A digital marketer needs to be aware of all possible digital marketing channels that can help reach target customers. In this digital age, it is extremely important to understand the latest online communication trends, emerging digital marketing channels, data on consumer spending, and overall consumer behavior. The digital marketing team should take the time to evaluate the best mix among the available digital marketing tools and initiatives in order to determine the most valid and suitable tactics for the target audience.
The various models of social media-enabled sharing are of the following content types:
- Blogs—Blogs are content created by individuals, groups, or companies to express their opinions or to provide information or insights on specific topics of their choice. The most popular blogs choose topics that are of interest to a large community. However, niche blogs catering to a certain targeted audience can be successful if they dominate the “share of voice” in that particular subject area. Successful blogs have something interesting, useful, or creative to share, and do that sharing with an engaging style. Blogs may contain images, infographics, or videos in addition to text. In most cases, they are also open to comments from readers. These comments are generally directed to the author. Sometimes readers discuss a blog post among themselves, resulting in a discussion forum. Blogs are typically part of an overall content Marketing Strategy, which is about providing informative, helpful content to potential customers rather than overtly selling.
From a company’s perspective, a blog or Rich Site Summary (RSS) feed is an effective means for updating actual or prospective customers of happenings related to the company or the company’s products. RSS feeds use standard web feed formats to publish blog posts and syndicate data automatically. RSS feeds are a convenient way for users to receive timely updates from their favorite websites or aggregate data from many sites without constantly checking websites for new content. When users subscribe to an RSS feed their browser monitors the site and informs the user of any updates. The browser can also be set so that new data is automatically downloaded for the user.
Frequent updates also keep content fresh, enable curating of content, and facilitate the sharing of relevant content created by others, while contributing to a website’s ranking in search engines. Contributions from established, well-known bloggers are generally considered credible and influential.
- Discussion Forums—These are websites used for discussing issues related to a specific topic. Participants in such forums may be asked to register. They are encouraged to ask each other questions, answer questions, and share information. Many forums allow participants to rate each other’s contributions, enabling contributors to build their reputations over time. Some discussion forums may be hosted and moderated by the company, in which case, the company would have some influence on the content of the discussion. In other cases, discussion forums are independent of a company; however, companies should be aware of popular discussion forums in which their products may be discussed and make an effort to respond to customers within those forums. Companies can also participate in such forums actively to engage with participants and build a positive identity for themselves and their products and brands. Social media monitoring tools can scan social platforms such as discussion forums for mentions of the company or the company’s products or brands. If trusted contributors mention a company’s product or brand or provide a link to its web page, then the company’s website may witness a significant improvement in search engine rankings and increased visitors to the website.
- Professional Networking Sites—These sites relate to people, groups, or companies sharing professional updates, content, and discussions generally related to an organization, a company, a product, or a profession. These sites are used to build an individual’s personal brand as well as to raise awareness of businesses’ brands and their products or services within the online community. Companies share such professional updates for various purposes, such as sharing product launch information, communicating offers and discounts, announcing changes in policies, and sharing media coverage. Relevant and engaging updates can help companies build and retain a loyal base of customers.
Here is an example of Explore Social Media—Professional Networking Sites:
- A large American multinational banking and financial services corporations realized that its brand was not as powerful among female professionals as their male counterparts. In response, the company created a group on LinkedIn in which female professionals could engage in conversations about their working lives. The company anticipated that such a group would bridge the gap in brand perception between men and women. Within a few months, the group reached 30,000 members and continued to expand at a rapid pace each year. It eventually emerged as one of the more popular groups on the network.
