Digital Marketing Strategy (Chapter 2)

A strategy indicates the most advantageous direction for an organization to take over a defined period of time. It also outlines which tactics and means should be used to execute this direction. Originating as a military term, the strategy is about using your strengths, as well as the context in which you are operating, to your advantage.

In marketing, strategy starts with understanding what the business wants to achieve, or what problem it wants to solve. It then considers the context in which the business and its competitors operate, and outlines key ways in which the business and brand can gain an advantage and add value.

In this chapter, you will learn:

• How to define and distinguish business strategy, marketing strategy, and digital strategy
• The key building-block concepts that are essential to any strategy
• The questions that need to be asked when assembling a digital marketing strategy

Market Research (Chapter 3)

The Internet is built for research. Whether it’s a consumer shopping around for prices, a researcher exploring a topic or a fan looking up their favorite band, the Internet makes finding and analyzing information easier than ever before. That’s because everything people do online leaves a data footprint.

Consumers are able to research companies and products easily, gathering information to compare prices and services with a few clicks of the mouse. Consumers are also able to share likes and dislikes easily, whether that information is shared with companies or with friends.

This process can also work in reverse: brands can study who their customers are, what they are interested in, how they feel about the brand, and the best times and places to engage with them. This is what online market research is all about.

In this chapter, you will learn:

• Why online market research is crucial to any marketing endeavor
• The most important concepts you need to know in order to start conducting research
• Several methods for conducting online research, including surveys, online focus groups, and online monitoring
• What problems and pitfalls to avoid when researching online