Prepare for E-Marketing

Preparing for e-marketing communications will require an understanding of legal requirements that need to be adhered to. Workplace policies should align with the legal and ethical requirements needed to consider and abide by when preparing e-marketing communications.

Strong frameworks are essential in an organisation as they provide a consistent and clear pathway of how things should be done and avoid actions that may lead to a crisis.

Let’s have an overview of what it means to have legal, ethical and organisational frameworks in the workplace.

Legal framework

A legal framework is a collection of legal papers, outlining the laws, rights, and obligations of corporations, governments, and citizens. The legal framework of a business ensures that your service or product is protected, that you are not operating unlawfully, and that you do not lose out if your team changes.

Documents inside the legal framework include the organisation's legislation, policies, regulations, and contracts.

It encompasses the fundamental component of the legislation and the institutional, administrative, political, social, and economic conditions or arrangements that enable the legislation to be available, accessible, enforceable, and thus effective.

A legal framework is 'good' as long as it helps achieve a specified purpose; it will fail for a variety of reasons, for example:

• If strong legislation exists on paper, but the regulator is weak, ineffective, and/or under-resourced;
• Where the judiciary is incompetent and weak;
• Where there is legislation, but few critical players are aware of it or comprehend what it entails.

Identification of legal framework

Organisations must take the following actions to align their legal framework to ensure that they are legally protected.

Define property as soon as possible

This is frequently the first and possibly most significant legal step to take with a business. Suppose a business does not implement a thorough property plan early on. In that case, someone else may claim ideas, patents, or trademarks and be granted ownership (even before beginning to build anything tangible). For example, a former employee may leave a start-up business and launch their own company based on the business’ fundamental ideas, or an unethical CEO talking about the business’ algorithm at a conference may see a competitor rapidly patent it before the business does.

Create a good co-founder and equity agreement

For businesses that are forming a corporation with someone else, they must have a co-founder agreement. Founders frequently begin their journey with a strong relationship, only to find that it deteriorates as circumstances get rough. Legally outlining ownership and obligations, as well as what happens if things go wrong, may help ensure the business is financially protected in any situation—and can save the business from a lot of difficult talks.

Understand legal obligations as the business grows

Regardless of how early a company's lifecycle is, scaling should be factored into the legal framework. Every business wants to develop. Therefore, the sooner the business realises the legal requirements, the more confident the business can be that all staff are working to legal requirements.

Ethical framework

Ethical marketing policies must guide a company's pricing, promotion, research, and competitive strategies.

Having an ethics framework in place is not intended to maximise revenues. It is intended to protect and promote the relationship between the company and society, but it also benefits the corporation as a commercial venture. Employees serve as ambassadors for an organisation by motivating them and conveying the value and purpose of the business to them.

An ethical framework can be defined as a set of questions that managers can use to push past their initial moral intuitions and understand the pertinent aspects of the situation.

Ethical marketing decisions and activities must satisfy and accommodate the needs of customers, suppliers, and business partners. Price wars, selective promotion, and deceitful marketing can all hurt a company's relationships.

Components of an ethical framework

• Accountability
• Transparency
• Reliability and safety
• Data privacy and security
• Fairness.

Existing Australian Legal and Ethical laws

When developing legal and ethical frameworks we need to consider existing laws that are there to protect consumers, suppliers and business partners. The following outlines key legal and ethical considerations to include in an organisational framework:

Australian consumer law

The laws which prohibit businesses from making false, misleading, or deceptive claims about their products or services apply to social media in the same way they apply to any other marketing channel. Don’t make statements on your Facebook page or on other social media that you wouldn’t make in any other type of advertising.

Copyright and Social Media

Australia’s copyright laws, enshrined in the Copyright At 1968 (Cth) (the Act), are designed to protect original, tangible material. For example, you can protect things like artistic or literary work, articles, photographs, maps, broadcasts, and other multimedia pieces.

If a social media platform has a share function, its terms and conditions will usually allow users to share images without infringing on a copyright. However, if you are uploading or publishing an image owned by someone else, you will need to obtain their permission and attribute the work to them.

Do not use your organisation’s, client’s or a third party’s logos, trademarks or materials on your website/blog or in a post unless it has been cleared for public use or otherwise approved by your organisation's relevant manager.¹

Privacy act

Privacy Principles govern the collection, handling, use and disclosure of personal information. For example, IPP 1.3 requires organisations to take reasonable steps to notify an individual when their personal information has been collected. Generally, this would mean a collection notice before or at the time of collection. However, within the context of social media, it may be appropriate to include an abridged version of a collection notice within the ‘About me’ or ‘Bio’ section of a social media profile, with further information available on organisations’ websites or in privacy policies.

Social media codes of practice

Be transparent: as for personal use, if you are commenting or posting in a commercial capacity about brands or campaigns you work on, always be open and transparent about who you work for, who you represent or who you may be speaking on behalf of.²

• Be accurate: Posts should be accurate and fact-checked and capable of substantiation. If you do make a mistake, ensure you correct it promptly.
• Be professional: Always act in a professional and constructive manner and use sound judgement before posting. Always be polite and respectful of individuals’ opinions, especially when discussions become heated.
• Be fair and respectful: Always be respectful of all individuals and communities you interact within social media. Consider carefully how customers might perceive you as the representative/ambassador of your brand.
• Be responsible: Always abide by the terms of use of the social media platform with which you interact and seek to adhere to the cultural and behavioural norms on the particular platform.
• Be smart: Respect other people’s intellectual property, including trademarked names and slogans and copyrighted material.
• Be aware of confidentiality: Only reference information that is publicly available. Do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information to your organisation, its clients, or any third party that has confidentially disclosed information to you.

Data and personal security

Data and personal security are two of the most important legal and ethical considerations related to social media.

• Data security: This is the process of protecting sensitive information from unauthorised access. It includes the different cyber security practices you use to secure your data from misuse, like encryption and access restrictions.
• Personal security: People use multiple social accounts for various purposes. Nevertheless, if your password is weak, your account’s security gets compromised. Also, if you use the same password for different accounts, all your accounts can get hacked by hackers. Make sure to use a unique and strong password for every social account. Your password must include numbers, words, upper and lowercase letters, and special characters.³

Telemarketing Do-Not-Call Registry in Australia

The new telemarketing do-not-call legislation in Australia took effect on May 31, 2007. While there are some exceptions (for example, market research calls, charities, and political parties), telemarketers are no longer permitted to call Australian phone numbers predominantly used for personal or domestic purposes and have been placed on the do-not-call list by their owners.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority oversee the Do-Not-Call registry legislation.

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) rights play a crucial role in the marketing strategy of all kinds of an increasing number of companies, and it involves a set of processes, creations and communications offerings which have value for the clients, customers or society in general. Marketing necessarily generates intangible assets that may be protected by intellectual property rights. In fact, this is the first significative aspect of the influence of intellectual property rights on marketing strategies: the protection of intangible assets in a marketing campaign.

Notwithstanding the above, enthusiastically drawing the attention of clients or customers and attempting to outdo the competition, marketing campaigns sometimes exceed legal limitations, especially concerning the respect of intellectual property rights duly protected by law. In this sense, the compliance of marketing strategies to what is allowed by law is also a crucial aspect where marketing and intellectual property must go hand in hand. An unlawful campaign can conceivably effect the communication strategy itself and has strong legal consequences. ⁴

Types of IP rights include:

Trademark	A trademark is a sign (word or figurative), which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others. In marketing advertisement, it is common to see new signs launched in the communication. These signs are usually sub-brands that, together or not with the main brand of the company, emerge as a brand-new communication to launch a new product, service or advantage for the relevant public.
Industrial Design	Industrial designs protect the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of a product, including its colour, shape or lines. Industrial designs may consist of three-or-two dimensional features. In this sense, provided that they are new and non-obvious, creative designs used in the marketing campaign should be protected by industrial design.
Copyright	Copyright is an exclusive right that protects certain forms of original works. Under this intellectual property rights can be included in white papers or newsletters. Landing pages and website designs can be protected by copyright as well, however, in such cases, there may be an overlap between copyright and an industrial design which is not necessarily a bad thing since they complement each other.
Patents	Inventions and innovative techniques are protected by patents.

Organisational framework

Every company must have a transparent organisational framework to function smoothly and achieve its goals with minimal obstacles. To survive and flourish, organisations must be dynamic, efficient, and competitive. Customers are becoming more demanding and aware, and they expect a quick response.

To prevent chaos in a firm, a good organisational framework is essential. The set aids in developing a transparent reporting system that promotes effective communication and the avoidance of conflicts. It assures the smooth execution of operations that are damaging to a company's growth.

Organisations are capable of running their operations efficiently, but they are also capable of achieving their objectives with minimal hindrance. This framework tries to clarify the link between a corporation's many teams and departments and aids in the delegation of power, authority, and responsibility.

Importance of organisational frameworks

The following give examples of how having an organisational framework can benefit the overall business.

Enhances productivity

The primary goal of an organisational structure is to increase efficiency across all functions. Nothing is left to chance in a systematic organisation, and every operation is coordinated to achieve optimal performance. Members of the organisation strive to optimise the output of goods and services using the available resources. There is a concerted attempt to control waste and loss methodically, rationally, and coordinated. Various organisational models have been created to improve operational efficiency.

Communication

Every organisation's number one issue is communication. A solid structure ensures that everyone working in the organisation can communicate effectively. In a good structure, a reporting connection is formed and a hierarchy of who reports to whom. Horizontal, vertical, and lateral communication processes are required, and this is accomplished through a well-designed organisation.

Optimal resource utilisation

The optimal usage of resources is also aided by efficient resource allocation. The organisational structure prioritises tasks that are more critical to the attainment of organisational goals. The activities are arranged in the framework according to their importance, and resource allocation rules are provided. The most efficient use of resources is critical to a company's success.

Satisfaction at work

A competent organisational structure provides a clear assignment of roles and obligations to diverse persons working in the firm. Jobs are assigned based on their expertise, knowledge, and specialisation. People are allowed to describe what they do for a living. People will be happier at work if they are given the freedom to operate within certain parameters.

Creative thinking

There is the freedom to plan and execute one's work under a solid organisational structure. It enables a person to think about and build new and better job methods. The organisational structure seeks to place people in the most appropriate positions. Because of their inventiveness in a certain organisational structure, many people have contributed to the development of management thought.

Facilitates management

A business employs a large number of people. Their task will have to be defined, and responsibilities will be assigned according to the organisation's needs. A proper structure will aid in the formation of relationships between people in various roles. Management leads, coordinates, and manages the activity of various people through an organisational framework.

Steps to identify organisational framework

1. Examine the company's strategy.
2. Determine the market and industry's stability. A fast-changing environment will benefit the body because it is more adaptable to change. Meanwhile, a firm working in a stable environment can benefit from a mechanised structure.

3. Consider the size and age of the organisation. Smaller, younger firms require fewer layers of management than larger, older organisations. An organisational chart is a framework for knowing the roles and responsibilities of management and staff. The roles within the communications and marketing departments may differ slightly between organisations. However, some common roles in these departments may include the following or similar:

   Marketing manager	Manage your team’s output while making sure each campaign is as successful as possible
   Events manager	Responsible for the production of events from creation to completion including the venue management and media involvement
   Market research analyst	Responsible for collecting and interpreting data to analyse the success of campaigns.
   Product or Brand manager	Oversee market trends and all campaigns to ensure a consistent narrative is being produced
   Social media manager	Create and implement social media campaigns across all relevant platforms
   Business development manager	Generate new sales leads and business relationship
   Web analyst	Gather and analyse in-depth data gathered from the client’s website to develop strategies to improve performance
   Marketing assistant	Provide direct support for the marketing manager
   SEO specialist	Identify keywords and phrases to utilise Search Engine Optimisation, and implement necessary changes to improve search engine results to drive traffic
   PR Manager	Use all forms of media to build awareness and visibility of the client’s brand.5
   Marketing specialist	Responsible for creating advertising campaigns, pricing strategies and targeting the demographic data of their target audience. A marketing specialist will often liaise with others to help in collaborating on a marketing and communication deliverable.
   SEM specialist	SEM specialists are often an external resource that is hired to assist as a part of the campaign. They are responsible for executing, tracking, reporting and analysing website analytics, pay-per-click (PPC) initiatives and paid search campaigns.
   Designer/Graphic Designer	A graphic designer uses visual media, typography and design techniques to create print and digital assets, design layouts, logos, icons and infographics. They often assist in developing advertising collateral such as creating a landing page for a deliverable that is consistent with brand guidelines and creative strategy objectives.

4. Consider the many organisational structures. Typically, the functional structure departmentalises occupations supported by work classifications such as marketing or production. Organisational structures can include:

   Functional structure	Organise employees into groups based on their job positions and skillsets. A specialised team or function group is an assortment of employees with similar job aspects. Team leaders may manage function groups and report to senior executives when necessary.
   Product-based structure	Ideal for a business selling multiple products or services. This structure separates employees into groups or divisions that focus on each individual product line. Each division can have employees from every specialised function, whereas a functional structure has employees divided into separate groups that focus on one specialised function.
   Matrix structure	A combination of a product-based structure and a functional structure. This is best for arranging employee departments or teams based on their job roles and the products they are working with because each department handles one specific product.
   Network structure	A business that intends to work with another, separate business to share resources may use a network structure, which is helpful for organisations that want to maintain control and expedite their internal operations.

5. Examine your previous steps' to determine whether the corporate is best served by a mechanical (central, complex and formal) or organic (minimal centralisation, complexity and formalisation) approach to structure or something in between.

Principles in Marketing and Advertising

Before moving into how to develop and implement e-marketing advertising we need to explore key principles in marketing and advertising.

Marketing principles

The marketing principles are otherwise known as the marketing mix. The term, Marketing Mix refers to the Pillars of marketing. Initially, there were four elements,  Price, Product, Place and Promotion, later expanded to adopt three new pillars, People, Process and Physical evidence. The marketing principles aim to help a business reach the target audience, attract new customers and increase profit. These are now known as the seven pillars of marketing.

Advertising principles

To develop good advertisements you should adhere to certain advertising principles.

• Relevant message
  • Advertising must satisfy consumers’ objectives by delivering them a relevant message. Unnecessary communications, misrepresentation of facts and deceptive statements must be avoided. It should present information with facts.
• Incentive
  • The advertisement must offer enough incentive for the consumer to risk change because it can show the consumer how to satisfy needs in a manageable way.
• Strategy
  • Every effective advertisement has a sound strategy. The advertiser must develop the advertisement to meet specific objectives. It must consider the audience’s most important concerns.
• Creative thinking
  • The creative concept is the advertisements’ central idea that grabs your attention and sticks in your memory. A concern for creative thinking drives the entire field of advertising.
• Proper execution
  • Effective advertisements are well executed. It means that the message details, photography, setting, printing, and production values must all be fine-tuned. Good advertisers know that how you say something is just as important as what you say.
• Persuasion
  • To be effective, advertising must communicate and persuade.
• Based on reasoning
  • Effective advertising provokes thought on the part of the viewer that stimulates interest, evaluation, judgement, and decision-making inside the consumer’s mind.
• Visual consistency
  • It can be noted that much advertising is quickly forgotten if not continuously exposed. Repeated exposure to a brand, service, product and display will establish visual consistency and connection among audiences.
• Campaign duration
  • The duration of a campaign should be established early on in the development process. As previously indicated, displaying the same ad over a set amount of time will solidify the message in long-term memory. However, deciding how long to broadcast the advertisement is equally important. If you run it over an extended period, your target may become bored and lose interest. On the other side, changing the ad too frequently may interfere with the viewer's ability to retain the information. Constant taglines go hand in hand with a consistent look. Even if the ad changes, repeating the same slogan and image might assist buyers to connect their current understanding of your company.
• Consistent positioning
  • Think about how you'll position your product versus the competition when you're first designing it. Throughout the product's life cycle and in every advertisement, this positioning strategy should be obvious. As a result, your adverts should represent your preference for quality over price and ease. Inconsistent placement is one of the most challenging challenges to address. Viewers will have a hard time remembering the brand for something specific due to inconsistencies. Most importantly, a consistent positioning strategy reduces messaging ambiguity.
• Simplicity
  • This should be a key component of any marketing message. To begin with, a simple commercial is far easier to understand than a confusing one. If you're producing a print ad, keep it simple with a short slogan and restricted copy. It will be much easier to read and remember than a lengthy advertisement. Also, resist the need to educate everything there is to know about your product to your viewers. Use advertising to point people to other places to learn more about your goods, such as your website.
• Choose a selling point
  • One of the most important aspects of advertising is the selling point. The audience must immediately recognise themes. Attempting to convey diverse selling points to viewers by giving too many concepts at once may be confusing. As a result, concentrate your campaign on a single theme that you believe would effectively communicate the product's benefits to your buyers.
• Create a smooth flow
  • Every commercial should direct the audience to do a specific action or come to a specific conclusion. In print ads, the viewer's attention should be brought to the ad's core message. Similarly, television flow should be designed so that your major point is the last thing viewers remember. Similarly, social media ads and e-mail newsletters should direct visitors to your website so they can learn more and make a purchase choice.

Industry products and services knowledge

Obtaining product and service knowledge for employees is an important skill across all industries, that is highly necessary for a business, especially for those dealing with customers on a day-to-day basis. Having knowledge of products and services can improve work performance which in turn, benefits the business. This is one of the most significant factors for the business.

Product and service knowledge is an important component of delivering high-quality customer service, as having more knowledge allows employees to meet customer needs to a greater extent.

It also contributes to an employee’s understanding of the market and your competition – knowing your product’s important features means employees can better explain how it differs from competitors.

Let’s find out many other ways how obtaining knowledge on products and services can help the business.

• Knowledge about industry products and services enables organisations to respond correctly to any objections
  • Whether it's a price comparison or a product comparison with a competitor, it's critical to understand your product so you can explain why it stands apart from the competition. It will undoubtedly assist you in some way.
• Knowledge about industry products and services can help organisations respond more effectively to experts
  • If you're selling to regular people, it'll be simple. When interacting with buyers' agents or other professionals, though, they are more likely to put your knowledge to the test. As a result, it is preferable to have a thorough understanding of the subject.
• Customers can feel secure since they know what products and services are available in the industry
  • Yes, it does help to increase your self-esteem. You will be better prepared for any situation once you have gained a particular level of expertise about a product or service. Customers gain a better understanding of the competition when they better understand the products and services available.
• Knowledge of industry products and services supports the purpose and vision
  • Excellent product and service knowledge strengthen a company's mission and vision. It aids the company in reaching its full potential and announcing it to the rest of the world. In general, the mission and vision address the motivations for creating a certain product and a detailed description of it.
• Knowledge of industry products and services aids in troubleshooting and customisation
  • Every customer has various needs and issues when it comes to a specific product or service. Knowledge of the products and services will assist the salesperson in explaining the product's troubleshooting and customising it to the user's needs.
• Knowledge of industry products and services provides further benefits
  • Most products and services can be coupled with other products and services to provide a more complete and enjoyable experience. Knowledge regarding products and services can be used to persuade users to accept new offers. This aids in the expansion of the company and the increase of sales and profits.
• Knowledge of industry products and services aids in brand development
  • It takes time to build a brand. To succeed, you must toil through the days and nights. A well-organised staff with superior product and service expertise and application can pave the road for brand recognition.

E-advertising media

Electronic advertisements, otherwise known as e-advertisements or digital advertisements, are comprised of a variety of media channels. They deliver promotional marketing messages to customers via the internet. The following are a few commonly used e- advertising media.

SEM (Search engine marketing)

The purpose of this type of marketing is to raise brand recognition in a short period. All you need is a title, a description, and a call to action in your ad (make sure to rely heavily on the use of keywords). When consumers type their pre-selected keywords into a search engine, the ad will appear based on the quality of the website and the established Cost per click (CPC). In this instance, a bid is established (typically) based on CPC.

Display advertising

Display ads are one of the more visually appealing web advertising formats. They're termed 'display advertising' because they usually include images or videos and are placed in specific areas of a website, such as a blog.

They can be bought directly or through advertising services like Google Adwords. CPC or CPM are used to estimate the cost.

Mobile advertising

Although there are various sorts of mobile advertising, all campaigns should be mobile-friendly, or at the very least use responsive typography that allows sites to be structured to fit any screen size. Everyone nowadays has a phone and/or a tablet that they use daily. So, if you haven't yet invested in mobile platforms, now is the time to do so. You'll not only enhance your reach and user interaction, but you'll also improve your SEO by using Google's Mobile-First algorithm in advertising on your website.

Social ads

Social media has become an important part of our daily lives. As a result, launching ad campaigns on these platforms is required to raise brand awareness and attract prospective new customers. Because of the wide segmentation capabilities that social media platforms provide, they can also be ideal platforms for launching new products/services aimed at extremely specific groups. Whether you're looking to increase conversions or adopt a branding plan, Social Ads are a terrific option.

E-mail marketing

E-mail marketing isn't new, but it's returned with increased effectiveness. This type of advertising generates a high number of conversions. You can acquire highly profitable conversions thanks to the many automation technologies available. You can be confident that e-mail marketing is a fantastic idea when you realise that obtaining a new client is over seven times more expensive than keeping an existing one.

Video Marketing

Users find video content interesting, which makes employing videos as a marketing approach a brilliant idea. Another option is to collaborate with YouTubers who promote and discuss your product or service (similar to native advertising). You can also create original video content to assist you in achieving a better, more natural SEO ranking. You may get more direct web traffic and boost your chances of going viral by sharing these videos. The possibilities are endless for videos, especially when you consider that video-based material will make up an estimated 80% of the internet shortly.

Digital signage

This is how traditional outdoor advertising has progressed technologically. It can be found on billboards, MUPIs, storefront displays, bus stops, and other screen-equipped stands. The effectiveness of this sort of advertising is based on its ability to capture potential customers' attention during the most ordinary moments of their day.

Retargeting and remarketing

Conversions can be increased by reminding repeat clients or people who have shown interest in your organisation. Your banner will appear on any website that individuals who have visited your site visit after you (provided that these sites offer remarketing spaces). These ads effectively increase sales and brand awareness by emphasising a company's presence during the purchasing process.

Making your ads available online is a crucial step in gaining a competitive advantage. These advertisements not only reach a larger audience but also increase the exposure of services. Your business will see rapid returns on investment if it is web-enabled.

How to select e-advertising media

Selecting e-media for e-advertising media is dependent on a few factors. These may include:

• The success and failures of exiting methods of advertisement
• The set-up of the business and its target audience
• The business goals and objectives
• Media effectiveness
• Media availability
• Government rules and regulations
• Time and place
• Product type
• Budget etc.

The following describes other considerations that influence the choice of e-advertising media.

Firm objectives

The primary considerations in media selection are the company's overall and advertising objectives. Those media that can match the company's requirements are more likely to be chosen. Advertising goals can include informing, reminding, persuading, building prestige, and increasing sales and profits. Different media have different capacities for achieving these goals.

Media costs and the financial position of the company

Media costs and the financial position of the company play a big role in media choices. The company must pay for the purchase of space or time and the preparation of advertising material that is appropriate for the media chosen. In terms of buying time and preparing advertising material, television, radio, and cinema are expensive. Print media is less expensive in terms of both space and message preparation. Some outdoor media are reasonably priced. The suitable media should be chosen based on media expenses and the financial capabilities of the company.

Reach, or the number of people who are exposed to the message

This is a crucial factor to consider when deciding which ad medium to use. The number of distinct people exposed to a particular medium at least once within a given period is reached. With just one exposure, mass media can reach millions of individuals. In a given time, television has a higher exposure potential than outdoor media.

Advertising policy and approach of the company

The advertising policy and approach of the company dictate which media should be used. For example, if a company's objective is not to spend more money on advertising and instead deliver a low-cost product, it may opt for less expensive media. Or if the advertising company has a preferred e-advertising platform to use for selected media.

Buyer types

When choosing media, keep in mind the people who will be influenced. As described in market segmentation, buyers can be divided into several categories. Each medium has a distinct set of viewers, readers, or listeners. The company must know whether the target groups can be reached through the chosen media.

Circulation/Coverage

An important factor is an area covered by (or the number of persons exposed to) the medium. Some media can cover the entire planet, while others can only cover a certain area.

Experience

This refers to the electronic media interaction between a user (customer, partner or employee) and an organisation. It is a good idea to evaluate the effectiveness of any existing methods, and assess if the communications have been successful or not. If they need to change or improve. For example, if a corporation has had a positive experience with a certain media, it is more likely to utilise that medium again and vice versa.

Other firms' experience

Another essential element in media selection is other companies' experience. The company might inquire what other businesses have to say regarding the applicability and utility of various media. Other companies' opinions should be regarded with caution.

Professional opinion

Marketing specialists or consultants might be approached to propose an acceptable channel for conveying the message. These professionals can recommend the appropriate medium based on a review of market conditions related to the advertised products.

Advertising message type

Each advertising message necessitates the use of a unique advertising vehicle. If the message is straightforward, print media will suffice. Audio-visual media are appropriate when a message is complex and the company wishes to display and explain it.

The choice of media is a critical one. It determines the media's cost-effectiveness. In many circumstances, the failure of an advertising campaign is linked to the use of improper media. The advertiser should carefully consider all of these elements before selecting the most appropriate or preferred media.

The selected method/s for advertising any e-marketing communications should be recorded in the e-marketing plan and strategy.

Organisation's e-marketing plan and strategy

The e-marketing strategy of an organisation is within an e-marketing plan that specifies how the organisation will achieve its marketing objectives through online platforms such as Mailchimp and Hubspot. Most e-marketing strategies will include the internet platforms and e-marketing methods you'll employ, as well as how much you'll spend on each. 

Additionally, the marketing plan will stipulate measures of the effectiveness of the transmissions from the e-marketing communication. This will be what you will need to use when evaluating the delivery of communications to your audience.

Advertisers can post media communications on various e-marketing platforms, which include tools to manage campaigns for each site. Different types of e-media and placement alternatives for grabbing the attention of potential customers are supported by each platform. Advertisers are compensated differently on different platforms based on different parameters of the individual software application.

Search engine marketing, E-mail/e-newsletter marketing, social media marketing, landing pages, a variety of display advertising (web banner advertising), and mobile advertising are all examples of digital marketing using different media channels.

It is important to be able to identify the current use of digital advertising methods a business is using. This will inform which direction to take when implementing new e-marketing communications and will be determined in an e-marketing plan and strategy.

Software applications/e-marketing platforms

An e-marketing platform is a software-based online infrastructure that facilitates interactions and transactions between users. A business has a number of processes that can be done individually or alternatively can be collated under one piece of software. Research has shown that 54% of companies experienced an improvement in their campaigns through marketing software, while 37% attributed the increase in their sales to this technology.⁶

Marketing and advertising software tools such as e-marketing platforms, help businesses successfully execute campaigns and convert leads into sales.

Most software now helps to manage the campaign by using a variety of e-advertising across different media and reporting results.

There are many marketing and advertising software applications/e-marketing platforms. The following are a few you can explore.

WASK

• An all-in-one online software that enables you to easily manage all your digital ad accounts on a single platform.

Whatagraph

• A powerful reporting tool that aggregates and visualises data from multiple sources. The tool can automatically pull data from the biggest social media platforms and Google Analytics, Google Ads and other Google products.

Semrush

• An all-in-one marketing toolkit for digital marketing professionals. It can provide services for SEO, Paid Traffic, Social-Media, Content & PR, and Market Research.

Sendinblue

• Offers a platform with all the Digital Marketing functionalities in one place. It has features and functionalities for email marketing, SMS marketing, chat, marketing automation, CRM, transactional email, segmentation, etc.

Marketo

• One of the most well-known marketing automation firms, making it simple to develop and manage marketing and advertising initiatives. Marketo has all of the tools that marketers require, including inbound marketing automation, lead management, social media marketing, sales management dashboards, and analytics.

HubSpot

• A powerful inbound marketing tool that provides a more personalised and effective alternative to traditional marketing and advertising techniques that can annoy customers. People adore and respond to various marketing apps, including tools for blogging, social media, lead management, and even marketing analytics.

ThriveHive

• Equips small businesses with everything they need to succeed in the marketplace. This includes developing personalised marketing and advertising strategy that is suited to the company's specific requirements. ThriveHive's services include anything from marketing advice to SEO optimisation.

Cake

• For effective marketing and advertising efforts, Cake provides real-time analytics and tracking. Cake centralises all data and gives marketers complete control over everything from location, device, and even traffic source targeting.

Mailchimp

• A marketing automation platform and email marketing service. It can analyse data from billions of emails sent and provide you with personalised recommendations for improving content, targeting, and automation. It also helps to manage multiple media communications such as websites, landing pages, digital ads and social media.

How to select e-marketing platforms

The selection of e-marketing platforms may be predetermined and found in a workplace policy. However, if choosing an e-marketing platform, keep the following aspects in mind:

Know your customers

The existence of your ideal buyers influences the marketing platforms you choose. You should only use the platforms that are relevant to your company. Keep in mind that selecting marketing platforms should not be rushed. Give this project the research it needs. To uncover the answers to your queries, learn about your buyer's demographics, preferences, and where they spend their time. Any additional step will just serve to assist you in prioritising among various marketing platforms. The final decision is solely based on the preferences of your customers.

List your goals

Your objectives play a big role in the e-marketing platforms you choose. You must determine your company's demands and set long- and short-term objectives. Is your long-term aim, for example, to expand sales by 20% in the following two years? Then set short-term targets, such as generating 400 sales qualified leads in the first six months. Increase website traffic by 70% in 8 months, and so forth. To achieve your ultimate goal, you must make little goals. Then, based on your objectives, you must rank your options. Because optimising for organic search takes more time.

Identify your budget

When it comes to choosing the correct e-marketing platforms, your budget is crucial. Whether it's a paid or organic channel, you'll need to put money into it. After you've determined your budget, you'll need to prioritise e-marketing platforms based on the amount of money you have. Don't fall into the trap of believing that organic traction is free. You are paying someone to manage these activities, whether on social media or a search engine. These should never be left out of marketing budgets.

Analyse your team skills

When selecting any digital marketing platform, it's essential to examine what abilities your team possesses. Acquiring great talent is the most challenging inbound hurdle for 16 per cent of marketers. People often overlook talent acquisition as a necessary but undervalued task. What if your primary method of attracting people is SEO, but your marketer specialises in social media marketing? To be effective, every marketing platform necessitates particular skills and knowledge. If you aim to boost organic traffic by a specific percentage in three months, but it takes you four months to hire an SEO specialist, your plan is doomed. As a result, it's best to start with platforms that you can target with your current marketers' abilities. Later on, you can always broaden your scope.

Knowledge Check

Work through the following set of activities. Click the arrows to navigate between the tasks.