sgtjoel

[sgtjoel]

Advanced Digital Strategies - Reflection

How this course in your master’s (certificate) program met your original objective?

My original objective was just to understand the foundational elements of marketing; however, as I went through the Advanced Digital Strategies course, I realized that this course offered a lot more than I expected (as the previous courses). This course gave me an opportunity to develop an Internet Marketing Action Plan by including the audience definition (demographics), intentions, and personas; elements for broad, targeted, and intention-based campaigns and email newsletter sponsorships; and landing page testing and optimization. It was an amazing course!

What have you learned from the program content?

Building primary relationships online, personas, customer roles, and audience research. I had the opportunity to create a Relationships Development Strategy that included the audience description (i.e., location, population, income, age ranges, diversity, and intentions), online channels (i.e., search engine optimization, social media campaigns, and email marketing), and customer roles and personas:

Competitive: They are quick and logical (Morris, 2023). They look for competitive advantage, best options, qualifications, important matters, time saving opportunities, and quick problems solving approaches (Baker, 2023).

Spontaneous: They are quick and emotional (Morris, 2023). They look for confirmation, simplicity, quick purchases, and likeness (Baker, 2023).

Humanistic: They are emotional and deliberate (Morris, 2023). They are empathetic, people-centered, and relationship-oriented (Baker, 2023).

Methodical: They are deliberate and logical (Morris, 2023). They look for details, processes, evidence, documentation, and data on how products or services solve their problems; they are usually the most difficult to convert (Baker, 2023).

Creating a unique value proposition. I also had the opportunity to create a Unique Value Proposition (UVP). UVP is a simple and clear statement (Eisenberg, 2008) that explains the benefits of products and how it resolves the customers’ challenges prior buying it (Laja, 2023). It assists in increasing sales and defining the organization’s contribution to what customers really value (Hayes, n.d.). The UVP is usually a block text (headline and/or sentence paragraph) with a visual that help communicate how a product fulfills a customer’s needs (Laja, 2023). Ultimately, it is aligned to the organization’s vision and mission (Pellowe, 2023) which, in my case, is a religious organization focused on sharing the Gospel through communicating, discipling, teaching, healing, and serving others in order to help restore their lives (SDAC, 2023).

In a collaborative manner, we should identify the organization’s must-haves and attributes that make them unique, such as expertise, capabilities, responsiveness, team environment, etc. (Michael, 2011). To accomplish this task, we would need to follow Eisenberg (2008) approach by listing what people value most about the products/services, looking for repeating themes, providing the list to a good writer, asking to write few versions of the potential UVP, testing the UVPs, and then selecting the best UVP.

We should also keep in mind Pellowe’s (2023) and Heslin’s (2017) recommendations, meaning that UVPs should be credible, theological, practical, affordable, denominational, people-focused, approachable, and programmatic. The five most important needs/wants of this relationship are the following (Heslin, 2017): Church location/distance, welcoming members, traditional programming, ministries, and services in English and Spanish.

Now, the challenge that we have is about testing the UVP to hopefully increase conversion (Eisenberg, 2008). For this, we should implement a multifaceted testing approach based on Laja’s (2023) and Pellowe’s (2023) recommendations: Message testing, A/B testing, pay-per-click advertising, members surveys, thank you emails received, visits to ministries, program evaluations by leaders, and event evaluations by our members.

Sales-buying process and customer engagement goals within the AIDAS. I learned about the sales and buying process (i.e., recognize the problem/need, search for information, compare solutions, purchase the product, and seek resources after purchase) (Indeed, 2023). I also had the opportunity to create engagement goals for each of the AIDAS model:

Attention: The goal is to provide a good first impression by putting the customer at ease, while having a casual conversation (Bhasin, 2021). The content must provide information on how to solve problems by posting “how to” videos (Sellers, 2022).

Interest: The goal is to minimize technicalities (Bhasin, 2021). The content should captivate the customers via news articles and storytelling to demonstrate why the product is the solution they are looking for as it stimulates their empathy and curiosity (Sellers, 2022).

Desire: The goal is to create the need in customers to buy the products or services and make them think on the reason they did not previously buy the product (Bhasin, 2021). The content should help customers with visualizing the need of the products or services via case studies, testimonials, and before-and-after information (Sellers, 2022).

Action: The goal is to induce or remind customers into buying the products or services (Bhasin, 2021). The content should include a comparison tool, button, or banner (highlighted, color contrasted with a good headline and sub-headline) that communicate what action customers must take and what they receive if they do (Sellers, 2022).

Satisfaction: The goal is to provide great customer service to reassure that customers have made the right decision (Bhasin, 2021). The content should provide information about after-sales services, multi-channel customer support, survey links, recommendations, and customers reviews (Bhasin, 2021; Sellers, 2022; Grief, 2023).

Conversion optimization. I had the opportunity to create a Conversion Optimization Strategy that included headlines variations, offer summaries, offer image library variations, statement of trust, testing and optimization plan, testing and optimization process, metrics (i.e., conversion rate, click-through rate, and click rate), funnel navigation steps (i.e., awareness, interest, desire, and action), and call to action variations.

Campaigns strategies. I had the opportunity to create a Traffic and Promotion Strategy for broad, targeted, intention-based, and email newsletter sponsoring campaigns by including several elements: Average transaction value, conversion rates, exposures, traffic/visitor profiles, demographic/segmentation, ad formats, messaging, goals of ad exposures, special offers and incentives, ad budget, cost per click, cost per visitor, revenue, total conversions, revenue per visitor, minimum viable product, ad spend/revenue ratio, discounting percent, and total cost/revenue ratio.

Promotion and messaging strategies. Some interesting elements that I learned in the course was about promotion/messaging strategies and online publishing. Some marketing professionals use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) interchangeably; however, SEM is anything we do to earn placement in search engine results pages (Zheng, 2021) and it’s executed via pay-per-click marketing, paid search, display advertising, and remarketing ads (Weisbach, 2018). SEO is the process of improving a website in order to help it rank in search results when users search for particular words and phrases (Zheng, 2021; Weisbach, 2018). Both SEO and SEM are used to target quality traffic, reduce ads costs, increase clicks, enhance website functionality, increase conversion rates, extend outreach to new markets, and expand business availability to customers (Zheng, 2021; Weisbach, 2018). Weisbach (2018) encourages us to complement SEO and SEM to generate greater revenues since both are all about driving traffic to a website.

Price (2021) commented that digital advertising expenditure was around $390 billion in 2021 and organizations that invested more than $500 a month were 53% more likely to be extremely satisfied. With this in mind, organizations should develop a framework for developing an action plan with a budget that effectively support that plan. For example, if we hire a top-level SEO company to execute a campaign, we should expect to pay over $500 per month and, if it’s an international campaign, it may require a minimum of $2,500-$5,000 a month (Price, 2021).

3D Issues (2017) stated that we should consider diverse alternatives for online publishing, such as platform, content focus, design, advertising strategies, and tools. Patel (2023) commented that not every marketing tool is right for every business, so we need to invest carefully on a tool that is right for our organization based on features or data that we have access to. Something to keep in mind is that today’s generation has the tendency of being more comfortable with digital formats (i.e.,digital magazines, content hub, etc.). Now, some readers may feel that online publications can be difficult to print and may experience poor internet connection and download speeds. However, online publishing offer several advantages (3D Issue, 2017; Kozlowski, 2019; Justy, 2022): It can be interactive; it may include videos, audios, weblinks, and social plugins; it may be based on HTML or XML formats; it can be viewed offline and online; it helps in collecting news from blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more; its costs are relatively low compared to printed magazines; it offers an opportunity to reach a wider audience (national and international); it can be read on tablets and mobile devices anywhere and anytime; it is environmentally friendly; and it may open new sustainable revenue channels.

According to Vargas (2022), the word premium is widely used in business and marketing to signify reputation, content quality, audiences size, loyalty, brand safety, and high brand performance. Publishers may offer different things in order to get your business. For example, they may offer premium membership programs that leverage branding, content management, and effective customer relationships (Nicholas, 2022); bundling subscriptions that may include a website, podcast, and newsletter subscriptions into one main package (Miles, 2021); messaging management by using the right language or brand voice (Martin, 2019); ads blocking services due to advertising fatigue, micro-payments services via facial recognition functionality, and multimedia viewing without interruptions (Brandstater, 2020); and books due to high volume and added exposure in nontraditional channels (Raugust, 2002).

Something interesting to note. Miles (2021) shared a research study that tested how sales were impacted based on the last digit in a price. They found that prices ending in a 7 produced a 15% higher response rate than prices ending in a 3. Now, rates are not always set in stone – they tend to be flexible because the online environment is fluid and highly competitive. There may be rate cards showing a wide range of rates depending on geographic location and supporting organization (Bateman, 2023). Prior to committing to any publishing rates, Martin (2019) recommended that we should analyze our data, segment the data by user behavior, make data-driven decisions that support both the organization and customers, and finally implement customer-focused content – this will give you a better idea whether or not you need a publisher, a professional who can assist you in your marketing initiatives.

According to Batten (2011), display advertising has a strong impact on driving search queries and conversions. The case study’s organization that I was supporting proposed to use the Adventist World (2020) rates card. The main benefit of using this publishing company is because they offer diverse advertising mediums (i.e., print, digital, audio, and television), such as print, digital, audio (podcasts), and television.

In addition, I learned more about Woot.com. At the beginning, they offered one product daily until it was sold out; however, lately, they started offering special daily deals and limited time offers across seven categories (Woot, 2023b; Crunchbase, 2023; Zippia, 2023; Maglente, 2020), such as Home and Kitchen, Electronics, Computers, Tools and Garden, Sports and Outdoors, Shirts, and Grocery and Household (Consumer Affairs, 2023). They offer their business via website, mobile, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (Woot, 2023b; Crunchbase, 2023).

Maglente (2020) commented that Woot is like shopping on Amazon with the exception of you are only perusing discounts and deals every time you visit the site. Customers are able to create an account – you can also use your Amazon account (Maglente, 2020), browse for products by categories, read reviews, discuss the deals with other customers, and add products to the shopping cart (Consumer Affairs, 2023). Consumer Affairs (2023) shared some pros and cons about Woot: Woot has a fun and casual branding, they have chat forums and offers member benefits and discounted prices on name brands; however, their products may run out quickly and their deals only last 24 hours. In addition, Woot has a distinctive branding strategy that focuses on casual, conversational content, straightforward pricing, and unusual inventory. Such elements are mainly seen in their daily deals, blogs, community, return policy, and Shirt.Woot (t-shirt campaign).

Maglente (2020) mentioned that Woot’s product descriptions are for entertainment purposes and regularly employ literary point of view (although the descriptions do not express Woot's editorial opinion). Customers are subject to Woot's terms of use and privacy policy. In addition, Woot Forums offer an opportunity for customers to share their views about the company and products in a candid manner.

Managing online communities. I also learned how to better manage online communities by creating trustful environments. For example, trust means that individuals are doing their best to promote the organizational interests (Hall, 2019). Trust enhances teamwork, collaboration, organizational alignment, efficiency, engagement, productivity, decision-making, loyalty, retention, innovation, and creativity while decreasing stress and burnout in the workplace (Martic, 2023; Kester, 2020). If lost, it may take a really long time for leaders to develop the trust of employees and it may negatively impact transactions, influence, and sales (Behler-Young Company, 2023). When we build trust, we are encouraging employees to share their voices, creating a better organizational culture with open and transparent communication approaches, sharing vital information with individuals, fostering peer-to-peer communication, creating authentic and approachable leadership styles, creating a sense of purpose, engaging individuals with change management/digital transformation frameworks, adopting a human-centric approach, and enhancing employee empowerment (Martic, 2023). David Horsager (Behler-Young Company, 2023) recommended using the eight pillars of building trust: Clarity (mistrust the ambiguous), Compassion (care beyond themselves), Character (do what is right over what is easy), Competency (stay relevant and capable), Commitment (stand through adversity), Connection (follow, buy from, and be around friends), Contribution (respond to results), and Consistency (see the little things done consistently).

Regarding disclosure: Information that help organizations establish credibility and trust is usually revealed through their motives, intentions, goals, values, and emotions which ultimately facilitate communication, enhance performance, and assist in promoting the organization’s authentic selves (Offermann & Rosh, 2012). Davis (2023) commented that being intentional, self-assured, and clear are key in our storytelling. He also shared diverse features that should be used when disclosing information: Accessibility (easiness), Reward Value (experience), Informative (breadth and depth), Truthfulness (true self), and Effectiveness (help to achieve goals). According to Daskal (2023), when we disclose information to customers, we are actually showing our commitment to them, following through on our promises, clarifying expectations, listening our customers, acting in the best interest of our customers, being transparent, getting personal, and valuing long-term relationships. Expert Panel (2020) shared diverse elements that should be disclosed to customers, which help organizations in becoming successful and credible authorities in their field, such as providing examples of recommendations, thought leadership content, customer stories, third-party endorsements, and trusted influencers. Such elements also help organizations with enhancing organizational consistency, reputation, and loyalty.

About privacy and security concerns: Privacy and security are growing concerns and is becoming constant in today’s organizations. 86% of U.S. population is concerned about data privacy, 68% are concerned about the level of data being collected by organizations, and 40% do not trust organizations to use their data ethically (Hayden, 2021). In addition, 43% of individuals in North America have been targets of web-based threats while browsing the Internet via phishing, spear phishing, ransomware, or any other vulnerabilities (Poremba, 2014). What can be done about it? Botti (2020) recommends using SSL to encrypt the connection between the organization’s website and the viewer’s browser, getting a good hosting plan with high security standards, keeping all software updated, using a web application firewall for an additional layer of protection, using a payment gateway to not store credit card information directly on our site, and reviewing our privacy policy based on General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) guidelines. We should integrate security in our products from the start (Poremba, 2014). From the customer’s standpoint, they should also commit to sharing less information online, use unique passwords and two-factor authentication, enhance privacy settings for online accounts, delete unused apps and browser extensions, block search engines from tracking them, browse online with a secure VPN, disable ad and data tracking, use encryption, and revoke unnecessary third-party app connections (Masjedi, 2022).

Concerning humanization and relationships: It is vital for organizations to humanize the customer experience. According to Price (2021), organizations should set up call centers to resolve customers’ concerns, use automated email campaigns to set up communication workflows to increase engagement, segment audiences specifically so you can meet them at their exact level of engagement, capture as much customer data as possible to help you qualify leads and identify the most profitable customers; train customer support representatives on how to identify ways that your product or service provides value, and how they can use that information to emphasize that value to customers; analyze customer support ticket trends and customer satisfaction surveys, and establish a customer success team to ensure customer satisfaction beyond what other teams provide. Customers want to experience a streamlined purchasing journey. This can be done by implementing written and video communication approaches, personalizing the service by being more empathetic with customers, providing more insights when selling products, valuing customers emotions, and soliciting customer feedback (Vocalcom, 2023). InMoment (2021) commented that numbers alone cannot tell a story, so organizations should actively listen to customers’ feedback (voice of the customer) by allowing them to express themselves in their own words. Hussen (2022) shared nine strategies that help humanize the customer experience: Make the customer feel exclusive, create customer journey maps, put yourself in your customers' shoes, introduce customer experience automation, transparency, capitalize on social media, use less bots, be proactive, and constantly collect consumer feedback. Such strategies help organizations in differentiating their brand, communicating the brand story, promoting better customer experiences, increasing customer loyalty and retention, driving brand advocacy, and uncovering selling opportunities.

References  

Adventist World. (2020). Advertise. https://www.adventistworld.org/advertise/

Baker, D. (2023). The 4 personas to optimize for. https://www.forthea.com/blog/the-4-personas-to-optimize-for/

Bateman, S.S. (2023). Online advertising rates: Guidelines and best practices. https://www.promisemedia.com/online-advertising/online-rate-card-tips-and-guidelines

Batten, J. (2011). The impact of display on search. https://www.clickz.com/the-impact-of-display-on-search-2/51574/

Behler-Young Company. (2023). The importance of trust in business. https://www.behler-young.com/tech-tips/business-tips/the-importance-of-trust-in-business?setContextLanguageCode=en-us

Bhasin, H. (2021). AIDAS theory of selling. https://www.marketing91.com/aidas-theory-selling/

Botti, D. (2020). Five ways to protect the privacy of your website visitors. https://www.delosinc.com/five-ways-to-protect-the-privacy-of-your-website-visitors/

Brandstater, N. (2020). Publishers must focus on premium content worthy of paid subscriptions in 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/02/19/publishers-must-focus-on-premium-content-worthy-of-paid-subscriptions-in-2020/?sh=25117ade5a4d

Campaign Monitor. (2023). Open and click rates. https://help.campaignmonitor.com/open-click-rates

Chopra, P. (2010). The ultimate guide to A/B testing. https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/06/the-ultimate-guide-to-a-b-testing/

Consumer Affairs. (2023). About Woot. https://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/woot.html#:~:text=Is%20Woot%20safe%3F,is%20a%20subsidiary%20of%20Amazon.

Crunchbase. (2023). Organization: Woot. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/woot

Daskal, L. (2023). 99 simple things that will help you build trust and credibility. https://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/99-simple-things-that-will-help-you-build-trust-and-credibility/

Davis, T. (2023). Self-disclosure: Definition, examples, and tips. https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/self-disclosure.html

Eisenberg, B. (2008). The value of a unique value proposition. https://www.clickz.com/the-value-of-a-unique-value-proposition/77195/

Expert Panel. (2020). 15 powerful ways to establish credibility for new businesses. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/11/30/15-powerful-ways-to-establish-credibility-for-new-businesses/?sh=1446450b28d4

Greif, M. (2023). Improve your website using the AIDA model. https://sitetuners.com/blog/aida-model-attention-interest-desire-action/

Hall, J. (2019). Why trust is one of the key factors in a successful company. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhall/2019/12/20/why-trust-is-one-of-the-key-factors-in-a-successful-company/?sh=25a4de0a5957

Hayden, A. (2021). How to address growing security and privacy challenges. https://www.govtech.com/sponsored/how-to-address-growing-security-and-privacy-challenges

Hayes, A. (n.d.). Clarify your unique value proposition. http://www.ahfx.net/weblog/65

Heslin, K. (2017). Create your church’s unique selling proposition. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/creat-your-churchs-unique-selling-proposition-kevin-heslin/

Hootsuite. (2023). Click-through rate. https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-definitions/click-through-rate-ctr/

Hussen, M. (2022). 9 strategies for humanizing your customer experience. https://agilitycms.com/resources/posts/9-strategies-for-humanizing-your-customer-experience

Indeed. (2023). 5 buying process stages (and why they’re important). https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/buying-process-stages

InMoment. (2021). How to humanize customer experience and drive meaningful customer relationships. https://inmoment.com/blog/humanize-customer-experience-customer-relationship/

Johnson, B. (2023). How to calculate conversion rate: The conversion rate formula. https://blog.useproof.com/calculate-conversion-rate

Justy, A. (2022). Benefits of online-over-print publishing. https://www.quintype.com/blog/tech/advantages-of-online-publishing

Kester, S. (2020). Advantages and disadvantages of building trust at work. https://work.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-building-trust-work-2927.html

Kozlowski, M. (2019). The advantages of digital publishing. https://goodereader.com/blog/digital-publishing/the-advantages-of-digital-publishing

Kunis, L. (2018). SEO best practices: How to optimize your website. https://www.springboard.com/blog/business-and-marketing/seo-best-practices-how-to-optimize-your-website/

Laja, P. (2023). How to create a unique value proposition: 7 best examples. https://cxl.com/blog/value-proposition-examples-how-to-create/

Lindley, A. (2022). 7 digital marketing channels: What works for your users? https://www.springboard.com/blog/business-and-marketing/digital-marketing-channels/

Maglente, S. (2020). All about Woot, the Amazon-owned website that could save you big bucks. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/a31137442/what-is-woot-amazon/

Martic, K. (2023). Trust in the workplace: Why it is so important today and how to build it. https://haiilo.com/blog/trust-in-the-workplace-why-it-is-so-important-today-and-how-to-build-it/

Martin, E.J. (2019). Moving readers from free to fee: An inside look at successful premium publishing strategies. https://whatsnewinpublishing.com/moving-readers-from-free-to-fee-an-inside-look-at-successful-premium-publishing-strategies/

Masjedi, Y. (2022). How to protect your privacy online. https://www.aura.com/learn/how-to-protect-your-privacy-online

Michael. (2011). Points of parity versus points of differentiation. https://branduniq.com/2011/points-of-parity-versus-points-of-differentiation/

Miles, S. (2021). Subscription pricing tips for online magazines publishers. https://webpublisherpro.com/should-you-build-a-custom-cms/

Morris, V. (2023). A crash course in conversion optimization: The four personas. https://www.mltcreative.com/blog/a-crash-course-in-conversion-optimization-the-four-personas/

Nicholas, D. (2022). The 2022 mega trend: Premium membership programs for publishers continue to grow. https://www.mequoda.com/articles/subscription-websites/mega-trend-premium-membership-programs-publishers/

Offermann, L., & Rosh, L. (2012). Building trust through skillful self-disclosure. https://hbr.org/2012/06/instantaneous-intimacy-skillfu

Patel, N. (2023). Where should you spend your marketing budget? Even if it’s not much. https://neilpatel.com/blog/marketing-budget/

Pellowe, J. (2023). Value propositions for ministries. https://www.cccc.org/news_blogs/john/2013/01/20/value-propositions-for-ministries/

Poremba, S. (2014). How to effectively address privacy concerns. https://www.itbusinessedge.com/security/how-to-effectively-address-privacy-concerns/

Price, C. (2021). SEO cost calculator: How much should you budget for SEO services? https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-cost-calculator/264305/#close

Price, N. (2021). The importance of humanizing the customer experience. https://aircall.io/blog/customer-experience/importance-humanizing-customer-experience/

Raugust, K. (2002). Pursuing premium sales. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20020610/19459-pursuing-premium-sales.html

Sellers, A. (2022). The AIDA model: A proven framework for converting strangers into customers. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/aida-model#:~:text=The%20stages%20are%20Attention%2C%20Interest,to%20try%20or%20buy%20it. 

Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDAC). (2023). Mission statement of the seventh day Adventist church. https://www.adventist.org/official-statements/mission-statement-of-the-seventh-day-adventist-church/

Statesville SDA Church (SSDAC). (2023). Statesville SDA church. https://statesvillenc.adventistchurch.org/

Thomas, G.B. (Host). (November 3, 2022). Creating B2B social media content that fuels human connections [Audio podcast]. MarketingProfs. https://www.marketingprofs.com/podcasts/2022/48253/b2b-social-media-content-brook-sellas-marketing-smarts

3D Issue. (2017). Digital publishing formats: Advantages and disadvantages. https://www.3dissue.com/epublishing-formats-advantages-disadvantages/

USCB (2023). Quick facts: Statesville city, Nort Carolina. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/statesvillecitynorthcarolina

Vargas, A. (2022). What does premium mean, anyway? https://www.adexchanger.com/online-advertising/what-does-premium-mean-anyway/

Vocalcom. (2023). 5 ways to humanize the customer experience. https://www.vocalcom.com/blog/5-ways-to-humanize-the-customer-experience/

Weisbach, C. (2018). The value of SEO and SEM for small businesses. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/02/09/the-value-of-seo-and-sem-for-small-businesses/?sh=2f42807d5022

Zheng, D. (2021). 5 advantages and benefits of SEO for your website. https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/benefits/

Zippia. (2023). Woot: Overview, salary, revenue, competitors, and CEO & Executives. https://www.zippia.com/woot-careers-44883/  

How will you apply it professionally?

I will apply all concepts learned in this course by implementing a robust marketing strategy that attracts diverse types of customers to our products and services in a more logical and creative manner. Now, I am able to build better online relationships, research audience demographics, create unique value propositions, utilize the AIDAS and sales funnel frameworks, track campaigns with effective metrics; create incentives, special promotions, and ads; and manage online communities. I want to make sure that I am helping my marketing team with achieving our goals and objectives in this dynamic, ever changing marketing world.

[sgtjoel]

New Media Marketing Course - Reflection

How this course in your master’s (certificate) program met your original objective?

My original objective was just to understand the foundational elements of marketing; however, as I went through the New Media Marketing course, I realized that this course offered a lot more than I expected. The course gave me an opportunity to develop an online business marketing plan by using diverse channels and methodologies. Such a plan included the following information: Content that targets a particular audience, ways to present it to a client, roles definitions, information about brand ambassador programs, social media methods for reaching out to diverse audiences, business and marketing goals, and a measurement plan. It was an amazing course!

What have you learned from the program content?

I have learned commensurably during the last few weeks. 

I was able to listen to a podcast to find out how it can improve my marketing plan and career. I selected the podcast episode titled, Creating B2B Social Media Content that Fuels Human Connections, hosted by George B. Thomas (Thomas, 2022). He interviewed Brooke Sellas, CEO and Founder of B Squared Media. I was interested in this podcast episode because I wanted to learn more about how to create a marketing plan that is focused on creating relationships and connections that build trust and reciprocity. I learned that I could improve my marketing approach by implementing the micro-framework shared by Brooke, which is “connect, conversate, and convert.” Such framework is derived from the social penetration theory developed by Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor, which states that as personal relationships progress throughout time, all people involved in such relationships will become closer and will be able to share more personal information with one another (Paul & Drew, 2022).

I had the opportunity to work on a case study, which helped me learn how to identify diverse personas; develop business and marketing goals; and propose the implementation of a Brand Ambassador program.

Fans: According to Sussman (2015), fans are loyal, happy customers, recommend the brand, like to be recognized by the brand, do not expect compensation, and can be big influencers within their peer groups. They were selected based on age, lifestyles, follower counts, platform they frequently use, brand affinity, product and services mentions, location, and language they speak.

Tools: There are two tools that can be used to identify customers: (1) Facebook Audience Insights which provides demographics information about individuals connected to the Facebook page, such as age, gender, education, job titles, relationships, interests, hobbies, location, and other information (Meta, 2023); and (2) SproutSocial which collects information provided on Facebook, such as comments, recommendations, and private messages – such information can help us with identifying trends in them (Chen, 2019).

Implementation plan for a Brand Ambassador program: The overall plan should contain at least the following: (1) Business and marketing goals; (2) how to get internal buy-in which can be done by using storytelling (Sudmann, 2020) early in the process (Ossberg, 2015) and also by communicating the program strategy (Brenner, 2018); intent, interests, and supporting data (Leonard, 2022); benefits, vision, feedback process, and resources requirements (Preetish, 2023); and involvement process (Influitive, 2015).

Communication plan: This plan should be shared with all leaders and team members and should contain at least the following: Goals (Hofmann, 2023); vision, objectives, and milestones (McGuire, 2020); context, purpose, and strategy (Blair, 2021); and reasons for implementation (Patrick, 2023). I also recommended to provide a job aid to summarize the communication plan (Awware, 2021): Deliverables (i.e., status reports, handouts, etc.), type (i.e., mandatory, or informational), target audience (i.e., sponsor, board members, church members, ambassadors, etc.), delivery method (i.e., paper, presentations, website, emails, posts, etc.), delivery frequency (i.e., weekly, monthly, etc.), and responsible person (i.e., pastor, elder, etc.).

Enlisting program supporters: Diverse venues may be used, for example, social media posts, ads, direct messages, and referrals (Fields, 2022); emails and in-person connections (Hyatt, 2022); and recruiting software and online application site (Muñoz, n.d.).

Program’s main point of contact: Is a person with direct access to company leaders.

Program campaign: It will run for at least one year.

Metrics: They will be monitored monthly and analyzed every six months. Some examples of metrics that may be included are reach, hashtags, mentions, content type, link clicks, reviews, referrals, and issued rewards (Wells, 2023; Huhn, 2022).

Benefits: Joining the Brand Ambassador program will offer several benefits, such as, personal profile featured in the company’s Facebook page and website, product discounts, free products, special offers, swags, t-shirts, hats, mugs, gift cards, sponsorships, live/virtual events, training materials, endorsements, recommendations, and community connections (Wells, 2023). It will also offer exclusive first looks and ownership of new products and services.

Meetings: A meeting with all ambassadors and company leaders will be conducted to kick-off the program which will introduce the following: Program, rewards, and activities (VanToai, 2022); goals, ambassadors' traits, and progress tracking (Huhn, 2022); objectives, training, collaterals samples, and policy (Freshworks, n.d.); and how to promote and empower ambassadors (Barnhart, 2020).

Feedback system: The Brand Ambassador program will include a feedback system to enhance communication and relationship building (Ryba, 2021).

I learned about addressing online negating comments. Social media strategies must be in place in order to manage online negative comments, keeping in mind that such comments may negatively affect brand perception and reputation (Henderson, 2020). We may need to consider each comment individually and react to them differently (Cuncic, 2022). We should also be actively reviewing and responding to comments in a timely manner (Thayer, 2020), for example, for one in three customers it means within a period of three days or less (Naeem, 2022). We should follow the recommendations provided by diverse marketing professionals, for example: Respond to the comment as soon as possible, be apologetic, discuss the problem privately, appreciate feedback, and ask how you can help (Vaughan, 2022); address individuals in a personalized way, respond on time, approach negative comments with facts and not emotions (Oladipo, 2022); reply publicly and then move to a private space, be sincere, and apologize (Thayer, 2020); be careful who you choose to manage your social media account (Craciunescu, 2019); be respectful, show that you are taking it seriously, make sure the customer feels heard, and be thankful for feedback (Forbes Expert Panel, 2020); explain yourself and generate positive comments (Baker, 2021); focus on resolution and know how to say sorry (Henderson, 2020); protect your reputation and be positive (Cuncic, 2022); offer customer service contact information, make yourself available and visible, and empathize with the customer (Naeem, 2022); learn from your mistakes and follow up the issue (Lau, 2022). According to these professionals, we should not delete or ignore the customers’ comments (Vaughan, 2022; Baker, 2021; Naeem, 2022), get defensive or angry (Forbes Expert Panel, 2020; Naeem, 2022), make false promises (Baker, 2021; Lau, 2022), and let negative comments impact your brand (Lau, 2022). One element the organization should add to their social media page is a disclaimer or statement about not only encouraging individuals to post their comments, but also to keep in mind that all comments will be reviewed and possibly removed if they are offensive (Craciunescu, 2019).

I also learned about meeting my audience where they are – this is regarding the Brand Ambassadors’ social media usage. Ambassadors for the case study frequently use Facebook to connect and communicate with family members and friends. I may be able to use Facebook as the common denominator in the Brand Ambassador program to maintain communication with the ambassadors and ensure they play an active role in sustaining online presence. Furthermore, brand ambassadors should receive some perks in recognition of their support, such as swags, t-shirts, hats, mugs, etc. (Wells, 2022).

How will you apply it professionally?

I will apply all concepts learned in this course by implementing a robust marketing strategy that attracts diverse types of customers to our products and services in a more data-driven, logical, creative, and emotional manner. Now, I am able to create SMART goals, provide measurement plans, and present programs to company stakeholders. With additional experiential learning opportunities, I will also be able to better research, analyze, and strategize diverse ways for engaging customers online. At the end, I want to make sure that I am helping my marketing team with achieving our goals and objectives in this dynamic, ever changing marketing world.

References

Awware. (2021). Communication plan: Approach, examples, and best practices. https://awware.co/blog/communication-plan/

Baker, A. (2021). How do brands handle negative comments on social media? https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/negative-comments-social-media

Barnhart, B. (2020). How to start a brand ambassador program from scratch. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/brand-ambassadors/

Blair, A. (2021). Communicating corporate strategy to employees in 2021. https://blogs.gartner.com/abigail-blair/communicating-corporate-strategy-to-employees-in-2021/

Brenner, M. (2018). How to gain buy-in for content marketing. https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/how-to-gain-buy-in-for-content-marketing/

Chen, J. (2019). The complete guide to Facebook listening. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-listening/

Craciunescu, A. (2019). 4 types of negative comments on social media and how to deal with them. https://digitaltailors.agency/blog/social-media/types-of-negative-comments/

Cuncic, A. (2022). Should I respond to negative comments on social media? https://www.verywellmind.com/negative-comments-on-social-media-5090286

Fields, M. (2022). How to recruit brand ambassadors. https://brandchamp.io/blog/brand-ambassador-recruitment/

Forbes Expert Panel. (2020). 10 positive ways to address negative feedback on social media. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2020/12/18/10-positive-ways-to-address-negative-feedback-on-social-media/?sh=45d78f9b337c

Freshworks. (n.d.) Recruitment marketing through employee brand ambassadors. https://www.freshworks.com/hrms/recruitment-marketing/brand-ambassador-programs/

Henderson, C. (2020). 8 ways to deal with negative social media comments. https://www.salesforce.com/uk/blog/2016/08/8-ways-to-deal-with-negative-social-media-comments.html

Hofmann, A. (2023). How to effectively communicate your strategic plan to employees. https://www.clearpointstrategy.com/communicating-strategy-be-effective/

Huhn, J. (2022). How to start a brand ambassador program: The ultimate guide. https://referralrock.com/blog/brand-ambassador-program/

Hyatt, A. (2022). How to recruit brand ambassadors to fast-track your marketing. https://www.constantcontact.com/blog/brand-ambassadors/

Indeed. (2022). Campaign manager job description: Top duties and qualifications. https://www.indeed.com/hire/job-description/campaign-manager

Influitive. (2015). How to get internal buy-in for your advocate marketing program. https://influitive.com/blog/how-to-get-internal-buy-in-for-your-advocate-marketing-program/

Lau, G. (2022). A how-to guide to answering negative complaints on social media like a pro. https://www.combin.com/blog/answer-negative-comments-on-social-media/

Leonard, J. (2022). 5 steps to get internal buy-in for your marketing project. https://www.business2community.com/marketing/5-steps-get-internal-buy-marketing-project-01578475

LinkedIn. (2023). Senior manager, brand ambassador. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/senior-manager-ambassador-program-at-hello-sunshine-3397078377/

McGuire, S. (2020). How to communicate strategy to your team effectively. https://venngage.com/blog/communicate-strategy/

Meta. (2023). Facebook IQ: Audience Insights. https://www.facebook.com/business/insights/tools/audience-insights

Muñoz, A. (n.d.) How to recruit student ambassadors in 4 steps. https://socialladderapp.com/blog/how-to-recruit-student-ambassadors/

Naeem, W. (2022). How to positively handle negative comments on social media? https://blog.contentstudio.io/negative-comments-on-social-media/

Oladipo, T. (2022). 5 steps for dealing with social media negativity. https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-negativity/

Ossberg, F. (2015). How to guarantee internal buy-in for your big content projects. https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/buyin-content-projects/

P2P. (2021). Ambassador program: Building a successful program for your brand in 2022. https://peertopeermarketing.co/ambassador-program/

Patrick, M. (2023). How to communicate a new strategic plan to employees. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/communicate-new-strategic-plan-employees-22913.html

Paul, C., & Drew, C. (2022). Social penetration theory: Examples, phases, criticism. https://helpfulprofessor.com/social-penetration-theory-examples/

Preetish. (2023). How to get internal buy-in for an online community. https://tribe.so/blog/internal-buy-in-online-community/

Ryba, K. (2021). 10 tips for building a feedback culture. https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/10-tips-for-building-a-feedback-culture

Sudmann, L. (2020). How to get buy-in for your ideas: Eight strategies. https://lars-sudmann.com/how-to-get-buy-in-for-your-ideas-eight-strategies/

Sussman, B. (2015). Influencers vs. ambassadors vs. advocates: Stop the confusion. https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/influencers-vs-ambassadors-vs-advocates-stop-the/249947

Thayer, T. (2020). A brand’s guide to dealing with negative comments online. https://flagshipsocial.com/blog/a-brands-guide-to-dealing-with-negative-comments-online

Thomas, G.B. (Host). (November 3, 2022). Creating B2B social media content that fuels human connections [Audio podcast].

United States Census Bureau (USCB). (2022). Quick facts: Statesville city. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/statesvillecitynorthcarolina

Vaughan, P. (2022). How to deal with negative comments on social media. https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/19614/how-to-deal-with-negative-nancy-s-comments-in-social-media.aspx

Wells, S. (2022). The perks of being a brand ambassador. https://www.getroster.com/blog/being-a-brand-ambassador/

[sgtjoel]

How will you apply it professionally?

I will apply all concepts learned in this course by implementing a robust marketing strategy that maximizes organizational profit, market share, and products/services demand. Such marketing strategy will attract diverse types of customers to our products and services in a more data-driven, logical, creative, and emotional manner.

With additional experiential learning opportunities, I will be able to better research, analyze, and strategize diverse ways for engaging the customers while balancing both the art and science of marketing. At the end, I want to make sure that I am helping my marketing team with achieving our goals and objectives in this dynamic, ever changing marketing world.

[sgtjoel]

What have you learned from the program content?

I have learned commensurably during the last few weeks.

I was able to research website keyworks by using diverse online tools, such as Ubbersuggest (Patel, 2022) and Google Rank Checker (The Hoth, 2022). I was able to identify the keywords used by an organization and compare them to other competitors.

I also analyzed a competitor website by using factors, such as design (i.e., colors, font, visuals, etc.), usability (i.e., easy to use), content (i.e., events, announcements, calendars, etc.), social media mentions (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), performance (i.e., page load time, page size, multi-browser compatibility, etc.), search engine optimization (i.e., indexed pages, inbound links, page ranking, title/description tags, optimization scores, etc.), and rating (i.e., analysis approach and recommendations). To analyze the websites, I used several resources such as SolarWinds Worldwide (2022), PowerMapper (2022), SEO Magnifier (2022), Small SEO Tools (2022), CheckPageRank (2022), SEOptimer (2022), ToTheWeb (2022), and Seobility (2022).

For the first time in my life, I created a basic digital marketing plan to introduce an organization’s product, history, mission statement, and target market. I learned that a mission statement is a prevalent marketing-management tool developed by organizational leaders to illustrate the fundamental intent and goals of the enterprise (Jovanov Marjanova & Sofijanova, 2014). I also analyzed an organization by using the PESTEL and SWOT analysis frameworks.

The Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Ecological and Legal (PESTEL) model helps define the external environment of an organization and the issues that impact business operations and strategy. The political variables are focused on the governmental aspects that directly affect the company. The economic variables are focused on macroeconomic data. The social variables are focused on demographic evolution. The technological variables are focused on the use and promotion of technological development. The ecological variables are focused on the conservation of the environment and regulations. The legal variables are focused on the legislation that has a direct relationship with the organization (Espinoza, Proaño, Villavicencio, & Villegas, 2019).

The Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis is a common technique used by organizational leaders to create strategies and make decisions. The strength and weakness are related to internal organizational factors, which are more likely under control of the organization, while opportunities and threats cover the wider context or environment in which the organization operates. By using the SWOT analysis, organizational leaders are able to formulate a strategy on their strengths, remove their weaknesses, take advantage of its capabilities, and find ways to fight against their threats (Oreski, 2012).

In addition, I learned diverse marketing concepts that may be used to better manage an organization’s website, such as inbound and outbound marketing, retargeting, and online social reputation.

Inbound marketing is focused on creating and distributing content that attracts people into a website to convince them to make a purchase (Marketo, 2022). For this reason, the content should describe how the products or services will resolve their issues, answer their questions, or fulfill their needs by including product comparisons, testimonials, pricing, and reviews into your podcast, social media posts, or reports. Common examples of inbound marketing include blogs, videos, and guidebooks.

Outbound marketing is focused on reaching out to people to get them interested in a product and to hopefully convert them (Marketo, 2022). Common examples of outbound marketing include direct mail, events, billboards, cold calling, newspapers, radio, TV, pay-per-click advertising, and spam emails. Such examples promote brand awareness to large scale audiences and may produce immediate results, because interested people will most likely take action on the ads and make a purchase.

Retargeting is used to sell products (Behera, 2019) to those who already visited a website (Mark, n.d.). It is also used to promote conversion by targeting particular consumers according to their searches and actions (Guidance, 2021). Retargeting can help with telling brand stories and assuring loyalty (Mark, n.d.); enhancing brand recognition, providing reminders, and effectively managing costs (Guidance, 2021); increasing click-through rates, finding users, and completing product purchases (Behera, 2019); increasing product interest and enhancing consumer value (Pereira Lopes, 2017). Conversely, retargeting can work against the brand (Lord, 2011). It can become costly and unnerving (Mark, n.d.), too aggressive (Guidance, 2021), intrusive (Pereira Lopes, 2017), and increase privacy concerns (Guidance, 2021; Pereira Lopes, 2017). Also, users can download ads blockers due to ads repetition rates (Behera, 2019; Pereira Lopes, 2017).

Online social reputation management is the process of emphasizing positive items and deemphasizing negative sentiment about the brand online (Geyser, 2022). It can be seen as a conversation or engagement between the brand and its customers (Zimmatore, 2020). The consumers are in charge when it comes to online reputation (Barnhart, 2021). Brooks (2022) shared several actions we should take when managing online social reputation, for example, we should monitor the organization’s social footprint, respond to customers promptly, ask for Google and Yelp reviews, encourage brand advocacy, be transparent, and know our audience. Barnhart (2021) recommended the following 5-step reputation management strategy:

Determine the current state of the organization’s online reputation by reviewing social media posts, comments, @mentions, online reviews, third-party review sites, industry blogs, trade journals, and feedback from emails, surveys, or contact forms.

Track the organization’s mentions with notifications, tags, @mentions, hashtag, and keywords.

Be proactive and positive when responding to mentions by personalizing the replies, saying thanks, and removing questions or concerns to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Take control of the organization’s narrative by publishing success stories and positive reviews.

Take action based on received comments, criticism, and analytics.

Bassig (2022) commented that, to experience successful online social reputation, organizations should share engaging and relevant content, set an objective to increase reviews and not likes/followers, resolve customer issues, be attentive to Google and Facebook since 76% of all reviews are shared between these two sites, promote top reviews on social media, transform data into insights for better decision making, and utilize an online social reputation management tool. Such online reputation management tools provide several features, such as proactive sentiment analysis, multiple social media platforms monitoring, advanced keyword listening, customizable alerts (Zimmatore, 2020); search, filtering, labeling, and other tracking capabilities (Geyser, 2022). Geyser also provided several examples of tools we can use, such as Brandwatch, Digimind, Brand24, YouScan, BrandMentions, BuzzSumo, Mention, Google Alerts, The Brand Grader, SimilarWeb, Socialmention.net, Review Push, Reputology, GatherUp, Reputation, BrandYourself, SentiOne, Meltwater, PromoRepublic, and Talkwalker Analytics.

I was able to better comprehend some elements about website analytics, especially social media and email metrics. Social media and email metrics help us determine the impact of our marketing efforts on organizational revenue. Metrics help us identify if we are reaching the right audience (Chawlani, 2022) and increasing customer engagement (Campaign Monitor, 2021). We should comprehend which metrics are important to achieve better organizational results (Newberry, 2022) since they provide diverse insights regarding our customers and company’s brand (Carmicheal, 2022). For those who are at the beginning phase of becoming a marketing professional (like me), we might not know which particular metrics we should track. However, with coaching, mentoring, and experiential learning opportunities, we will quickly learn that customer insight is a powerful element for achieving organizational growth (Chawlani, 2022; Le, 2021) and improving financial gains (Johnson, 2022). The following metrics can show us how well our social media and email marketing strategy is performing:

Social Media Marketing Measurements  

Reach: It is the number of people who see the content.

Impressions: It indicates the number of times people saw the content.

Audience Growth Rate: It measures how many new followers the company gets on social media within a certain amount of time (Formula: Net New Followers / Total Audience x 100).

Engagement Rate: It measures the number of engagements (i.e., reactions, comments, and shares) the content gets as a percentage of your audience (Formula: Total Likes, Comments, and Shares / Total Followers x 100).

Email Marketing Measurements 

Open Rate: It measures how many emails are being opened (Formula: Number of Emails Opened / Number of Emails Delivered x 100).

Deliverability Rate: It measures how many emails land in the inbox versus the junk or spam folder (Formula: Number of Non-Junked Emails Delivered / Number of Emails Delivered x 100).

Unsubscribe Rate: It measures how many people opt out of your emails (Formula: Number of Unsubscribes / Number of Emails Delivered x 100).

Conversion Rate: It measures how many people took the action you wanted them to from the email, such as purchase, donation, attend a webinar, sign-up, or material download (Formula: Number of Conversions / Number of Emails Delivered x 100).

With such data, we will be able to fulfill our audience’ needs and, if needed, refine our products and services in order to enhance company revenue (Chawlani, 2022).

References

Barnhart, B. (2021). Reputation management: How to stay in good standing with your audience. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-reputation-management/

Bassig, M. (2022). Social media reputation management: How to do it right. https://www.reviewtrackers.com/blog/social-media-reputation-management/

Behera, R. (2019). Pros and cons of running retargeting ads for publishers. https://www.adpushup.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-running-retargeting-ads-for-publishers/

Brooks, C. (2022). The 7 most effective ways to manage your online reputation. https://www.business.com/articles/manage-online-reputation/

Campaign Monitor. (2021). 17 email marketing metrics every marketer needs to know. https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/email-marketing/17-email-marketing-metrics-every-email-marketer-needs-to-know/

Carmicheal, K. (2022). Which Social Media Metrics Are Marketers Tracking? https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-metrics-ceos-cares-about

Chawlani, Y. (2022). 12 social media metrics you should be tracking. https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/social-media-metrics-to-track

CheckPageRank. (2022). Check page rank. https://checkpagerank.net/

Espinoza, J. A. M., Proaño, P. A., Villavicencio, J. R. M., & Villegas, M. A. (2019). Extending PESTEL technique to neutrosophic environment for decisions making in business management. Neutrosophic Sets & Systems, 27, 228–236.

Geyser, W. (2022). 21 leading online reputation management tools for 2023. https://influencermarketinghub.com/reputation-management-tools/

Guidance. (2021). Social media retargeting: Pros, cons & solutions. https://www.guidance.com/blog/social-media-retargeting

Johnson, J. (2022). 7 email marketing metrics you should track. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/16288-email-marketing-metrics.html

Jovanov Marjanova, T., & Sofijanova, E. (2014). Corporate Mission Statement and Business Performance: Through the Prism of Macedonian Companies. Balkan Social Science Review, 3, 179–198.

Le, M. (2021). 20 email metrics & KPIs to measure success and drive action. https://www.litmus.com/blog/the-email-metrics-marketers-measure-and-the-ones-they-should/

Lord, J. (2011). Retargeting: What it is & how to use it. https://moz.com/blog/retargeting-basics-what-it-is-how-to-use-it

Mark, E. (n.d.). The pros and cons of using retargeting. https://www.metrilo.com/blog/retargeting-pros-cons

Marketo (2022). Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing: The Differences Between the Two. https://www.marketo.com/articles/inbound-vs-outbound/#:~:text=Outbound%20marketing%20involves%20proactively%20reaching,draws%20people%20into%20your%20website

Newberry, C. (2022). 16 key social media metrics to track in 2023. https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-metrics/

Oreski, D. (2012). Strategy development by using SWOT - AHP. TEM Journal, 1(4), 283–291.

Patel, N. (2022). Ubbersuggest. https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/

Pereira Lopes, D. (2017). The Pros and Cons of Retargeting and Remarketing. https://content.advertio.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-retargeting-and-remarketing-c5090e080cf

PowerMapper. (2022). Browser compatibility tests. https://www.powermapper.com/products/sortsite/checks/browser-compatibility/  

Seobility. (2022). SEO checker. https://www.seobility.net/en/seocheck/

SEO Magnifier. (2022). Google index checker. https://seomagnifier.com/google-index-pages-checker

SEOptimer. (2022). Title tag checker. https://www.seoptimer.com/title-tag-checker

Small SEO Tools. (2022). Backlink checker. https://smallseotools.com/backlink-checker/

SolarWinds Worldwide. (2022). Pingdom website speed test. https://tools.pingdom.com/

The Hoth. (2022). Google rank checker. https://www.thehoth.com/search-engine-rankings/

ToTheWeb. (2022). Test page title and meta description pixel length. https://totheweb.com/learning_center/tool-test-google-title-meta-description-lengths/

Zimmatore, B. (2020). How to manage (and monitor) your reputation on social media. https://www.entrepreneur.com/science-technology/how-to-manage-and-monitor-your-reputation-on-social-media/356670

[sgtjoel]

How this course in your master’s (certificate) program met your original objective?

Since I am new in the marketing field, my original objective was just to focus on comprehending common marketing concepts and frameworks. As I went through the course content, I realized that marketing is a lot more… it’s a combination of art and science.

From the art standpoint, marketing professionals produce content that touch the minds and hearts of the customers. The objective is not to only describe their products and services, but also to tell a story that enhances customer experience through feelings. It is about having a dialogue with the audience and emotionally connecting them with our brand.

From the science standpoint, marketing professionals operate on logic, analysis, facts, testing, and especially data. Data is seen as the evidence needed to make the right the decisions, improve marketing strategies, and enhance customer support venues. The main goal is to be accurate when identifying the audience, where to find them, and how to best engage them.

Overall, a great marketing strategy requires analysis, data, logic, creativity, and emotions. Balancing both the art and science will help me with achieving my goals and objectives in this dynamic, ever changing marketing world.

[sgtjoel]

Introduction

Hello,

I am Joel. I will use this site to document the progress towards my personal development and leadership goals. I will reflect on my understanding of the concepts presented in class and provide diverse resources related to Digital Marketing.

Welcome!