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While most agreed on the widespread influences and impact of eMarketing, many are lost in one way or another when it comes to the different tools available, and how to capitalize on them to achieve each and every unique objective.

Watch this space! PurpleClick Media will divulge little secrets of the trade and impart the essentials necessary for the success of any eMarketing campaigns.

eMarketing Tips #1: Pros and Cons of eMarketing

Needless to say, there are many benefits and advantages of eMarketing. But one may not be aware or informed about the challenges involved – so let’s start by getting the perspectives in place:

Pros

1. Cost-effectiveness - Relatively lower cost per thousands
2. Timeliness – Changes, updates and new campaigns can be launched within minutes
3. Measurability & Accountability – Results and statistics can be track and measured easily
4. Precise Segment Targeting –Segregation of target audience according to accurate & specific demographics & geographic locations
5. Freedom & Flexibility of Time & Venue - Internet is practically available 24x7, and from anywhere that has the connection, hence giving consumers the ultimate freedom & flexibility to search, communicate and purchase whenever and wherever they are

Cons

1. Cost of Technologies – eMarketing is not entirely free as there is setup and maintenance cost of hardware and software involved both at advertisers’ and target audiences’ ends.
2. Intangibility – The inability to touch, smell, taste and see the tangible products before making a purchase is still inhibiting growth of e-commerce
3. Security Issues – Theft and abuse of credit information and personal particulars are the major security concerns limiting online growth
4. Customer Service – To many businesses, the lack of human interactions and quality customer service is one of the key challenges impeding sales growth

eMarketing Tips #2: SEM & Consumer Buying Behavior

Benefits of SEM

1. Highly Targeted Audience- Messages reach out to people who are already interested and searching for the offered solutions
2. Minimal Wastage – No cost incurred on unlikely consumers
3. Cost Effective - Higher Return on Investment (ROI) than traditional media
4. Geo-Targeting - Possible to limit geographical locations when targeting
5. Ease of Management - Campaign setup and adjustment is fast and direct
6. Measurable Performance – Easy to gather statistics to determine campaign effectiveness
7. Enhanced Brand Equity - Online visibility ensures consistencies in brand and marketing communications

Consumer Buying and Search Behaviour

Keywords used by consumers are closely related to the stage of buying process they are at:

Stage 1: Purchase Interest/Intention

• General information gathering
• Broad, generic keywords
• e.g. “vacations”, “holidays”

Stage 2: Options Comparison

• Narrow-down scope and options
• Criteria specific keywords
• e.g. “beach holidays in Thailand” , “drive vacations in Australia”

Stage 3: Ready to Purchase

• Bargain and availability hunting
• Specific/ long-tail keywords
• e.g. “cheap air tickets to Phuket”, “car rental promotion in Perth”

eMarketing Tips #3
Tips for a Successful SEM Campaign

1. Design and maintain an attractive and user-friendly website with relevant and informative landing pages in order to capitalize on web traffic generated via SEM campaign
2. Use relevant keywords that suit the business or campaign objectives in a SEM campaign, in order to increase the quality and quantity of the leads
3. Generate attention-grabbing advertising copy that will entice the target audience to click on the SEM ads
4. Integrate offline and online campaigns – e.g. complement a retail product launch or an in-store promotion with a SEM campaign that will help capture online searches of the related keywords and hence optimize overall campaign performance
5. Organize internal manpower allocation so that online leads can be handled promptly. There should also be sufficient inventory to sustain the influx of demand.

eMarketing Tips #4: Benefits & Challenges of SEO
Advantages

• Free listings – Businesses enjoy free listing on search results as they are listed on organic results as they are listed on organic results based on keyword relevance.
• Credibility – As organic listings are independent results of the search engines’ own indexing algorithms, it usually gets more credibility and trust from users.
• Low Recurring Cost – There is no additional cost incurred regardless of the total number of impressions of the search listing or the number of click-throughs.

Challenges

• Higher upfront cost is required to establish the core keywords for SEO as compared to Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
• Longer execution timeline is required for SEO as it is a continuous process and usually takes 3 to 5 months to show prominence.
• Less concise titles and descriptions are shown in the search listings as  SEO does not allow ad message customization.
• Longer time is required to analyze tracking reports to decipher ROI as no straight-forward cost is tied to each click.