I have been invited as a a guest lecturer for Swinburne TAFE to provide an overview on eMarketing and communications, including a class that was held this morning and an additional session held tomorrow afternoon.
eMarketing explores Internet based and multimedia forms of communication, which is part of a broader marketing plan that includes an organisation’s approach to marketing its products and/or services.
eMarketing is a tool used extensively through Syneka and has also been utilised through my role as a Councillor for the City of Maroondah. This includes a comprehensive blog, as well as actively engaging email based subscribers with new content and integration with social media, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Like all other aspects of a marketing plan, eMarketing needs to be consistent with the desired marketing aims, through identifying measurable objectives that can gauge progress towards achieving this aim. These objectives need to be reinforced with strategies that can be executed within budgetary and resource constraints. It is important that an organisation is aware of who is responsible for executing strategies to ensure a sense of ownership and clarity. A lack of responsibility can mean that a strategy is not properly managed limiting the success of outcomes.
Like all forms of marketing, it is imperative that eMarketing is consistent with a brand’s image otherwise this can lead to an adverse reaction and diminish the perceptions of a brand. It is therefore important to ensure consistency between all forms of marketing, including the use of multimedia and social networking.
The use of online forms of communication continues to increase, with baby boomers being one of the fastest growing demographics for new Facebook accounts. The ongoing and diverse usage of social media means that a business or organisation needs to seriously consider the use of eMarketing as part of its marketing strategy.
The eMarketing unit at Swinburne TAFE will help prepare these students in utilising eMarketing and harnessing the Internet in achieving the marketing aims of an organisation or business.