Debunking Digital Marketing
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Debunking Digital Marketing

Digital marketing (DM) is an entire discipline and broader term which encompasses many concepts ranging from Social media to Search engine optimization to managing website and mobile marketing

Post by on Saturday, March 12, 2022

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Digital has taken the world by storm, upending the world of traditional marketing. Driven by cheaper mobile handsets and the spread of wireless data networks, India's number of Internet users is continuously increasing. The high point is that digital marketing, unlike traditional marketing, is far more tractable, allowing marketers to determine what is working for them and what may not be effective. The ability of marketers to gather, monitor, and measure an increasingly large number of data points helps them in understanding their customers in a better way. Much attention has been focused on the tremendous opportunities digital marketing (DM) presents, but the misapprehensions associated with DM have got little deliberation. Digital is far more complex and challenging than it seems as compared to traditional mediums. Thus, it is essential to debunk certain misconceptions related to digital marketing.

 

At face value, it may seem digital medium is cheaper than traditional medium as it is free to create pages and sign up on these mediums. However, if any marketer has to ensure traffic and make any phenomenon go viral or reach a targeted set of demographic, it needs to spend an immense amount of money. The digital medium might seem cost-effective from the outside as it offers the multiplier effect. However, there is no guarantee of success because viral movements due to hashtags blow up and boil down at a somewhat similar speed, not enduring the phenomenon. 

 

Another idea that needs to be debunked is that digital marketing is about social media (SM). Digital marketing (DM) is an entire discipline and broader term which encompasses many concepts ranging from Social media to Search engine optimization to managing website and mobile marketing. SM provides various platforms that connect people. Creating a page on Facebook or Instagram does not mean digital marketing. DM manager faces far more responsibility than just generating traffic and leads. It is crucial for a Digital Marketing Manager to ensure the conversion of traffic than just developing. In the case of the digital medium, it is not about the reach; it is more about engagement.

 

In today's time, marketers face issues of passive consumption as millennials use mobile phones while watching TV. However, SM is no less challenging. With the proliferation of channels ranging from Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik-Tok, Twitter, Pinterest, it is difficult for marketers to make a wise media vehicle choice to reach the appropriate audience. Thus, coverage of the right target audience is equally an issue in both mediums.

 

Another idea to be demystified is that digital platforms offer more control as it is an owned media compared to traditional media, which is paid for. DM involves user-generated content, and once the message is out, the marketer cannot withdraw or even keep a tap on how the public will respond. It is a two-way platform as customers voice their opinions, and brands might get more negative publicity than the expected positive publicity. Ideas and emotions of brands get lost in the noise created by others. There is much more risk involved in digital mediums than traditional mediums.

 

With exponential growth in technology and transformation in business operations, digitization is adding another layer of challenge for leaders at every level in every industry. CEOs feel the burden of adjusting the organizational designs and implementing actionable metrics to measure this growth. With more connected devices, privacy and security have become critical considerations for managers. The article is an effort to highlight some contemplations of misapprehensions appended with digital marketing related to cost, coverage, and control.

 

(The Author is Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur. She has Masters in Marketing from Manchester Business School, UK and Bachelors' in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University. She has qualified UGC-NET and achieved 5th Rank all India)

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