Facebook Graph Search #DSMMCM1314

DSMMCM1314

Digital and Social Media Marketing Communication Management

Facebook Graph Search

Here is a great tool Facebook have made, for both businesses and also Facebook users. The idea is that you type in a keyword and Facebook generates a list of people or items relating to the search. For example if you were looking to set up any form of an event you could search people who like that particular event within a certain area and then potentially contact them. This is also a great way for businesses to gain an insight to their target market and see how certain areas consist of more of their target market.

The actual tool is very easy to use and very simple, go have a look and see how it could help you, either socially or to improve your business.

Snapchat, a digital marketing platform? #DSMMCM1314

DSMMCM1314

Digital and Social Media Marketing Communication Management

Snapchat, a digital marketing platform?

As stated in a recent guest lecture one of their favourite forms of digital marketing was, believe it or not snapchat. A photo messaging service used by younger audiences which only last a number of seconds. Due to its immense popularity more and more companies are beginning to use it to stay in touch with younger audiences who cannot go a day without it. The statistics speak for themselves and show this is a promising marketing channel:

• 350 million ‘snaps’ per day, which is equal to Facebook uploads.
• A valuation of $3.6 billion, on par with Pinterest.
• A number of huge corporations trying to acquire it, such as Facebook and Google.

Within the link attached to this post are some examples of many businesses which have adopted to use Snapchat to keep in touch, conduct awareness campaigns and even offer some offers. This could be a very strong platform as it is very easy to reach your customers who happen to be the younger audience.

 

The Marketing Map #DSMMCM1314

DSMMCM1314

Digital and Social Media Marketing Communication Management

 

An excellent photo displaying how certain aspects of marketing are related in the form of train routes, this is definitely worth a look

Tutorial 9-10 Digital and Social Marketing Levers #DSMMCM1314

DSMMCM1314

Digital and Social Media Marketing Communication Management

Within the last two tutorials we discussed various marketing levers. We used these to identify which we would use to acquire customers, convert interest into business and retain customers for future business. With this we identified examples of how we would acquire, convert and retain customers and decided which options we could potentially use. As a group we decided that social media levers would not be very attractive for our PSO in terms of acquiring customers but could be used when it comes to conversion and retention. This means that we have to look into other digital marketing levers. Here is the worksheet we used to help us decide which would be better to market our PSO.

Which digital marketing levers will you use to acquire your customers

• What are the main features of each of these levers?
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of each one?
• What makes each tool good for acquisition?
• What are the issues and risks associated with using each tool?
• What successful, visible example of each tool’s use in acquisition?
• What tools are not good/suitable for acquisition and why?

 

Which digital marketing levers will you use to convert your customers?

• What are the main features of each of these levers?
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of each one?
• What makes each tool good for conversion?
• What are the issues and risks associated with using each tool?
• What successful, visible example of each tool’s use in conversion?
• What tools are not good/suitable for conversion and why?

 

Which digital marketing levers will you use to retain existing customers?

• What are the main features of each of these levers?
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of each one?
• What makes each tool good for retention?
• What are the issues and risks associated with using each tool?
• What successful, visible example of each tool’s use in retention?
• What tools are not good/suitable for retention and why?

Facebook use ‘makes people feel worse about themselves’ #DSMMCM1314

DSMMCM1314

Digital and Social Media Marketing Communication Management

Facebook use ‘makes people feel worse about themselves’

This article suggests that people who go on facebook come off feeling worse about themselves. The study shows it is not the people who use facebook to directly communicate that come off worse, it is the people who simply log on and look at what everyone else is doing. The fact they are sat on the computer while friends or family are having fun is one theory as to why people may feel worse about themselves.

While over three quarters of the results showed people share positive things on facebook, 36% also said they share bad things, this could be another reason why people come off worse than when they went on. Bad news or unpleasant things can easily have a negative affect on a persons mood or feelings.

#DSMMCM1314 Submission 2 Task 3: Anti-viability Blog Post

Anti-viability Blog Post

 

Anti-viable marketing techniques	Issues/risks
Guerrilla marketing	Misrepresentation of brand image Misinterpretation by existing/ potential customers Marketing will have to reflect product Some methods can be seen as unethical/illegal.
Freebie and free trial promotions to new clients	Reduces potential income Paying clients unhappy with deal for new clients No guarantee for continued usage after free trial
Proximity marketing	Casts doubt over the legitimacy of product May be classed as spam Potential customers may not have a Bluetooth phone or have it enabled

 

Guerrilla marketing

This technique of creating unconventional advertising would be inappropriate for our service. We’re looking to offer a professional financial advice service; we want to use an approach that would reflect this. This approach may be ineffective towards our target market. The majority of the people that would view the forms of the guerrilla approaches may not want to purchase financial support.

Some forms of guerrilla marketing may affect brand image. Burton Beavan’s clients are expecting a proficient service from them. Therefore if a guerrilla approach is made current customers may question their relationship with the organisation, and potentially change to a more professional company.

#DSMMCM1314 Submission 2 Task 2: Viability Blog Post

Viability Blog Post

 

DSM Approach	Advantages	Disadvantages
Cold Calling	•Quick. •Can target large audiences. •Gain mass information. •Inexpensive.	•Over the phone, •No face to face contact therefore no personal touch. •Irritating for customers, might not be taken seriously.
Email	•Simple and accessible for an SME and our business. •Fast •Instant •Formal •Free •Group email, can produce a newsletter	•Can be informal. •Slang used. •Might not be able to gain new customers for the SME/ our business.
Social Media	•Mass marketing •Simple •Free •User friendly •Popular	•Facebook charge for advertising •Social loafing •Slang used considered informal. •Can be viewed as unprofessional for SME/ our business.
SEO (search engine optimisation)	•Is free if enough time is invested •Extremely effective way of reaching customers conducting specific searches •Being at the top of google could undercut competitors •Enables link building to your other digital marketing practices	•Time consuming •Requires long-term up keep •You can’t measure everything •Too much is out of your control •Can be expensive if paid for.
Multi Media	•Interesting •Straight forward •More personal •Easily remembered •Professional.	•Expensive (software) •Risk •Time consuming •Could attract wrong target audience.

Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing tools available as it allows businesses to build loyalty and drive sales through promotions and new services.

Email is both an inexpensive and effective way of welcoming new customers and is used to refer our business and complete surveys. By using email, customers can receive updates on special offers, sale dates and be cross-sold relevant products.

If a customer has bought from you previously and they are likely to buy from you again, they may only need a gentle reminder via email.

Combined Social Media techniques provide different ways of engaging potential and current customers.

Emails are tailor made; they are instant and can be written formally.

Risks

The risks when using emails are simple, they can be written informally and carry computer viruses. Emails may not get through different internet service providers due to firewalls (Chaffey, 2012). May not feel personal as emails can be sent on mass. Our client may not be able to acquire new custom via emails.

#DSMMCM1314 Submission 2 Task 1: Target Market Segmentation

Target Market Segmentation

For our PSO (Financial advice) we identified several segmentation techniques, detailed below:

Segmentation Technique	Advantages	Disadvantages
Behavioural targeting based on people searching Financial Advice on Google	•ID which segments seek financial advice more frequently. •Tailor the service to those searching online.	•Multiple corresponding segments can increase marketing costs. •Product proliferation.
Demographic targeting based on consumers career/lifestyles	•Identify which consumer type would provide most turnover. •Find which consumer type would benefit most from our expert knowledge. •Market to one segment; saves resources.	•Narrows the potential market. •Cost to gain information on subgroups can be expensive.
Demographic targeting based on age	•Can cater services to different stages of customer’s life. •Some groups are more easily reachable via online methods.	•Poor indication of customer specific needs. •Does not reflect buying behaviour.
Behavioural targeting based on consumer relationship with our company	•Feedback Analysis •Reduce costs by targeting loyal/current customers. •Can implement promotions to gain loyalty.	•Focusing on one can neglect the other.

We prioritized consumer’s career/lifestyles & consumer relationship with our company.

Justification

Consumer relationship with our company: This tool will identify current and potential customers. Our client identified that they require us to target existing clients. Marketing to existing clients is quicker, cheaper and more effective. Improving these relations can result in repeat service and recommendations to attract new clients.

Issues/risks:

•Narrows the market.

•The focus on new customers could hinder existing relations.

 

Consumer’s career/lifestyles: People of all careers and lifestyles can benefit from financial advice in some form during stages of their life and segmenting this demographic will allow us to identify which segment will provide the most turnover and benefit most from our in-house experts.

Issues/Risks:

•Different segments differ in income and loyalty.

•This method cannot detail service usage from consumer without research.

 

Target Segments

Segmentation approaches:

1)Demographic targeting based on consumers career/lifestyles.

2)Behavioural targeting based on consumers relationship with our company.

Segment	Advantages	Disadvantages	Issues/Risks with discarding	Issues/Risks with choosing
Small Business Owners	May not have their own finance department. Can benefit from multiple services.	Smaller market potential. Require plenty of guidance.		Business could create own finance department. The business may fail.
First Time Home Buyers aged 18-30	No experience, requires support. May use multiple services.	May not be sustainable. May not ‘need’ financial advice.	A large target market. Heavily reliant on support.
New entrepreneurs	Individual could use stability of the service. Ambitious and want to improve/ develop.	They may fail. They could have good financial skills and need other support.	Multiple purchases of services. Could be the next big thing.
Young Families	Need vigilant finance. Provides stability and assurance.	May not benefit from all services offered. Financial disposal to afford service.	Heavily reliant on service.
Elderly looking to retire	Large market. Got the finance to use the service.	Not long term business. Substituted by own knowledge.	Large financial income. Large potential market.

We have chosen to prioritize “Small Business Owners”.

Justification

Due to the client expressing an interest in this segment and the fact that these clients would be most heavily involved our services, utilising all facilities available, we feel small business owners would have the most to gain. Successful small businesses have the potential to be long-term customers, which also makes it the most palpable segment for us to choose.

Amazon ‘Prime Air’: Drones to Deliver Packages by 2015? #DSMMCM1314

DSMMCM1314

Digital and Social Media Marketing Communication Management

Amazon ‘Prime Air’: Drones to Deliver Packages by 2015?

Amazon planning to provide an additional service which would be to deliver products via unmanned flying drones. Amazon has detailed that packages up the 5 lbs in weight could be delivered to a maximum distance of 10 miles and could be at your door within half an hour. The news was very smartly released with the ‘Cyber Monday’ online shopping event by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos which will have caught the attention of everyone watching American TV.

Of course it is experimental but it seems to be a good publicity stunt by Amazon which they are serious about implementing by 2015 or maybe later. This could prove to be very interesting especially if you require your product very quickly and for example require a textbook for studies. What fascinates me is that you can have your order within half an hour of confirmation which is amazing and the quickest delivery service i’ve seen to date.

Currently Amazon are in the process of acquiring the necessary regulations in place by The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and will ensure that safety is of top priority and in no way can harm the public. If any of you were curious included within the link is also a quick video of the drone in action.

We would love to hear everyone’s opinions and thoughts of this new service Amazon will start marketing for in the next few years.

Toyota FCV hydrogen fuel cell prototype #DSMMCM1314

Toyota FCV hydrogen fuel cell prototype

Here is an article detailing the new hydrogen fuel cell car by Toyota which should be available to buy by 2015. Instead of using conventional petroleum it uses a compressed form of liquid hydrogen which would work in the same way and the only emission it produces is water vapor. Some say that when hydrogen fuel cells become more accessible and useable the price per gallon can be $1.50 which would make a lot of motorists happy. I believe that Toyota are one of the first to incorporate hydrogen fuel cells in such an effective and efficient way.

It is estimated that fully fueled in theory the car could provide enough electricity to meet the daily needs of the average home for a week. This presents them with huge potential to gain majority of the market once they decide to release the car to the general public and be smart with their marketing campaigns, keeping both consumers wallets and Eco enthusiasts happy. Currently the only issue is the infrastructure to provide said hydrogen fuel as their isnt really one that is in place but Toyota predicts the widespread use of hydrogen fuel by 2020. Toyota as the leader in hybrid technology has enormous potential in supporting energy diversification and zero emission while offering the same convenience as today’s petrol-powered cars.