by: Otilia Otlacan
Before trying to define the term of eMarketing (or electronic marketing, so to speak), we should first take a look at the premises of its apparition and development.
The theories concerning eMarketing have not been unified yet, due to a large diversity in specialists' opinions. Still, one of the aspects that is established and has ceased being discussed in contradictory, is the fact that electronic marketing first appeared under the form of various techniques used by companies distributing their products through online channels (Internet – based). That happened back in the pioneering age before 1995. These companies that opened the road were called "e-tailers", as opposed to the traditional retailers (also known as "brick-and-mortar" retailers). During their limited life, these electronic retailers began to develop and frenetically introduced new marketing techniques based on the support offered by the internet.
The online technologies mentioned above developed in the context created by the e-tailers, they are widely used these days by B2C and B2B organizations. In other words, they evolved towards what we call now eMarketing (you can also spell it e-Marketing if you wish, the "e-" stands in both cases for "electronic").
You might find as extremely useful and suggestive the perspective offered by the eMarketing Association (eMA). You heard a lot, especially over the past 2 years, about the decline of online businesses (or the decline of dotcoms), but this temporary difficulty can be viewed as a similarity to the impasse of Columbus during his expedition that made him famous more than half millennium ago. The initial "business plan" with which Columbus started this trip (that of bringing the Asian resources in his country and getting fabulously rich) was a complete disaster: catastrophic estimations, not enough resources allocated, total lack of information upon the environment he will develop his "business" in, but... he discovered America instead and changed the world for ever. In a similar manner, we can say that the dotcoms, despite their terrible strategies (if any), "discovered" by mistake the world of eMarketing.
As we already noticed, defining eMarketing is still highly problematic. Still, what do we mean when we use this term? As many other English words, the term was born by adding the prefix "e-" to a term already known and used, in this case "marketing". The prefix "e-" is actually the extreme contraction of the word "electronic" and is quite omnipresent in today’s language of many people: "e-marketing", "e-business", "e-mail", "e-learning", "e-commerce", "e-", "e-", "e-"...
The simplest definition of eMarketing could be that suggested by Mark Sceats: the eMarketing that uses internet as manifestation channel.
A more comprehensive, practical definition is the one formulated by specialists of CISCO company: eMarketing is a generic term utilized for a wide range of activities – advertising, customer communications, branding, fidelity programs etc. – using the internet. More than the simple development of a website, the eMarketing focuses on online communications, direct dialog with consumers who thus participate to the creation of new products, finding efficient methods to win customer's fidelity and ease their business-making process. eMarketing is the sum of activities a company makes with the purpose of finding, attracting, winning and retaining customers.
At last, for those of you interested in a more scientific approach, we could say that eMarketing allows relational exchanges in digital, networked and interactive environments (acronym: DNI environments). Earlier in the history of eMarketing, it was conceptualized as being focused upon the exchanges, but today's theoreticians suggest the exchange paradigm is a limited modality to define eMarketing.
Whichever definition you will choose to use, will depend on where exactly you need to use it and for what purpose. You can probably formulate a definition yourself, according to your own knowledge, experience and view upon what is eMarketing. However, one conclusion needs to be drawn in connection with eMarketing: it has developed over the past few years into a standalone discipline, with its own conceptual apparatus, tools and laws, but with a still-to-be systematized knowledge.
About the author:
Otilia is a certified eMarketing professional, currently working as independent consultant. She developed and teach her own online course in Principles of eMarketing (http://class.universalclass.com/emarketing) and is also a volunteer Economics teacher. Contact Otilia through http://www.teawithedge.com ,/her Marketing and eMarketing articles portal.
Kamis, 05 Februari 2009
What Is e-Marketing? - A New Discipline Is Evolving
Why You Need A Marketing Plan To Achieve Ultimate Success
by: Marketing Basics
Effective marketing plays a critical role in businesses that are successful. How effectively the marketing plan you develop markets your business, will ultimately determine your degree of success or failure.
The key elements of a successful marketing plan are to:
1. Know your customers--their likes, dislikes and expectations.
2. Know your competitors--their strengths and weaknesses. Only by identifying these factors, can you develop a marketing strategy that will allow you to anticipate and fulfill your customers needs, better understand your competitors and identify changes in the marketplace that can affect your bottom line.
The purpose of a marketing plan is to define your market, i.e.,identify your customers and competitors, to outline a strategy for attracting and keeping customers and to identify and anticipate change. It takes careful planning and a thorough understanding of the marketplace to develop a strategy that will ensure success.
Generally, the first and most important step in understanding the market is to study it through market research. For example, in the case of a franchise, the franchisor has already done the market research and developed a marketing plan, so you will need to review the plan the franchisor has provided. Look over the plan to determine what product/service you will offer and write a description of it.
Even though the franchisor has already described your product or service, it is a good idea to develop and write your own description because this process will help you develop invaluable knowledge of your product or service--a key element in any successful marketing plan.
When describing your product or service outline what you feel are its unique aspects, and explain how or why these aspects will appeal to customers. Emphasize the special features and benefits that you feel are its selling points. These features and benefits are what you will use to convince customers to purchase your product or service.
Next go over sales projections, determining if there is a demand for the product or service. Again, in the case of a franchise, the franchisor will have already developed the projections. Study this data carefully to see how the franchisor arrived at these projections. This will help you to better understand how the marketplace operates relative to your product and service. It can also help you develop the skills necessary to identify and anticipate changes in the marketplace.
Start your own file on marketplace trends, and compile your own data. Periodically review your data, looking for shifts in the market. If changes are occurring, you should modify the marketing plan to coincide with these changes. In franchise operations, it is typical for the franchisor to update the marketing plan periodically to reflect changes in the marketplace and to keep the marketing program current.
An effective marketing plan should answer these questions:
* Is this product or service in constant demand?
* How many competitors provide the same product or service?
* Can you create a demand for your service or product?
* Can you effectively compete in price, quality, service and
delivery?
* If a franchise, will the franchisor price the product or
service to give you the projected profit?
Review your marketing plan carefully to ensure that it answers these questions. If your plan doesn't answer the questions, it will need to be modified, so that it does answer the questions.
Even if you adopt a marketing plan that has been developed
elsewhere, it is your responsibility to promote your product or service by cultivating the marketplace, i.e., attracting and maintaining customers. You can only accomplish this by thoroughly knowing your market, your customers, your competitors and your product or service. NEVER rely solely on the marketing plan provided by a franchisor or another source. Compile and assess your own data.
By compiling and analyzing this information yourself, you will be better able to determine if your marketing plan is in line with your competitors, industry averages and what adjustments you need to make to improve your overall competitiveness and bottom line.
About the author:
Marketing Basics specializes in writing articles that teach, explain and define basic marketing principles and techniques. http://marketingbasics.blogspot.com/
5 Reasons NOT To Have a Marketing Plan
by: Bobette Kyle
Imagine your perfect customers -- the ones that will eagerly buy your products or hire you for premium pay. Imagine being able to bring those perfect customers to you and having them buy your products or services not once, but again and again. That's what an effectively executed marketing plan does. It reaches the people who want what you are offering, convinces them to take action, and keeps them coming back.
Sounds nice, right? So why doesn't every business have a marketing plan? Let's take a look at some of the reasons you may not:
1. "We had a marketing plan once, but it didn't work. It isn't worth the time to put one together."
No marketing plan will work if you do not work the plan. The planning document is there for business managers to use as a strategic reference throughout the year, as programs in the plan are executed and as other opportunities come along. Any marketing plan that is filed away and forgotten as soon as it's written is useless.
2. "So-and-so had a marketing plan and it didn't help his business at all !"
Marketing is a process, not a singular event. A marketing plan is only the first step in that process. It points your business in the right direction by detailing marketing strategies and programs that will move you toward business objectives.
You must execute the programs in your plan so that you can evaluate program success. Rarely does a marketing program work best on the first try. It is up to you to analyze barriers to success, then tweak and tinker until you are getting positive results. If you ignore critical follow-up, most of your marketing programs -- whether you have a marketing plan or not -- will fail or fall short of their potential for success.
3. "Marketing planning is too hard."
Writing a marketing plan doesn't have to be complicated. There are different levels of planning. More intricate marketing planning processes will result in more refined strategies, with better potential for success. But, if you have limited resources, a top-line approach to planning is much better than none at all.
4. "We don't know how to write a marketing plan."
There are numerous books, software, "toolbox" resources, and articles that take you step-by-step through the process of creating a marketing plan. Frankly, not knowing how is an excuse, not a reason, to avoid marketing planning.
5. "My business is too small for a marketing plan."
Sound marketing strategy is critical to small business success, especially new businesses. Statistics vary widely depending on the source, but most reports cite failure rates for small business at 65% -- 90%. Knowing ahead of time how you will compete and how you will be successful in your marketplace can dramatically increase your chances of success.
Your marketing plan is a vital key to small business success. If you do not have a current plan, start one today. Your company's success depends on it.
About the author:
Bobette Kyle has been proprietor at http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/ since 2002. For tips on how to make the marketing plan process go smoothly, visit http://www.marketingplanarticles.com/ and read "Tips to Help Calm ‘Marketing Plan Panic.'
