikon, and others.
Audience Research and Engagement in
Glocal Market
• Famous American author Philip Kotler in his book Marketing
Management offers the following definition of marketing - Marketing is
about identifying and meeting human and social needs. One of the
shortest good definitions of marketing is “meeting needs profitably.”
• The American Marketing Association offers the following formal
definition: Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for
creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have
value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.
• Unless products and services have any value for customers, customers are
likely to not show any interest as is evident in the previously discussed
case studies.
Kotler’s Eight Demand States
Negative demand: Consumers dislike the product and may even pay to avoid it

Nonexistent demand: Consumers may be unaware of and uninterested in the product

Latent demand: Consumers may share a strong need that cannot be satisfied by an existing product.

Declining demand: Consumers begin to buy the products less frequently or not at all.

Irregular demand: Consumers purchases vary on a seasonal, monthly, weekly, daily or even hourly basis.

Full demand: Consumers are adequately buying all products put in the market.

Overfull demand : Consumers will like to buy the product than can be satisfied.

Unwholesome demand: Consumers may be attracted to products that have undesirable social
consequences.
Understanding needs, wants and demands
• Needs are the basic human requirements such as for air, food, water, clothing, and
shelter.
• Humans also have strong needs for recreation, education, and entertainment.
• These needs become wants when they are directed to specific objects that might
satisfy the need.
• A person who prefers coffee, will not prefer tea and vice versa.
• Wants are shaped by our society.
• Demands are wants for specific products backed by an ability to pay. Many people
want a Mercedes; only a few are able to buy one.
• Companies must measure not only how many people want their product, but also
how many are willing and able to buy it.
 Stated needs: Customer wants an
inexpensive car

Real needs: Customer wants a car

whose operating costs are less even
if initial price is not less

Unstated needs: Customer expects

good service from the dealer

Delight needs: The customer would

like the dealer to add an
infotainment system Kotler’s Five Types of
Needs
Secret needs: The customer wants
his friends to think of him as a savvy
consumer
Audience Research and Engagement in
Glocal Market
• Kotler writes that collecting information and forecasting demand is as crucial as launching a new product in the market.
• The major responsibility for identifying significant marketplace changes falls to the company’s marketers.
• Marketers have two advantages for the task: disciplined methods for collecting information, and time spent interacting
with customers and observing competitors and other outside groups.
• Some firms have marketing information systems that provide rich detail about buyer wants, preferences, and behavior.
• Marketers also have extensive information about how consumption patterns vary across and within countries.
• Companies with superior information can choose their markets better, develop better offerings, and execute better
marketing planning.
• Every firm must organize and distribute a continuous flow of information to its marketing managers. A marketing
information system (MIS) consists of people, equipment, and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate, and
distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to marketing decision makers. It relies on internal company records,
marketing intelligence activities, and marketing research.
• The explosion of outlets available on the Internet, online customer review boards, discussion forums, chat rooms, and
blogs can distribute one customer’s experiences or evaluation.
• There are five main ways marketers can research competitors’ product strengths and weaknesses online.
Five Ways Marketers Can Research Competitors’
Product Strengths And Weaknesses Online

Combo sites
Independent
offering
customer Distributor or
customer Customer
goods and sales agent Public blogs
reviews and complaint sites
service review feedback sites
expert
forums
opinions
Differentiating between a fad, trend and
megatrend
A fad is unpredictable, short-lived and without any social, economic or political
significance – fidget spinners, harem pants were fads and so were the many types of
crash diets.

A direction or sequence of events with momentum and durability, a trend is more

predictable and durable than a fad; trends reveal the shape of the future and can
provide strategic direction – Tik Tok is a trend, influencer marketing on Instagram,
grocery buying through apps

A megatrend is a “large social, economic, political, and technological change [that] is

slow to form, and once in place, influences us for some time—between seven and ten
years, or longer.” - Global demand for SUVs, smartphones, social media
Use of demographics for market research
• Demographics are critical for conducting any kind of market research.
• Demographics are statistics that describe populations and their
characteristics.
• Demographic analysis is the study of population-based factors such as age,
race and sex.
• Demographic data refers to socioeconomic information expressed statistically,
including employment, education, income, marriage rates, birth and death
rates etc.
• Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use
demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many
purposes including policy development and market research.
Use of demographics for market research
• Population: A growing population does not mean growing markets unless there is sufficient purchasing power.
• Marketers generally divide the population into six age groups: preschool children, school-age children, teens,
young adults age 20 to 40, middle-aged adults 40 to 65, and older adults 65 and older.
• Ethnic and racial diversity vary across countries and companies scramble to refine their products and marketing
to reach different consumer groups.
• Similarly, the population in any society falls into five educational groups: illiterates, school dropouts, school
certificates, college dropouts, under graduation degrees, and graduation degrees. Product and service
positioning is done according to the needs of different educational groups.
• Households too are divided on the basis of traditional and non-traditional household. While the needs of a
traditional household may be different, needs of a non-traditional household may be different.
• Purchasing power is the next big demographic indicator. Products and services are launched and positioned
according to the purchasing power of a population.
• Under purchasing power come the following indicators: consumer psychology, income distribution, and factors
such as income levels, savings level, existing debts and credit availability.
• Other indicators include cultural and societal values, adaptation to technology etc.
Measures of market demand
• According to Philip Kotler, market demand for a product is the total volume that would be
bought by a defined customer group in a defined geographical area in a defined time period.
• The potential market are a set of consumers with a sufficient level of interest in a market
offering.
• The available market is the set of consumers who have interest, income, and access to a
particular offering.
• Qualified available market consists of those individuals who are legally permitted to buy a
product.
• Target market is that part of the qualified available market that the company decides to
pursue. The company will concentrate its marketing and distribution effort towards that
target market.
• Penetrated market is the set of consumers who have bought the company’s product.
The Marketing Research Process
Define the
problem and
research
objectives

Develop the
Make the
research
decision
plan

Present the Collect the

findings information

Analyze the
information
Step 1: Define the Problem, the Decision
Alternatives, and the Research Objectives
• Since most of the research is carried out by researchers (mostly
outsourced) and not managers, the research problem and the
research objectives need to be clearly defined.
• The expected outcomes should also be factored and alternate
questions should be provided to researchers for a more
comprehensive study.
• Before even conducting the research, it is imperative for the
researcher and the marketing manager who has outsourced the study
to agree as to why the study is being conducted.
• If both are not convinced, the study should not be carried out.
Step 2: Develop the research plan
• The second stage of marketing research is where the most efficient plan for gathering the
needed information is developed and the cost that it will incur.
• To design a research plan, decisions need to be made about the data sources, research
approaches, research instruments, sampling plan, and contact methods.
• Data sources – primary sources or secondary sources or both.
• Research approaches - Marketers collect primary data in five main ways: through
observation, focus groups, surveys, behavioral data, and experiments.
• Research instruments - Marketing researchers have a choice of three main research
instruments in collecting primary data: questionnaires, qualitative measures, and
technological devices.
• Sampling plan: Sampling unit, sampling size, sampling procedure
• Contact methods: Mail contacts, telephone contacts, personal contacts and online contacts
Research processes
• Observational research
• Ethnographic research
• Focus group research
• Survey research
• Behavioural research
• Experimental research
Observational research
• In observational research - researchers gather fresh data by observing
the relevant actors and settings unobtrusively as they shop or consume
products.
• Direct vs. Indirect: In indirect observation, the researcher observes
some record of the behavior rather than the behavior itself.
• Contrived vs. Natural: Is the setting made up by the researcher or are
you observing a natural occurring event?
• Open vs. Disguised: Do people know they're being watched?
• Structured vs. Unstructured: In a structured observation the observer
fills out a questionnaire-like form on each person or event observed
Ethnographic Research
• Ethnographic research is a kind of observational research where the goal is to immerse the researcher into consumers’ lives to
uncover unarticulated desires that might not surface in any other form of research.
• On-site ethnographic research sessions take place wherever the consumer is utilizing the product or service - in a restaurant, store,
office or even a car.
• In-home sessions are similar to on-site events, but are limited to the home environment. They can include one or multiple family
members, and often last for several hours. The researcher is immersed in the home environment and observes, asks questions and
listens to obtain insight into consumer trends, reactions, problems. Consumers go about solving those product- or service-based
dilemmas. In-home sessions provide businesses with insight into how to improve products, what new items are needed and how
changing needs affect usage.
• Virtual EMR sessions are conducted online and require the participants to carry out a variety of tasks, usually over a period of days
or weeks. Consumers might be asked to write essays on a product- or service-related topic, select pictures or even film themselves.
This full immersion process is designed to reveal a 360-degree image of the consumers' attitudes, emotions and perceptions.
• Peer parties mirror the traditional focus group. Multiple consumers join together to discuss a product or service, answer questions
and provide feedback. The two formats differ as the peer party event takes place in a residence and participants know each other.
The relaxed, festive atmosphere is intended to bring forth feedback and insight that would otherwise be less likely to surface. A
researcher moderator assists in guiding the conversation, but otherwise remains in the background.
• Cross-cultural and organizational analysis identifies obstacles company might encounter in foreign countries, and assists in
redefining how products might need to be altered for maximum success and productivity.
Focus Group Research
• Focus Group Research A focus group is a gathering of 6 to 10 people carefully selected by researchers based
on certain demographic, psychographic, or other considerations and brought together to discuss various
topics of interest at length.
• Participants are normally paid a small sum for attending. A professional research moderator provides
questions and probes based on the marketing managers’ discussion guide or agenda.
• In focus groups, moderators try to discern consumers’ real motivations and why they say and do certain
things. They typically record the sessions, and marketing managers often remain behind two-way mirrors in
the next room.
• Focus-group research is a useful exploratory step, but researchers must avoid generalizing from focus-group
participants to the whole market, because the sample size is too small and the sample is not drawn
randomly.
• Some marketers feel the research setting is too contrived and prefer to seek other means of collecting
information that they believe are less artificial.
Survey Research
• Companies undertake surveys to assess people’s knowledge, beliefs, preferences, and satisfaction
and to measure these magnitudes in the general population.
• Most companies prepare their own survey instrument to gather the information they need.
• Companies can also do a mall/store/marketplace intercept study by having researchers approach
people in a shopping mall and ask them questions.
• Many marketers are conducting their surveys online where they can easily develop, administer, and
collect e-mail and web-based questionnaires.
• By putting out many surveys each month, companies may run the risk of creating “survey burnout”
and seeing response rates plummet. Keeping a survey short and simple and contacting customers no
more than once a month are two keys to drawing people into the data collection effort. Offering
incentives is another way companies get consumers to respond.
• Before conducting a survey, researchers should test the survey instrument in a pilot study. A pilot not
only gives the researcher confidence in his or her approach, but also debugs the survey instrument –
open ended or close ended questions.
Questionnaire do’s and don’ts
1. Ensure that questions are without bias. Don’t lead the 8. Avoid hypothetical questions. It’s difficult to answer
respondent into an answer. How dumb is (actor name)? questions about imaginary situations. Answers aren’t
2. Make the questions as simple as possible. Questions that necessarily reliable.
include multiple ideas or two questions in one will confuse 9. Do not use words that could be misheard. This is
respondents. Do you want meat? Do you want fish? Instead,
you can ask do you want meat or fish? especially important when administering the interview
over the telephone. Do you like a free rein or a free
3. Make the questions specific. Sometimes it’s advisable to add reign?
memory cues. For example, be specific with time periods.
4. Avoid jargon or shorthand. Avoid trade jargon, acronyms, and 10. Desensitize questions by using response bands. To ask
initials not in everyday use. Which gearbox do you prefer a DCT, people their age or ask companies about employee
CVT, or DSG? turnover rates, offer a range of response bands instead of
5. Steer clear of sophisticated or uncommon words. Use only precise numbers.
words in common speech. Do you like meringue on cake? Do 11. Ensure that fixed responses do not overlap.
you like frosting on cake? Categories used in fixed response questions should be
6. Avoid ambiguous words. Words such as “usually” or distinct and not overlap.
“frequently” have no specific meaning.
12. Allow for the answer “other” in fixed-response
7. Avoid questions with a negative in them. It is better to say, questions. Pre-coded answers should always allow for a
“Do you ever. . . ?” than “Do you never . . . ?” response other than those listed.
Types of Questions
• Two types of questions – Open Ended and Close Ended
• Open Ended:
• Completely Unstructured: A question that respondents can answer in an almost unlimited
number of ways. What do you think of Pepsi?
• Word Association: Words are presented, one at a time, and respondents mention the first word
that comes to mind. Music? Film? Book?
• Sentence completion: An incomplete sentence is presented and respondents complete the
sentence. You prefer Maruti because?
• Story completion: An incomplete story is presented, and respondents are asked to complete it.
You are in a bookshop. Which book would you buy?
• Picture: A picture of two characters is presented, with one making a statement. Respondents
are asked to identify with the other and fill in the empty balloon.
• Thematic Appreciation Test: A picture is presented and respondents are asked to make up a
story about what they think is happening or may happen in the picture.
Types of Questions
• Close Ended Questions:
• Dichotomous: A question with two possible answers. Do you prefer Maruti or Hyundai?
• Multiple choice: A question with three or more answers. With whom are you travelling today? Alone,
Spouse, Spouse and Children, With Children only, With business associates, With friends?
• Likert scale A statement with which the respondent shows the amount of agreement/ disagreement.
Strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree.
• Semantic differential A scale connecting two bipolar words. The respondent selects the point that
represents his or her opinion. Maruti is affordable not affordable. Mahindra is reliable or unreliable.
• Importance scale: A scale that rates the importance of some attribute. Good after sales service is
extremely important, very important, somewhat important, not very important, not at all important.
• Rating scale: A scale that rates some attribute from “poor” to “excellent”. PVR Cinemas have
_____________ seats: excellent, very good, good, fair, poor.
• Intention-to-buy scale: A scale that describes the respondent’s intention to buy. Apple launched iPhone14
on 16th September. You will Definitely Buy, Probably Buy, Not sure, Probably Not Buy, Definitely Not Buy.
Behavioural Research
• Behavioural researchers conduct studies to understand the ways in which behaviours of individuals and groups
impact their purchase decisions.
• The subject of consumer behavior and how it influences consumer buying is widely studied in the field of
marketing.
• There are generally two types of behaviour research – online and offline.
• In online behavioural research, the concept of user clicks and user engagement is tracked and perceived as
behaviour. Companies, advertisers your search engine and social media studies this behaviour and shows you
advertisements and product listings accordingly. The idea is to offer more variety and help customers make more
informed decisions while making a purchase decision.
• In offline behvioural research, there are two types of customers walking in a store. One, who exactly knows what
product to buy and second, who will browse around and take the decision. The one who is browsing, is the target
customer when conducting behavioral research. This customer tells researchers what people look for when
browsing for a product and how do they make the decision to buy or leave something.
• Behavioral research requires a lot of primary market observation and analysis. Like any other typical market
research scenario, the data received after behavioral research can be massive. The analysis needs to be specific
and precise to obtain correct results.
Experimental research
• Experimental research carries out a cause and effect experiment. This is to find out the difference, positive
or negative, that a variable within a company can bring to the overall performance of the company.
• For example - while manufacturing, if a single factor is changed, experimental research will find out if the
change had a positive effect on the people or not. If yes, the change will be retained, if not it will be
discarded.
• There are three types of experimental research:
• Controlled experimental research is when only one variable is changed and rest remain constant – change in
a single restaurant appearance to check if it has an impact on sales
• Manipulated experimental research changes two or more variables to obtain the desired effect – using whole
wheat burger bun and multigrain burger bun in place of flour burger bun in a single restaurant with changed
appearance to check if it has an impact on sales.
• Random experimental research is when variables are changed at mass level – changing all restaurant
appearances and switching to whole wheat burger bun and multigrain burger bun in place of flour burger
buns.
Pros and Cons of Online Research
• Online research is inexpensive • Samples can be small and
• Online research is fast skewed
• People tend to be honest and • Online panels and communities
thoughtful online can suffer from excessive
turnover
• Online research is versatile
• Online market research can
suffer from technological
problems and inconsistencies
Building a brand on digital media
• Perhaps the most distinctive skill of professional marketers is their ability to create, maintain, enhance, and protect
brands.
• The American Marketing Association defines a brand as “a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of
them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from
those of competitors.”
• A credible brand signals a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product again.
• Brand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm, and it creates barriers to entry that make
it difficult for other firms to enter the market. Loyalty also can translate into customer willingness to pay a higher
price—often 20 percent to 25 percent more than competing brands.
• Although competitors may duplicate manufacturing processes and product designs, they cannot easily match
lasting impressions left in the minds of individuals and organizations by years of product experience and marketing
activity.
• In this sense, branding can be a powerful means to secure a competitive advantage.
• For branding strategies to be successful and brand value to be created, consumers must be convinced there are
meaningful differences among brands in the product or service category. Brand differences often relate to attributes
or benefits of the product itself.
Building a brand on Digital Media - GoPro
• Started in 2001 by American Nick Woodman who wanted to to develop a wrist strap to tie a camera to an arm in
order to take unusual shots.
• Woodman found the strap and the digital cameras available were incompatible.
• In 2004, GoPro released its first camera, the GoPro Hero 1 and sold it for $30 a piece and made $350,000 in sales.
• In 2006, GoPro released a digital camera called Digital Hero and in 2007, released a camera with audio capability
called Digital Hero 3.
• With iPhone’s arrival, the digital camera industry started to wane.
• In 2010, GoPro decided to switch its GoPro series to a high-end category type of camera.
• Their new GoPro model will record at 1080p and will have a 127° wide-angle lens. This year ended with $64
million in revenue for GoPro.
• Since then, GoPro focused its energy on developing the best high-end sports cameras to be used in any situation.
• GoPro decided to leverage YouTube for building their brand and ensuring brand recall.
• At the beginning of the channel, GoPro recruited extreme athletes to perform complex tricks with the camera.
Building a brand on Digital Media
• Eventually, users started submitting similar videos shot by them and since
2013, GoPro started sharing the best content recorded with GoPro on their
channel.
• The popularity of the channel rose and the awareness around the brand as
well.
• GoPro’s marketing strategy embraced user-generated content as it allowed
for free high-quality content but also helped customers to feel a part of a
great community of sports enthusiasts.
• With a total of 10.6 million subscribers and 2.4k videos, GoPro use of
YouTube was not only pathbreaking but it also defied the existing notion of
brands not being able to use YouTube for their digital presence.
Points to keep in mind for brand building
• Is the brand memorable - How easily do consumers recall and recognize the
brand?
• Is the brand meaningful - Is the brand meaningful and credible? Does it suggest
the category, product ingredient or the type of person who might use the brand?
• Is the brand likable? How often do you resonate with the logo and the brand
name? Is it aesthetically appealing? Hitler Ice Cream Cones of Meerut
• Is the brand transferable - Can the brand element introduce new products in the
same or different categories? Gillette
• Is the brand adaptable - How adaptable and updatable is the brand? Coke
• Is the brand legally protectable? Names that become synonymous with product
categories should retain their trademark rights and not become generic.
What is digital branding?
• Digital branding is how you design and build your brand online through websites, apps,
social media, video and more.
• A robust digital presence makes customers feel personally involved with a company or
product. 
• Digital branding offers three benefits:

1. Audience identification for a more targeted call-to-action approach: Digital branding lets you identify
audience by targeting specific customer groups through the online platforms they use most
frequently: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and more according to their age and interest levels.
2. Helps in connecting with customers better: Digital branding especially on social media uses
algorithms to tailor content according to the needs of the customers. It makes them feel important. By
being personal, meaningful and helping resolve their queries, a brand can convert one-time customers
into lifelong followers.
3. It helps in spreading the word fast.
9 components of successful digital branding
• Logo - A logo is the single image a customer should associate first-and-foremost with your brand.
• Website - When a customer wants to know about your brand, your locations, your hours of operation, your product listings
or your contact information, they’ll Google your website, where they’ll expect to find information quickly and easily.
• Brand Message - If your brand is on the internet, it should act like the internet does. The internet has its own unique
modes of communication (e.g. memes, GIFs, slang) that your company should employ on social media when appropriate.
The brand message should be similar on all platforms.
• SEO - SEO (search engine optimization) ensures your brand and its offerings are easily found on search engines.
• Social Media – Not having a brand presence on social media can adversely impact your brand in the 21st century.
• E-mail Marketing - Online mailers are an easy way to reach out to customers, especially those who don’t use social media.
• Online Advertising - Online advertising uses the power of the web to market your brand’s products.  
• Content Marketing - While digital marketing emphasizes sales, content marketing focuses on engagement through photos,
videos, testimonials and blogs. A key component of content marketing is also user generated content, content which users
generate and upload on social media.
• Influencer Marketing - Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that uses people with large social media followings to
post about your brand. Rather than marketing directly to a group of consumers, you put your brand message in the hands
of a social media star who will spread the word for you.
Brand Storytelling
• What is brand storytelling?
• Ekaterina Walter and Jessica Gioglio write, brand storytelling is the art of shaping a company’s identity through the use
of narratives and storytelling techniques that facilitate an emotional response and establish meaningful connections.
• Brand storytelling is at the core of your brand. It is a way of connecting with communities that share your values and
your beliefs.
• Storytelling can take the form of a video, a tweet, a conversation, a surprise and-delight act, great customer service, or a
brand taking a stand on a specific issue.
• There are two types of brand storytelling: micro and macro.
• Macro stories are at the core of your organization’s DNA. They highlight your company’s story, its founding myth. They
can do so through a logo, a brand identity guide, and the story of the founder(s). What drove the founder(s) to risk
everything and start an enterprise? Why was it important? What challenges had to be overcome? How was the ultimate
mission statement shaped? It is usually a story of human struggle and human triumph. Macro stories are the why, the
foundation of and the reason for everything the company does.
• Micro stories can come in any shape or form: website updates, social content, blog posts, press releases, comarketing
and partner messaging, packaging, events, customer stories, employee stories, influencer stories, internal
communications, newsletters, e-mail campaigns, product delivery, and so on.
How to build successful brand narratives
• Know who you are: Regardless of your industry, size, or whether you
are a B2C or B2B company, your brand’s mission, values, and
personality are the foundation to how you build your brand
storytelling strategy and, ultimately, the stories you bring to life.
Therefore, it is very essential for you to know who you are and what
your represent.
• Why does your brand exist?
• What does your brand stand for?
• What is the culture you want to nurture?
• How do you define your brand values?
• Understand your goals
Case Study - Volkwagen
• In September 2015, German car maker Volkswagen admitted selling 600,000 diesel cars in the US with “defeat devices” aimed to
circumvent emission figures which ultimately was called as Dieselgate.
• Shortly afterwards the then head of its US operations, Michael Horn, told a congressional committee that the deception was the
work of "a couple of software engineers".
• In a document submitted to the US Department of Justice, Volkswagen accepted that it’s engineers struggled to make a diesel
engine which would both perform well and be capable of meeting stringent US emissions standards and rather fitted these cars
with a device which would switch on when being tested and remain idle otherwise.
• When some employees objected to this deception citing company values, managers encouraged engineers to hide the details.
• In 2014, Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen was informed that VW cars were producing far more emissions than necessary
and run the possibility of being caught by US regulators.
• Winterkorn agreed to the deception but still continued to deceive.
• Ultimately, the scandal came to light because a single employee informed regulators what was going on.
• Winterkorn is facing trial in Germany.
• Two senior Volkswagen functionaries in US are behind bars.
• Volkswagen continues to insist that although eight million cars sold in Europe were also fitted with defeat devices, they were not
needed to pass more lenient EU emissions tests and therefore it has committed no crime in the EU.
• The scandal cost the company around $29bn.
Misconceptions regarding brand Consider Every Customer Touchpoint
storytelling and Interaction a Powerful Opportunity
• “If our story is not remarkable, • What channels do our customers spend time on?
• Where do they provide feedback or make
it’s not worth telling.” requests?
• “Our stories should make • What are the frequently asked questions about
our company versus our competitors?
everyone happy.” • Is the overall sentiment positive, negative, or
• “Our product is boring. No story neutral?
will make it attractive.” • What are the top likes, dislikes, and requests
about our company versus our competitors?
• What are the top performing pages on our
website?
• What google search terms bring in the most
traffic to our site?
• Who are the top influencers and most passionate
customers who reach out or talk about our
company regularly?
User Generated Content
• User-generated content (also known as UGC or consumer-generated
content) is original, brand-specific content created by customers and
published on social media or other channels. UGC comes in many
forms, including images, videos, reviews, a testimonial, or even a
podcast.
• Where does UGC come from?
• Customers
• Brand loyalists
• Employees – Employee Generated Content
Why is UGC important?
• Takes authenticity to next level: User generated content is considered to be the most authentic form of content however
marketers should not be tempted to use fake user generated content like fake reviews or testimonials done purely through
compensating users.
• Helps establish brand loyalty and grows community: UGC gives customers a unique opportunity to participate in a brand’s
growth instead of being a spectator. This influences brand loyalty and affinity in a big way because people thrive off being
part of something greater than themselves, and creating UGC allows them to be part of a brand’s community.
• Increases conversions and influences purchasing decisions: User-generated content is incredibly influential in the final
stages of the buyer’s journey, where you’re looking to convert your audience and influence them into making a purchase.
UGC acts as authentic social proof that your product is worthy of buying.
• More cost-effective than influencer marketing: UGC is a cost-effective way to scale your business. There’s also no need to
invest dollars in hiring a flashy creative agency to produce content for your campaigns as well as hire influencers to promote
your brand. Simply connect with your audience. Most will be excited to be featured on your channel.
• Works in harmony with social commerce: The future of online shopping is social commerce, i.e. shopping directly on your
favorite social channels. The main draw of social commerce is that it allows audiences to convert natively within a social
media app, rather than going off-network to complete a purchase. UGC and social commerce work well together because
UGC is influential in driving conversions. Nearly 80% of people say that UGC impacts their decision to purchase.
Types of UGC
• Images
• Video content (Instagram and YouTube)
• Social media content (tweets, mentions etc.)
• Testimonials and product and service reviews
• Live streams
• Blogs
How mobile technology is helping strengthen
UGC
• According to a report published by the Internet Advertising Bureau, the rise in the use of mobile
phones coupled with high speed 5G internet services is at the core of a massive influx of user
generated content.
• As more and more people become a part of the mobile bandwagon, clicking pictures, making reels
and editing them simultaneously with the use of photo and video editing apps having an easy-to-
use interface is becoming commonplace.
• Teens and millennials are especially at the forefront of driving a new era of content marketing that
reflects an overall democratization of the media landscape.
• Mobile apps like VSCO Cam empower everyday content creators to take their skills up a notch,
leading to an increase in premium UGC across social platforms.
• When used correctly, UGC can be an extremely powerful asset for three key reasons: first, it’s
prevalent among digital natives (millennials, in particular, are prolific content creators); second, it’s
influential as it engenders more trust and is more memorable than other media formats; and
third, UGC is a proven driver of brand metrics such as awareness, favorability and purchase intent.
How mobile technology is helping strengthen
UGC
• According to an Ipsos Media and Crowdtap Study, millennials and Gen Z spend nearly 30% of their media time on
accessing and viewing content created by their peers on social media.
• According to Hootsuite’s Global State of Digital 2022 report,
• Over 4.62 billion people across the world use social media
• Nearly 75% of the world’s population aged 13+ uses social media
• Worldwide, people spend an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes per day on social media
• With more than 1.5 billion users, Instagram is now the fourth most popular social networking site in the world
• Users aged 25-34 are the biggest cohort of Instagram users
• Instagram is Gen-Z’s favorite social media platform
• Instagram drives conversions. 92% of users say that they’ve acted in the moment after seeing a product on Instagram.
• 2 in 3 people say that Instagram helps them to connect with brands
• Facebook is the most used platform in the world with 3 billion people, with India alone accounting for 349 million users
followed by US with 194 million users.
• In 2021, one third of Facebook’s users purchased on the platform, a number that’s expected to grow over the next few years
• Out of all the social networking channels, people spend the most time hanging out on YouTube
• Snapchat reaches 75% of millennials and Gen Z with 319 million users overall
• The social media app is most popular with both men and women aged 18-24, and the least popular cohort is men aged 50+
• In 2021, cosmetics brand MAC built several AR try-on makeup lenses and launched these on the channel, resulting in 1.3
million try-ons, a 2.4x lift in brand awareness, and 17x increase in purchases
Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine
Marketing
• Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to techniques that help your website
rank higher in organic (or “natural”) search results, thus making your website
more visible to people who are looking for your product or service via search
engines.
• SEO is part of Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
• SEM entails both organic and paid search.
• With paid search, you can pay to list your website on a search engine so that
your website shows up when someone types in a specific keyword or phrase
but should be mostly avoided.
• Organic and paid listings both appear on the search engine, but they are
displayed in different locations on the page.
Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine
Marketing
• Search engines have one objective – to provide you with the most relevant
results possible in relation to your search query.
• In order for a search engine to be able to display results when a user types in
a query, they need to have an archive of available information to choose from.
• Every search engine has methods for gathering and prioritizing website
content. Regardless of the specific tactics or methods used, this process is
called indexing and requires search engines to create an index every time a
search query is raised.
• Every search engine has bots, or crawlers, that constantly scan the web and
index websites. If your website has not been indexed, it is impossible for your
website to appear in the search results.
How do search engines show search results?
• The search engines consider two main areas when determining what your
website is about and how to prioritize it.
• Content on your website: When indexing pages, the search engine bots
scan each page of your website, looking for clues about what topics your
website covers and scanning your website’s back-end code for certain tags,
descriptions, and instructions.
• Who’s linking to you: As the search engine bots scan webpages for
indexing, they also look for links from other websites. The more inbound
links (Google views inbound links as an indicator that your site has high-
quality content) a website has, the more influence or authority it has.
Essentially, every inbound link counts as a vote for that website’s content.
Factors search engine algorithm considers when deciding what
information to show in the Search Engine Results Page
• Geographic location of the searcher
• Historical performance of a listing (clicks: How often someone clicked a link from Google to your site,
bounce rates: a bounce rate is the number of visitors to any given website who navigate off of the site
after viewing only one page)
• Link quality (reciprocal: occurs when two or more parties agree to link to each other on their sites (a
website designer having reciprocal links with printers, photographers, digital marketers etc.) vs. one-way:
One way link is the process of building your site's links on other sites without any exchange: news content
on websites and social media)
• Webpage content (keywords, tags, pictures)
• Back end code or HTML of webpage (The part of a website that the user interacts with directly is termed
the front end. The backend is the server-side of the website. It stores and arranges data, and also makes
sure everything on the client-side of the website works fine. It is the part of the website that you cannot
see and interact with. It is the portion of software that does not come in direct contact with the users.
• Link type (social media sharing, link from media outlet, blog, etc.)
Three elements search engines consider when
determining where to list a website on the SERP
• Rank: Rank is the position that your website physically falls in on the SERP when a
specific search query is entered. If you are the first website in the organic section of the
SERP then your rank is 1. If your website is in the second position, your rank is 2, and so
on.
• Your rank is an indicator of how relevant and authoritative your website is in the eyes of
the search engine, as it relates to the search query entered. Tracking how your website
ranks for a specific keyword over time is a good way to determine if your SEO techniques
are having an impact.
• Authority: Search engines determine how authoritative and credible a website’s content
is by calculating how many inbound links (links from other websites) it has.
• Relevance: Relevance is a one of the most critical factors of SEO. The search engines are
not only looking to see that you are using certain keywords, but they are also looking for
clues to determine how relevant your content is to a specific search query.
Long Tail Theory of SEO
• The long tail theory of SEO focuses on the uniqueness of a search query.
• For example: If you sell shoes, you may want your website to rank for “shoe store,” (a head term).
• However, if you optimize multiple pages on your website for each specific pair of shoes that you
sell, you are going to have much more success and it will be easier to rank on the SERP.
• A keyword like “red tennis shoes with Velcro” (a long-tail keyword or term) is a good example.
• The number of people that search for this keyword will be much lower than the number that
search for “shoe store,” but you can almost bet that those searchers are much farther down the
sales funnel and may be ready to buy.
• People who are looking to perform a specific action, like buy something specific, or looking for a
specific piece of information for example: general physicians in Pitampura, are more likely to use
Long Tail keywords.
• By choosing to optimize with long-tail keywords, you will find it easier to rank on the search
engines, drive qualified traffic, and turn that traffic into leads and customers.
On-Page SEO
• On-page SEO refers to optimizing content on webpages to drive higher qualified traffic to your website.
• Use keywords in headers which are search engine optimized.
• Use an uncomplicated URL, clearly mentioning the name of the brand or the company. If the title of the webpage can
be included in the URL, do so.
• Use SEO optimized file names for every picture you upload on your website. A specific file name like “red tennis
shoes with Velcro” will have far more traffic than a file name like “12345.jpeg”.
• Besides an actual text headline on your page, every webpage you create has a title tag.
• The title tag is the blue link that the search engines show when they list your webpage on the SERP. Title tags are not
more than 75 characters, so words must not only be chosen wisely but should also include SEO optimized words.
• Beneath the title tag exists meta description
• The meta description is a text snippet that describes what your specific webpage is about.
• Meta descriptions are usually the first place a search engine will look to find text to put under your blue link when
they list your website on the SERP.
• If you do not have a meta description, the search engines will usually select a random piece of content from the page
they are linking to. The meta description is limited to 150 characters.
Search Engine Marketing
• SEM, or search engine marketing uses paid advertising to ensure your products or
services are visible in search engine results pages (SERPs).
• The first step towards investing in a search engine marketing campaign, is to enter a
Google Adwords auction which happens in real time.
• In simple terms, every Google ad you see goes through an ad auction before
appearing in the SERPs.
• To enter into an ad auction, you'll first need to identify the keywords you want to bid
on, and clarify how much you're willing to spend per click on each of those
keywords.
• Not every ad will appear on every search related to that keyword. Some keywords
don't have enough commercial intent to justify incorporating ads into the page. These
are especially academic, industrial or research adwords.
Search Engine Marketing
• It is not necessary that every time you enter an ad auction you'll win the
bidding i.e. your ads will appear in the SERP.
• The ad auction considers two main factors when determining which ads to
place on the SERP -- your maximum bid, and your ads Quality Score.
• A Quality Score is an estimate of the quality of your ads, keywords, and
landing pages.
• You can find your Quality Score, which is reported on a 1-10 scale, in your
keywords' "Status" column in your Google Ads account.
• The more relevant your ad is to a user, as well as how likely a user is to click
through and have an enjoyable landing page experience, all factor into your
overall Quality Score.
Factors affecting Search Engine Marketing
• Pay-per-click or PPC: Pay-per-click, or PPC, refers to choosing the right
keywords to bid on.
• This requires research to determine what keywords to bid on or what search
queries you want your ad to show up for.
• One should start by brainstorming brand terms - terms that describe your
product, and even terms that describe your competition.
• If you have a small budget, you may only want to bid on keywords that have
buying intent (long tail keywords are handy)
• However, if you have a larger budget, you may find that you have room to bid
on elementary keywords or even keywords that are loosely related to your
products.
Factors affecting Search Engine Marketing
• Keyword Cost: Ad placement is determined by the bid for the
keyword and the quality score.
• Higher bids and higher quality score win the best placement.
• High competition keywords end up being more expensive.
• Budget, of course, is a great deterrent.
• If your budget is low, you will not be able to bid very high and it will
have an impact on the placement of your ads.
Viral Marketing
• The term viral marketing is symbolically used in context with the web
or mobile domain. Viral marketing is described as a marketing
strategy which inspires users to spread or share a video, a piece of
news, a meme, a tweet, an ad to other users thereby creating more
and more demand for the same.
• In most instances, viral marketing is when someone creates video or
visual content that resonates with the target audience. That content is
shared to the point that it spreads like wildfire, or goes viral. When a
marketing campaign goes viral, a company’s sales, engagement, and
brand awareness can increase dramatically.
Points to keep in mind for creating a viral marketing campaign

• Should appeal to target audiences: A successful viral marketing campaign

considers the target audience.
• For any campaign to go viral, it needs to resonate with the audience and
make them feel so strongly about your content that they decide to share it
with their family, friends, and followers.
• Determine who your target audience is in the earliest stages of your
campaign creation.
• To achieve this, ask questions such as: Who do I want to connect with? What
content would they feel passionate about? What are their hopes, dreams,
and values? Why would they care about my campaign? What will can I do to
make them want to share my content with their social network?
Points to keep in mind for creating a viral marketing campaign

• Leveraging strong visuals: Viral marketing campaigns require a visual strategy or the use
of appropriate and more and more images.
• Every campaign should tell a story and that story is best told using visual elements that
resonate with your audience.
• Visual elements can be use of video and images to convey the most appropriate message.
• Role of creativity: Unless the content is new and creative and unless it appeals to the
audience, a marketing campaign will not go viral.
• Make an emotional appeal: Emotional appeal is very important for people to share your
content/campaign. Maggi’s ‘Meri Waali Maggi’ campaign worked because it made people
reminisce their favourite moments with Maggi.
• Ensure content is easily shareable
• Share your content at the right time
Advantages of Viral Marketing
• Viral marketing can build your brand: When a marketing campaign goes viral, your audience
automatically learns about your company, products, services, and brand. This includes people
who may not have ever heard about your company otherwise.
• Viral marketing doesn’t require a large budget: Individuals and companies of any size are
filming high-quality video and taking professional-looking photos using their smartphones.
Many content creators, or people who simply upload a random video, have found themselves
become famous almost overnight. It’s not about the resources and budget — it’s all about
what catches the attention of the internet. Marketers don’t always need a large-scale
production with a celebrity to make their campaign.
• Viral marketing expands your customer base: Campaigns are considered ‘viral’ when they
have a large reach. Companies may experience an increase in sales, greater engagement on
social media, and a boost in conversation about their brand and products. Netflix campaign
using stand up comedian Abish Mathews which made the video streaming platform a
household name in India.
Popular examples of Viral Marketing
campaigns
• No Shave November campaign – Cancer awareness
• ALS Ice Bucket Challenge campaign - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(loss of voluntary movement in muscles or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
• Life Without Netflix campaign
• Ariel’s Share the Load campaign – Both men and women should do
laundry
• Flipkart’s Deals ka Chand campaign – During one of the Big Billion
Days sale, customers had to find the moon to unlock deals and offers.
Email Marketing
• Email marketing is a powerful marketing channel that uses email to
promote a business’s products or services. It can help make
customers aware of a brand’s latest items, offers, discounts, and other
services.
• In 1978, a marketing manager at Digital Equipment Corp named Gary
Thuerk, also called as the father of spam, used this new method of
direct communication to send out the first commercial email to let
people know about a new product.
• Email marketing is the oldest form of digital marketing.
Types of email marketing
• Welcome emails: This type of email welcomes customers and encourages them to learn more about a brand’s
product or service. They often offer a trial or other bonus. It is used to introduce a potential new customer to
the business.
• Newsletter emails: Newsletter emails are very popular, and they often highlight new products and services.
They may also include articles, blogs, and customer reviews. Usually, there will be a call to action to move
the reader to do something, whether that is reading a new blog post or checking out a new product.
• Lead nurturing emails: This type of email targets a specific audience through a series of emails in the hope of
eventually converting them. Typically, lead nurturing emails focus on a group that is interested in a specific
product or service and then build their interest through more emails that offer additional information or
relevant promotions. The goal is to push users from the consideration stage to the purchasing stage.
• Confirmation emails: Those that have recently signed up for emails or newsletters, or have purchased an item
online for the first time may get a confirmation email. This ensures the prospect that the information has been
received and they are on the list to receive additional information. These are also a way to let users know that
their purchase has been received or that their sign-up was successful and can include more actions for them to
take.
Types of email marketing
• Survey email: Feedback from customers is one of the best tools for a
business. Sending out these emails communicates to your customers
that you value their opinion and want to create an experience,
product, or whatever you’re offering that they’ll enjoy. Businesses can
also take the feedback from these surveys and apply them to their
offerings, creating a better product.
• Seasonal marketing emails: Many companies take advantage of the
holiday season or special occasions to reach out to their customers and
prospects with information on upcoming sales and promotions.
Advantages of email marketing
• Email marketing can help a brand build a relationship with it’s audience by sending targeted messages while also
driving traffic to the brand’s website, blog, and social media.
• A brand can even segment its emails and target users demographically to ensure only those messages are being
sent which your audience wants to see most.
• Cost- effective - the costs of email marketing can be much lower than many other forms of marketing. There are no
advertising fees, printing or media space costs.
• Emails have flexible design – a brand can send plain text, graphics or attach files - whichever suits the brand’s
message best.
• Helps in conversions and increased sales – emails contain links which people can click on and follow the call-to-
action immediately.
• Email marketing is measurable – a brand can evaluate the success of a campaign by using a web analytics software.
One can easily test different copy, subject lines and designs to see which is most effective. This allows a brand to
optimise future campaigns.
• Emails are less intrusive - unlike telephone marketing, recipients can read an email at a time that suits them.
Customers can also update their preferences if they would like to receive different messages from a brand or
unsubscribe if they feel they no longer want to receive the brand’s email communications.
Disadvantages of email marketing
• Spam - commercial email or 'spam' irritates consumers. If a brand’s messages aren't
targeted to the right people, the recipient may delete the email or unsubscribe.
• A brand needs to make sure that it’s email marketing complies with privacy and data
protection rules, and that it is properly targeted at people who want to receive it. The 'click
through rate' for untargeted emails is likely to be very low.
• If an email is too large, it might take a long time to load—or even not load at all. In that time
it takes to download, a potential customer has just lost interest, costing a brand business.
• Don’t buy email lists - Many email marketing companies have a strict, permission-based
policy when it comes to email addresses, which means that sending to purchased lists is
prohibited. Instead, concentrate on encouraging people to opt into receiving messages from
your brand by using lead magnets.
• Do not rely on email automation for every form of customer engagement.
Moment of Truth
• What is a moment of truth?
• The term Moment of Truth was originally coined in 1981 by Jan Carlzon, the CEO of Scandinavian
Airlines.
• He said, "A Moment of Truth is an episode in which the customer comes into contact with any
aspect of the company, however remote, and thereby has an opportunity to form an impression."
• Each customer contact is a unique, unrepeatable opportunity for a company to differentiate itself
from the competition.
• Every decision should be made with the customer in mind and viewed as another opportunity to
make a favourable impression.
• Unfortunately, failure to satisfy a customer on any Moment of Truth will quickly destroy the
customer’s perception of a company/brand.
• On the other hand, getting it right can erase all the wrongs that the customer previously
experienced.
First Moment of Truth
• Till 2011, there were three moments of truth
• The First Moment of Truth (FMOT) is described as the moment when a prospective customer
comes in touch with a product for the first time.
• This micro-moment could be physical (at a retail store) or digital (via digital promotion).
• You can think of it as the first-impression moment when your brand has the unique chance
to convert the casual browser into a buyer.
• The goal is to establish an emotional connection between the person and the product that
results in an impulse purchase, also referred to as non-planned purchases.
• Examples of FMOT:
• An ad popping up while browsing a random website
• An ad on social media
• An experience or review of a particular product or service by one of our friends or followers or people
whom we follow on social media
Second Moment of Truth
• The second moment of truth is when consumers are already using the
product purchased during the First Moment of Truth.
• If your First Moment of Truth resulted in the desired impulse
purchase, it is during the second moment of truth that companies
need to make sure that their products deliver as per the quality as
promised.
• If your customer feels your marketing promises are not fulfilled by
their own personal experience of using a product, your chances of
converting him or her into a repeat customer will end right there.
Third Moment of Truth
• The third moment of truth is when a satisfied customer becomes a
brand’s fan and starts recommending it.
• Ideally, after successfully experiencing the first and second moments
of truth, at this stage he or she will share their experience and
recommend a brand’s product to other people.
• This could be done via positive reviews, social shares, person to
person, and several other ways.
Zero Moment of Truth
• The concept of Zero Moment of Truth was initiated in 2011 by
Google.
• Google identifies the First Moment of Truth as store based, and calls
the Zero Moment of Truth as digital based.
• For example, a consumer sees an ad (digital or print) displaying a new
pair of shoes. While in the pre-digital age, he would’ve just visited the
store, today the same consumer would use his smartphone to search
the product online, compare prices, read customers reviews, watch
YouTube videos, ask his or her friends on Facebook, different forums,
etc.
E-Commerce and Start Ups
• E-commerce stands for the electronic buying and selling of products
and services using the internet.
• E-commerce is subdivided into three categories: business to business
or B2B (Indiamart), business to consumer or B2C (Amazon, Flipkart,
Blinkit, Zepto), and consumer to consumer or C2C (eBay or Facebook
Marketplace).
Features of e-commerce
• E-commerce is ubiquitous: e-Commerce is available everywhere and at all times by using internet and
Wi-Fi. Consumers can access e-commerce portals using mobiles and laptops anywhere and
everywhere using the internet.
• E-commerce has a large customer reach: Since most e-commerce platforms offer a wide variety of
products across a wide variety of categories and budgets, e-commerce therefore has a large customer
reach.
• Most e-commerce platforms offer customization, reviews and extensive product information: With
the use of filters across different products and categories and multiple languages, most e-commerce
platforms offer a wide type of customization of their platforms according to the needs of each
customer. Along with it most platforms also provide access to user reviews, FAQs and extensive
product information.
• Multiple payment options: Most e-commerce platforms offer multiple payment options to their
customers including use of cards, UPI (unified payments interface), net banking, mobile banking,
credit options like Simpl and even cash on delivery making it relatively easier for customers to buy
whatever they need.
Features of e-commerce
• E-commerce is mobile friendly – Most e-commerce platforms began as
websites which could only be accessed by a computer (Amazon and eBay).
With the advent of smartphones coupled with high speed internet, most
platforms developed snag free applications which are only suited to be used
on mobile devices. Linking these apps with multiple payment options enables
a steady flow of traffic as well. Web developers should ensure the web design
is automatically modified to suit the screen size for better conversion rate.
• Most e-commerce platforms offer social commerce integration: Most e-
commerce platforms are linked to social media platforms for allowing
audiences to convert natively within a social media app, rather than going off-
network to an e-commerce platform to complete a purchase.
Difference between traditional commerce and e-commerce
Point of Traditional Commerce E-commerce
Difference
Cost effective Not cost effective as overhead cost is high along with high Cost effective as overhead cost is less and most orders are
dependence on suppliers for product deliveries directly processed from warehouses and in case inventory is
not available verified sellers supply products.
Time Time consumed to complete a purchase and transaction is Time consumed to complete a purchase and transaction is
more. less.
Convenience Not convenient as one has to step out of their A purchase can be completed from the confines of a home,
home/office to complete a purchase office, car or even a cafe
Accessibility Not very accessible. It may not be easy to expand the size Accessible as t is easy to expand the size of the market from
of the market from regional to national level. regional to international level just by hosting a website
Timing of Business is open only for a limited time. Can be accessed round the clock.
operations
Customer Customer interaction is face to face Customer interaction is face to screen
interaction
Fraud Fraud in traditional commerce is comparatively less Fraud in e-commerce is relatively more especially due to
payment failure and wrong product despatches
Privacy issues Usage of personal data, if required, is less. Most cash and Privacy issues related to data pilferage is common.
carry stores don’t require your personal data.
Profit The cost incurred on the middlemen, overhead, inventory It helps the organization to enjoy greater profits by increasing
and limited sales pulls down the profit in traditional sales, cutting cost and streamlining operating processes.
commerce.
What is a start-up?
• Startups are founded by one or more entrepreneurs who want to develop a
product or service for which they believe there is demand.
• These companies generally start with high costs and limited revenue, which is
why they look for capital from a variety of sources such as venture capitalists.
• Startups are companies or ventures that are usually focused on a single product
or service that the founders want to bring to market.
• This is called a minimal viable product (MVP) that a start-up company will test
and revise until it’s ready to go to market.
• These companies typically don't have a fully developed business model and,
more crucially, lack adequate capital to move onto the next phase of business.
• Most of these companies are initially funded by their founders.
How Do You Start a Startup Company?
• The first step in starting a startup is having a great idea.
• From there, market research is the next step to determine how feasible the idea is and what the current
marketplace looks like for your idea.
• After the market research, creating a business plan that outlines your company structure, goals, mission,
values, and objectives, is the next step.
• Before a start-up applies for funding, it is essential to have a legal structure in place.
• Startups generally do not always rely on sole proprietorship as there is more than a single person involved in
a start-up business.
• Most start-ups prefer partnerships, where two or more people have joint ownership.
• Once your legal structure is in place and the registration is done, the next step is to obtain funding. This can
come from savings, friends, family, investors, the government or even a bank loan. Crowd funding is
another viable option.
• Once funding is in place, a business location needs to be identified.
• Creating an advertising plan to attract customers is the next step followed by establishing a customer base.
Different stages of start-up funding
• There’s a preliminary round known as bootstrapping, when the
founders, their friends and family invest in the business.
• After that comes seed funding from so-called “angel investors,” high-
net-worth individuals who invest in early stage companies.
• Next, there are Series A, B, C and D funding rounds, primarily led by
venture capital firms, which invest tens to hundreds of millions of
dollars into companies.
• Finally, a startup may decide to become a public company and open
itself up to outside money through a listing on a stock exchange.
Parameters to ensure start-up success
• Does the idea have a defined USP?
• Has the idea been used earlier and does it bring something new to the table?
• How passionate and motivated are the founders about the start-up?
• Does the team echo the same sentiments?
• Do the founders have domain expertise and if yes, are they capable enough to
communicate the same to the team?
• Are the founders and the team willing to put their time to let the idea thrive and
grow?
• How big is the market?
• Is the idea viable enough to attract investments?
• Has a growth timeline been defined for the start up?
What is a Unicorn?
• The term unicorn refers to a privately held startup company with a value of over $1 billion. It is
commonly used in the venture capital industry.
• The term was first coined by venture capitalist Aileen Lee in 2013.
• Reaching unicorn status is a rare feat.
• In order to become a unicorn, companies must have an innovative idea, a clear vision for
growth, and a solid business plan, as well as a viable way to get their message to venture
capitalists and private investors.
• Start-up companies with a valuation of more than $10 billion are referred to as Decacorns and
ones with a valuation of more than $100 billion are referred to as Super Unicorns.
• In 1990’s Google’s parent company Alphabet was considered as the only super unicorn and in
the 2000’s, Facebook (now Meta) was considered as the only super unicorn.
• While the number of decacorns and unicorns is relatively high, the current super unicorns
include companies like ByteDance, SpaceX and Shein.
What is a Unicorn Bubble
• A unicorn bubble occurs when unicorn startup companies are overvalued by
venture capitalists or investors.
• The collapse of the bubble would come due to the underperformance of the
unicorns invested in, leading to reduced profits for venture capitalists over
the years.
• Less profitability will adversely affect the startup ecosystem and will deter
more and more investors from pumping their money in start-ups and as a
result it will also impact global economy as a whole.
• Overvaluation is quite rampant in Indian start-up ecosystem especially with
companies like Cred, BharatPe, Khatabook, Byjus, Unacademy, Paytm,
Zomato and Nykaa being massively overvalued.
Lead Generation
• Lead generation refers to the marketing process of stimulating and capturing interest in a
product or service for the purpose of developing a sales funnel or a sales pipeline.
• Lead generation is a popular strategy to help create demand and get one’s marketing
messages heard across multiple channels. Lead generation helps a company increase
brand awareness, build relationships, generate qualified leads, and ultimately close deals.
• A company collects contact information of potential targets in order to nurture them to
eventually become customers. Lead generation is useful for all types of businesses, both
small and large, and in both B2B and B2C companies—such as financial services,
healthcare, and automotive organizations.
• Traditional lead generation has undergone substantial changes in recent years, thanks to
new online and social marketing techniques. In particular, the abundance of information
readily available online has led to the rise of the “self-directed buyer” and the emergence
of new ways to develop and qualify potential leads before passing them to sales.
Lead Generation
• In the old world of information scarcity, “lead generation” meant that marketing
found the names of potential buyers early on in their buying journey, and then passed
those names directly to sales.
• Buyers expected to be educated by the sales team, and sales expected to speak to
uneducated, early-stage buyers who weren’t always qualified.
• Today, a variety of educational resources are easily found through search engines,
social media, and other online channels.
• Through content produced and distributed by organizations, today’s buyer can learn a
great deal about a product or service before even speaking to a salesperson.
• This makes a company’s digital presence more important than ever. Both decision
makers and influencers are now most likely to find a company—before a company
finds them.
What is a lead?
• According to Marketo, a lead is “a qualified prospect that is starting to exhibit buying behavior”.
• A company’s definition of a lead is not often agreed on by both sales and marketing. It is therefore necessary to
make the teams ideate and ponder on what is a lead.
• 1. Schedule some time to meet: Get all of your key stakeholders in a room and pick each other’s brains.
• 2. Ask the hard questions: For marketing, what does your target market look like? Who do you have in your
system, and what are they engaging with? For sales, what prospects are you speaking to? What types of buyers
are closing?
• 3. Decide how good is “good enough”: Set a base level. What does marketing consider a good enough lead to get
passed to sales? Conversely, what does sales think is a lead worth following up on?
• 4. Get the flip side of the story. What does marketing consider a bad lead? And what does sales consider a lead
not worth their time?
• 5. Agree on a definition and write it down: Now that you have your definition, write it down and abide by it. Add it
to your marketing automation system, post it up on walls—do whatever is necessary to keep both teams on point.
• 6. Iterate your definition over time: Meet regularly to review this definition. You should be iterating and changing
your definition as your company grows and priorities shift.
How to profile a lead?
• Demographics When profiling your leads, you need to look at
demographics or quantifiable identifiers which characterize your lead
population.
• Typical demographic attributes can consist of the following:
• Gender
• Age
• Location
• Level of Education
• Income Level
•
How to profile a lead
• Firmograhics are used as a criteria by B2B companies.
• Firmographics are organizational characteristics which help you find your ideal
customer organization, e.g.:
• Name of company
• Company size
• Company location
• Revenue
• Number of divisions
• Number of products/services sold
• Geographic markets served
• Industry
• Products already owned
How to profile a lead- BANT Model
• A company can also often determine a prospect’s place in the buying process by
analyzing his or her BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline) attributes.
• BANT is a more advanced lead qualification practice than demographic and
firmographic analysis alone.
• Budget: Can this lead afford your product or service?
• Authority: Does your lead have the authority to purchase your product? Is he or
she the decision maker?
• Need: Your lead has to need your product or service. Is there a pain that your
product or service can solve?
• Time: What is your lead’s purchasing timeframe? And does that align with your
sales cycle?
Mapping Lead Generation Strategies to Sales
Funnel
• Top-of-Funnel (TOFU): A person in this buying phase is at the
beginning of your sales and marketing funnel, and is aware of
your product or service but is not ready to buy.
• Individuals in the TOFU stage should be primarily offered
informational and educational material.
• The TOFU stage down into three sub-stages:
• Name: This indicates an individual whose name has officially
entered the database— but names are just names, not leads.
Names are not yet engaged with the company.
• Engagement: We don’t move names into the next stage until
these names have had a meaningful interaction with the
company. Engaged individuals know they are in a company
system, and they expect to be communicated with them over
time.
• Target: Once an individual has been engaged, companies use
their lead scoring to find out whether they are a qualified
potential buyer—which means they fit our demographic and
behavioral criteria.
Mapping Lead Generation Strategies to Sales
Funnel
• Middle-of-Funnel (MOFU): This buying phase occurs in the middle of a company’s sales and marketing
funnel.
• A person arrives here after he or she has displayed buying behavior, engaged with a company’s content,
and is potentially a sales lead.
• A company’s offers for MOFU leads are still educational, but they will be more geared towards a
company’s product or service.
• The MOFU stage can be broken down into two sub-stages:
• Lead: This stage is where a target actually becomes a lead. This is the stage where the Sales Development
Representative has a conversation with targets and then converts them into an official sales lead. If the target is not yet
ready to buy, they are recycled back to the target stage for more nurturing.
• The majority of leads are not sales ready.
• This doesn’t mean the SDR’s conversation was a waste of time—human interaction is an important part of developing
(or nurturing) the relationship.
• Sales Lead: If leads are qualified buyers, the SDR then passes them to an AE (Account Executive). That sales rep has
seven days to either turn the sales lead into an opportunity and have a sales interaction, or to send that lead back to
marketing for more nurturing.
Mapping Lead Generation Strategies to Sales Funnel

Bottom-of-Funnel (BOFU): This buying phase occurs at the bottom of the funnel,
and indicates that a lead is close to becoming a customer.
• Offers for BOFU leads are very specific to the product or service a company is
selling.
• The BOFU stage can be broken down into two sub-stages:
• Opportunity: A company has one final opportunity to convert an already
qualified lead to becoming a customer. If the lead has any confusion, uncertainty,
apprehension or skepticism, it must be clarified at this stage by a sales
representative.
• Customer: The last stage is the customer stage. In this stage the lead is convinced
enough to become a customer. This is the stage where leads become customers.
Tactics of Lead Generation
• Content Marketing
• Website and SEO
• Landing Pages
• Social Media and Lead Generation
• E-mail Marketing
• Paid Programs
• Telephone Based Lead Generation
Content Marketing
• What Form Can Content Take? • Content is the foundation of any lead generation efforts.
• Articles • The Content Marketing Institute defines content
• Blog posts marketing as “the marketing technique of creating and
distributing relevant and valuable content to attract,
• Case studies
acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood
• E-books and PDFs target audience—with the objective of driving profitable
• Email customer action”.
• Infographics • Marketers have come to rely on content to engage
prospects and customers in today’s new buyer landscape.
• Customer Kits
•
• A company must create content that educates, inspires,
Podcasts
and is shared.
• Reference guides
• Content should educate leads and dispel any doubts if any
• Slides and slideshares regarding the brand, product or service.
• Surveys
• If a company is able to do that, leads will flock, and a
• Pictures and Videos company will gain trust.
• Webinars • Trust is ultimately what creates customers out of leads.
• Whitepapers and
• Workbooks
The Content Planning Process
• Creating Personas
• Conducting Interviews and Research
• Mapping content to buying stages
Creating Personas Conducting Research and Interviews
The first step is to create buyer personas— • To create buyer personas, a brand should
most brands will need more than one. conduct interviews with customers,
• A buyer persona can be defined as a prospects, and members of the sales and
representation of your ideal customer. customer service teams. A brand can also
send out surveys and do their own research.
• Personas are developed based on customer
demographics and behavior, along with a Topics to focus on while creating personas
company’s understanding of their
motivations and challenges. • Background: Basic details about a brand’s ideal
customer
• Buyer personas help you: • Kind of content: What kind of content does your
• Determine what kind of content you need persona like most
• Set the tone, style, and delivery strategies • Main sources of information: Where your persona
gets his or her information from
for your content
• Preferred content medium: How your persona likes to
• Target the topics you want to highlight access content
• Understand where buyers get their • Marketing message: What kind of messaging will
information and how they want to consume speak directly to the persona
it • Objections and challenges: What are the objections
and challenges you are most likely to face from your
persona?
Mapping Content to Buying Stages
• Once personas have been defined, a brands needs to create a buying
journey that will convert these personas into customers.
• A buying journey maps a buyer’s decision making process during a
purchase.
• Mapping this to content allows you to:
• Understand the process your buyers go through when considering
your product or service
• Develop a content strategy that speaks directly to buyers, regardless
of their stage in the buying journey.
Website and SEO
• KISSmetrics, an analytics and testing company has provided two compelling stats:
• A brand has 0-8 seconds to persuade its audience with its headline and landing page.
• Approximately 96% of visitors that come to a brand’s website are not ready to buy.
• A brand can’t convert leads unless they fill out a form on a website.
• A good lead capture form might ask for only first name, last name, email address, company, and job function.
• A brand can add more or fewer fields depending on its needs, but shorter the form, better the chances of converting a lead.
• If a lead wants to contact a brand directly, make it as easy as possible. There is nothing more frustrating than failing to find a company’s
contact information or contact form. This can lead to non conversion of leads.
• Consider using a chat service to collect leads on the website. A “Contact Us” chat is great for leads who have a question, but don’t want
to pick up the phone. Chat services (these days through bots) enable a lead to enter his or her contact information and chat with an
educated representative.
• Another way to generate leads on website is to offer a subscription to a blog, email program, or resource center or even a trial offer. In
exchange for a lead’s email address, a brand can send its blog digest, newest assets, or other valuable offers.
• A contest is another way to generate lead information. Host a contest on your homepage to entice visitors to share their information.
Everyone loves a chance to win something! Contests can also promote social sharing—just make sure you include social sharing
buttons.
Paid Programs
• Paid programs are highly targeted, and usually include explicit call to actions and work particularly
well for lead generation.
• Paid programs usually include events, online ads, and content syndication.
• Pay-per-click advertisements are placed as a “sponsored result” on the top of search engine results,
and one pays for each received click. PPC ads can be tailored to appear when specific search terms
are entered, creating highly targeted ads.
• Prospective buyers start their purchasing journey on many different channels, so it’s important that
one establishes a multi-channel presence.
• One way to deliver high-value content to the right prospects is through content syndication—
promoting any type of content on third-party sites (including social media) and newsletters for
greater reach and engagement.
• Events offer the chance to define one’s brand, clarify the solutions one provides, establish personal
connections with participants, and give your prospects and customers the chance to interact with
each other. Events can be both online and offline.
Telephone based lead generation
• An important distinction here— telephone-based lead generation isn’t the same as
telemarketing. Telesales provides the human interaction needed to turn your marketing
leads into opportunities and sales
• Telemarketing is the direct marketing of goods or services to potential customers over the
telephone, internet, or fax.
• Five rules of telephone based lead generation:
• Call back as fast as you can: A lead that is contacted within five minutes, compared to one contacted
after 30 minutes, has a 100x higher contact rate.
• Be persistent: If you call once, you’ll earn 37% of a lead’s potential value, two phone calls will earn you
61%, and six phone calls will get you 90%.
• Optimize calls: Ask your lead when the best time to contact them is.
• Time of day matters: The best time to call a lead is between 8 AM and 9 AM or between 4 PM and 5
PM.
• Day of the week matters too: Studies show that Tuesday and Thursday are the best calling days.
Personal Branding
• Personal branding is the projected image of an individual's personality, skills, experience, and
behavior that defines their unique identity.
• Everyone who's active online has some sort of personal brand established. Social media accounts,
websites, digital portfolios, blog articles, and the various ways you communicate all contribute to
your unique identity and image.
• Personal branding comes with similar benefits as company branding. It helps you connect with
people, become more visible, shape your reputation, leave a lasting impression during online and in-
person networking, and sell your brand to more prospective people.
• Creating a defined personal brand is a great way to distinguish yourself in today's competitive market
because it lets people understand who you are, even when you're not in the room.
• You set yourself apart by telling your story, sharing your personality, and connecting with people
who vibe with your vision.
• Personal branding includes all content that's available about a person. It's simple to build from
scratch but difficult to change once an identity is set. For example: Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Five Personal Branding Essentials
• A complete social media presence:
• In the digital age if a complete social media presence is missing, it is difficult to not just create a personal brand but also connect with
people.
• From choosing your display pictures to posting visual content to use of language in your posts to writing a bio or summary, it is essential
to understand whatever you put mirrors your identity and helps in strengthening your brand.
• An SEO-friendly profile: Equally important as defining and capturing what makes you different is ensuring that
you can be easily found online. Linking your social media profiles to keywords will not only help people know
who you are but will also compel them to follow you for updates.
• A unique point of view: What you say and how you say it defines your personal brand. If you sound and look just
like everyone else, your branding won't stand out—and it definitely won't be memorable. That's why it is crucial
to develop a voice that sounds like you and shares your unique opinions.
• A consistent posting schedule: Once your profile is optimized and your point of view defined, it's time to start
posting on a regular basis.
• Do not get conned by cheap marketing tactics: If you have been able to establish a personal brand and if your
brand mirrors their expectations, chances are very likely that people will find you and start following you. If you
fall in the trap of increasing your followers through illegitimate ways, it will not only impact your personal brand
but will also impact your digital presence in the future.
Developing a Personal Branding Strategy
• Defining your goals: Write down three to five goals you hope to achieve by having a personal brand. This will help
define your content strategy and encourage you to continue when you don't feel like posting one day.
• Creating a unified theme: Personal branding requires a unified theme to make you instantly recognizable. You can
create a consistent theme by considering all the factors that make up a brand's visual identity. Fonts, logos,
colors, images, and messaging should be the same across your social accounts, website, portfolio, blog, or other
channels.
• Tell your story: Personal branding helps you show others what makes you tick by highlighting your personality,
opinions, work, skills, and quirks. To tell your story, you can write a post about why you chose to do something,
make a video about the life lessons you've learned, share what events inspired you to do something, or talk
about your personal experiences.
• Staying human: Sharing your story is only one piece of the personal branding puzzle. As your brand grows, you
have to remember that you're a person, not a brand. Never refer to yourself as a brand (that's cringe-worthy), or
bad-mouth competitors (focus on what you do instead). While you may want your personal brand to be all about
business, it's beneficial to show your human side from time to time. Mention your customers, colleagues, or
work relationships. Share content from people you admire and people in your network. By posting content that's
not always buttoned-up, you give people a look at who you are—a person trying to connect with other people.
Building a Multi-platform Social Media
Marketing Strategy
• Multi-platform social media marketing strategy is a social media
campaign which runs across multiple platforms.
• Messaging is tailored according to each platform to generate
awareness, interest and conversions.
• By creating original content aligned with each platform, a brand’s
marketing becomes a seamless omnichannel experience.
• Additionally, tailoring a brand’s campaign to each platform’s posting
specifications means a brand has the best chance of audience
engaging with it.
What are the benefits of cross-platform
campaigns?
• Different platforms suit different goals. For examples, a brand might
be building awareness on Instagram and Twitter, but converting from
Facebook ads.
• Some platforms are visual, some are text-based. A multi-platform
strategy ensures a brand’s content makes sense where it’s posted.
• They yield greater reach than single-platform campaigns, or “copy and
paste” campaigns (recycling the same captions and images, even if
they’re not optimized for that platform’s specs).
• Consistent branding builds loyalty and trust.
Nine tips for planning a multi-platform
strategy
1. Have a plan
2. Set-platform specific goals
3. Say no to copy paste
4. Be available to chat and help
5. Use paid and organic strategies together
6. Optimize your profiles for sales
7. Track your analytics
8. Add UTM tags to links
9. Schedule your content
Have a plan
• Planning starts with deciding themes related to content, audience
targeting through audience research, a clear work distribution matrix
and clear deadlines for posting with a timeline to post whatever is
necessary at whatever time.
• Make sure every campaign plan you put together includes S.M.A.R.T.
goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
Set-platform specific goals
• Beyond the campaign’s goals, set goals for each of the platforms you’ll be using.
• Some of those goals will flow naturally since certain platforms are geared
toward specific goals.
• Instagram: Creative visual content, like reels and stories, to promote
engagement, discovery and conversions.
• Pinterest: Product and shopping-focused visuals to drive conversions.
• LinkedIn: B2B-focused marketing campaigns and brand building.
• Of course, each platform can have multiple goals. For example, you can use
Pinterest for both brand awareness and driving conversions. But generally
speaking, set one or two goals per platform to focus on.
Say no to copy paste
• It’s fine to repeat a key phrase throughout your campaign but avoid
using the same word-for-word copy and visuals across multiple
channels.
• It defeats the purpose of a “multi-platform campaign.
• Each social media platform is different, from how many characters or
hashtags you get to use to how well certain types of content perform.
• Optimize your content for each platform’s specifications and target
demographics.
Be available to chat and help
• Don’t post and ghost!
• Social media is a two-way street. Your customers expect to be able to talk
to you. In fact, 64% of them would rather message you than call a 1-800
number for help.
• Respond to comments and direct messages quickly to answer customer
questions and encourage engagement.
• Live chat apps are great for both your website and across social channels.
• AI-powered live chat can keep costs down, or enable your (human)
customer service representatives to chat with customers for the best
service.
Use paid and organic strategies together
• Relying solely on organic traffic is not correct.
• That doesn’t mean you should hit the “promote” button on every
post to boost it as an ad. Not everything needs an amplified reach
with a budget behind it.
• But if your organic posts aren’t getting much traction, try boosting a
few more than usual to see if that brings up your views and
engagement.
Optimize your profiles for sales
• Often, your content is going to direct people to a landing page or your website to
take an action: Signing up for an event, making a purchase, etc.
• But not every post needs to push people offsite.
• While social commerce is nothing new, people are buying things directly from
social media more every year. The pandemic has only served to bolster this, with
social media purchases predicted to grow 30% annually through 2026.
• To optimize your profiles for social commerce try the following:
• Adding a call to action in your bio and link space
• Often a “Sign Up” button is used to choose from options like online booking links, sending an
email, calling etc.
• Includes search terms in names and usernames
• Get verified
Tracking analytics
• Tracking results is important for any campaign but it’s essential with
cross-platform campaigns.
• You need to check how the campaign went and what you could
change next time.
• Analytics measure the real ROI of your social media marketing —
organic and paid — and translates that into actionable statistics,
visual data and insights that are easy to share with stakeholders.
Adding UTM tags to links
• UTM tags go hand-in-hand with analytics tracking. UTM tags are just
small text codes you add to link URLs to define the source of traffic.
• UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters which are
URL parameters used by marketers to track the effectiveness of online
marketing campaigns across traffic sources and publishing media.
They were introduced by Google Analytics' predecessor Urchin.
• These are especially helpful for cross-platform campaigns to figure out
where the majority of your leads came from and what types of
content drove the most traffic.
Scheduling content
• Last but definitely not least, for a cross-platform campaign to work (or
any campaign, really), you need to plan and schedule your content in
advance.
• Ensure your posts complement each other across platforms (e.g. you’re
not announcing a new product on only one channel while forgetting the
others, etc).
• Scheduling helps eliminate errors.
• Scheduling helps free up your team’s time to respond to comments and
create more content except worrying about what to post next.
• Create a consistent posting schedule to keep engagement high.
M-Commerce
• The term mobile commerce was originally coined in 1997 by Kevin Duffey at the launch
of the Global Mobile Commerce Forum, to mean "the delivery of electronic commerce
capabilities directly into the consumer’s hand, anywhere, via wireless technology.“
• Mobile commerce, also known as m-commerce, involves using wireless handheld
devices like cellphones and tablets to conduct commercial transactions online, including
the purchase and sale of products, online banking, and paying bills.
• Mobile commerce services were first delivered in 1997, when the first two mobile-
phone enabled Coca-Cola vending machines were installed in Helsinki, Finland.
• The machines accepted payment via SMS text messages.
• This lead to several new mobile applications such as the first mobile phone-based
banking service was launched in 1997 by Merita Bank of Finland, also using SMS.
• Finnair mobile check-in was also a major milestone, first introduced in 2001.
M-Commerce
• Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, mobile commerce has moved away from
SMS systems and into actual applications.
• More recently, brick and mortar business owners, and big-box retailers in particular,
have made an effort to take advantage of mobile commerce by utilizing a number of
mobile capabilities such as location-based services, barcode scanning, and push
notifications to improve the customer experience of shopping in physical stores.
• By creating what is referred to as a 'bricks & clicks' environment, physical retailers
can allow customers to access the common benefits of shopping online (such as
product reviews, information, and coupons) while still shopping in the physical store.
• Mobile commerce is an increasingly large subset of electronic commerce, a model
where firms or individuals conduct business over the internet.
Uses of M-Commerce
• Mobile Payments and Money Transfer – what started as use of digital wallets where people would add money to their
wallets using cards and net banking, led to the creation of UPI or the Unified Payments Interface in 2016 in India – an
instant real-time payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India. The interface facilitates inter-
bank and person-to-merchant transactions. It is used on mobile devices to instantly transfer funds between two bank
accounts.
• Mobile ticketing through apps for hotels, travel and entertainment.
• Content purchase and delivery: Mobile content purchase and delivery mainly consist of the sale of ring-tones, wallpapers,
apps, and games for mobile phones. The convergence of mobile phones, portable audio players, and video players into a
single device is increasing the purchase and delivery of full-length music tracks and video. The download speeds available
with 4G networks make it possible to buy a movie on a mobile device in a couple of seconds.
• Mobile banking through apps
• Mobile browsing and purchasing: mainly being done through apps of established e-commerce portals like Amazon,
Flipkart etc. and even brick and mortar retailers like Decathlon. Healthcare delivery, food and grocery deliveries have also
started with m-commerce.
• In-application mobile phone payments: Payments can be made directly inside of an application. In-app purchases can be
used to buy virtual goods, new and other mobile content and is ultimately billed by mobile carriers rather than the app
stores themselves.
App Monetization
• App monetization describes the concept of making money from a mobile
application without having to apply download fees.
• With free apps becoming the new norm in today’s app world, users are
growing more reluctant to pay for services.
• According to Google, there exist five popular app monetization strategies –
• The free and paid app versions model
• The free app with in-app purchases model
• The free app with subscription model
• The paid app model
• The partnership model
The free and paid app versions model
• One popular app monetization strategy is to offer both free and paid
versions of your app. With this approach, app developers will either
limit certain features in the free app in order to "encourage" the free
app user to upgrade to the paid app, or monetize the free app with in-
app advertising.
• The benefits with this strategy is two-fold. On the one hand, it
provides a free option for users to experience the basic functionality
of app at no cost. On the other hand, it also provides the app
developer with a growing user base for potential monetization via app
upgrades or in-app advertising.
The free app with in-app purchases model
• Another popular app monetization strategy is in-app purchases, or
IAP. The app itself, and usually the basic features of the app, are free.
However, if the user would like to advance in the app faster, say get
extra lives in a gaming app; or enjoy certain premium features in a
dating app, then they enter the pay-to-play mode.
The free app with subscription model
• Some developers choose to create free apps with a subscription model.
With this strategy, the app is made free to download with limited
access to the content or services offered. It requires users to opt in to a
subscription plan in order to enjoy the full benefits. This app
monetization strategy is commonly seen among service-oriented apps
(like meditation app Headspace) or content-centric apps such as news
apps.
• With this approach, the app can be easily discovered in the app stores
as a free app when users search for related content. This is great to
help developers build up an initial user base and cultivate that user
base into paid app subscribers.
The paid app model
• In some cases, developers will make their apps available only in the
paid version. Usually these apps offer unique value that’s hard to find
elsewhere.
• Note that if you go this route, the apps you create should provide
enough value or unique functionality that meets certain user needs.
Otherwise, you will have a hard time building up the user base to
generate revenue for your app.
• Example: Netflix
The partnership model
• If an app is very popular among a certain niche market, companies in that space may approach the app
developer for sponsorship opportunities to get their brand in front of your app users.
• So when you’re planning about the next app to build, you can also think about the target user base the app
may attract and the type of brands that might be interested in that audience.
• This is also done through in-app advertising.
• Banner ads is the most simple and original ad format there is. They are usually implemented at the top or
bottom of the screen, and can include static or animated content within your app.
• Full screen ads: This ad format avoids the potential blindness of common banners and presents ad content in
full-screen, occurring in between users’ natural pause points, maintaining a smooth browse as much as
possible.
• Native ads: Also called sponsored content, is a type of advertising that matches the form and function of the
platform upon which it appears.
• Reward ads: This ad format is particularly popular in apps that are used over a longer time period, for
example, in a gaming app. In essence, you reward users for watching a video ad, which is say 30 seconds,
with a discount or extra assets to a game.
Google Analytics
• Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website
traffic, currently as a platform inside the Google Marketing Platform brand.
• Google launched the service in November 2005 after acquiring Urchin in April the same year.
• Due to excessively high demand, new sign ups had to be suspended a week later.
• With the addition of capacity, Google started to use a lottery type system and later added users
by sending invitations to them.
• Since August 2006, the service has been fully available to all users – whether they use Google
for advertising or not.
• Google Analytics is used to track website activity such as session duration, pages per session
and the bounce rate of individuals using the site, along with the information on the source of
the traffic.
• It can be integrated with Google Ads, with which users can create and review online campaigns
by tracking landing page quality and conversions
Google Analytics
• Google Analytics' approach is to show high-level, dashboard-type data for the casual user, and more in-depth data further into
the report set.
• Google Analytics analysis can identify poorly performing pages with techniques such as funnel visualization.
• The “funnel,” is a sequence of steps a user takes to convert to a qualified lead or sale. On the Google Analytics end, this funnel
translates to a sequence of pages the user goes through to complete a conversion. The user may drop off on any page in the
process due to poor experience, a slow site, unexpected costs, or other factors influencing the final decision.
• It can track where visitors came from (referrers), how long they stayed on the website and their geographical position. It also
provides more advanced features, including custom visitor segmentation.
• User segments are subsets of your website visitors who may visit your site across several sessions over the course of 90 days.
You can create user segments based on a combination of dimensions such as age, gender, session date, traffic source, on-site
behavior, and more.
• Google Analytics e-commerce reporting can track sales activity and performance. The e-commerce reports show a site's
transactions, revenue, and many other commerce-related metrics.
• As of 2019, Google Analytics is the most widely used web analytics service on the web.
• Google Analytics provides a Software Development Kit (SDK) that allows gathering usage data from iOS and Android app,
known as Google Analytics for Mobile Apps.
• Google Analytics has undergone many updates since its inception and is currently on its 4th iteration — GA4.
GA4
• Google Analytics 4 is an analytics service that enables you to measure traffic and
engagement across your websites and apps. 
• A new concept to allow the same property to be used both for website and mobile app.
• Google Analytics 4 uses machine learning which combines artificial intelligence and
computer science to fill in data gaps and make predictions about how users behave
online.
• GA4’s machine learning model makes accessing user behavior and website traffic data possible
while still keeping users anonymous especially as a cookie-less internet becomes the norm.
• GA4 puts users into cohorts or groups of similar traits and behaviors.
• Using cohorts, Analytics can protect individual privacy and track the cohorts’ behavior and
patterns to create a composite overview of how people with certain traits move through your
sites and mobile apps.
Website Audience Measurement (WAM)
• Web Audience Measurement (WAM) is an audience measurement and website analytics tool that
measures Internet usage in India.
• The system, a joint effort of IMRB International and Internet and Mobile Association of India
surveys over 6000 individuals across 8 metropolitan centers in India and tracks a variety of metrics
such as time-on-site, exposure, reach and frequency of Internet usage and was launched in 2010.
• WAM uses audience measurement and is a continuous tracking panel study that provides cross
sectional data on Internet usage segmented by gender, social economic classification and location.
• Social economic classification can be divided into two segments:
• Education of the Chief Earner. The options are Illiterate, Literate but no formal schooling or Schooling unto 4
years, Schooling between 5–9 years, High School pass, Some college (including a diploma but not a graduate),
Graduate / Post Graduate (General), Graduate / Post Graduate (Professional)
• The number of Consumer durables (pre-decided from a list of 11 items) owned by the family. The list of 11
items are: Electricity Connection, Ceiling Fan, LPG Stove, Two Wheeler, Color TV, Refrigerator, Washing Machine,
Personal Computer/Laptop, Car/Jeep/Van, Air Conditioner, Agricultural Land
Monetizing Social Media
• There are three main ways to monetize social media accounts: affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, and creator
funds.
• Affiliate marketing is an advertising model in which a company compensates third-party publishers to generate
traffic or leads to the company's products and services. The third-party publishers are affiliates, and the
commission fee incentivizes them to find ways to promote the company.
• Influencer marketing is an example of affiliate marketing.
• Amazon popularized the practice by creating an affiliate marketing program whereby websites and bloggers put
links to the Amazon page for a reviewed or discussed product to receive advertising fees when a purchase is
made.
• An affiliate could be the owner of multiple websites or email marketing lists or these days multiple social media
accounts.
• The more websites, social media accounts or email lists that an affiliate has, the wider its network.
• The hired affiliate then communicates and promotes the products offered to their network. The affiliate does this
by running banner ads, text ads, posting links on its websites, or sending emails to clientele. Firms use
advertisements in the form of articles, videos, and images to draw an audience’s attention to a service or product.
Role of Social Media in Marketing Research
• Social media market research is the practice of gathering historical and real-time data
from social media channels to better understand your brand’s target market.
• Advantages of using social media in marketing research:
1. Shows brands and companies how customers use their products and services
2. Shows brands and companies what customers dislike about their products.
3. Tells brands and companies what customers like about their products and services.
4. Provides insights into what customers expect from brands in the future.
5. Shows what trends customers are interested in
6. Enables brands and companies to get to know their customers on a personal level
7. Tells brands and companies what kind of social content resonates with customers.