In the beginning of 2023, as per estimates, there are approximately 820 million Internet users in India, almost 50% of the total population. The more surprising fact is that close to 50% of these are from Rural India. The gender Gap is also not much with 46% of these being Female users. E Commerce, IOT, AI, growing popularity of OTT and online videos are driving this Internet adoption and usage. The above are reasons enough for todays marketeer to consider Internet Marketing as the next big thing and it is now forming a good part of the overall all marketing Budgets.
Internet marketing simply put is trying to reach online consumers and apply the principles of Marketing to them.
Importance of Internet Marketing?
If we consider the entire Internet universe in India we will realise that it is a significant market size requiring separate strategies, budgets and understanding. The internet is a channel via which businesses can advertise, communicate with customers, and make sales. A perfect Internet strategy comprising of communication strategy, choice of different channels, advertising mix and niche product offering is what can be the difference between success or failure of your online marketing objective. The objective could be creating awareness, generating leads or making online sales. What is a good Internet marketing strategy, how is it similar or different from traditional marketing are separate topics in themselves. In this blog we will limit ourselves to understanding the basics of Internet Marketing.
Components of Internet/ Online Marketing
As the objective of online strategy is to capture the imagination of the online users the following components become critical:
Website Content and Design
The basic content and design of your website will depend upon the objective of creating a website. Basis the objective there are broadly 3 types of sites: E Commerce, Product and Blogging. The method of creating and spreading content in order to bring in and keep customers also known as content marketing will be dependent upon the website objective. For example while an Ecommerce site will be rich in product images, specifications, sales offers, prices, a user friendly payment gateway etc.; A product or Brand site will be informative informing about the company, its philosophy, manufacturing/ trading setup etc.
Email Marketing
This is the process of sending direct marketing communications to consumers via email. It’s one of the most economical forms of marketing and may be used to target both a large customer base or a highly specific one.
Social Media Marketing
A social Media is a platform where large sections of population socialise or interact. The most popular platforms being Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn amongst others. Understanding them, the users of platforms, the usage of platforms and then using this understanding to approach the users is broadly known as Social Media Marketing (SMM). The SMM strategy attempts to increase brand recognition, enhance consumer interaction, build loyalty, and produce leads for sales. The SMM strategy can be broadly divided into Paid (inorganic) or Unpaid (organic) heads. The final strategy will be a healthy mix of both components. While organic communication will primarily focus on creating awareness about the company or product, The inorganic communication will focus on reach and lead generations.
SEO
Search Engine Optimisation is the process of upgrading a website and digital content to increase its organic or “natural” placement in search rankings. The various search engines regularly employ AI to evaluate the online content and websites. The trawlers frequently visit your content and rank them which allows them to show the search results. The higher the relevance and authenticity of your content the better the search result ranking. SEO is a specialised subject that involves using relevant keywords, link-building, making your website user-friendly to improve user experience.
Blogging
By adding content based around specific targeted keywords , blogging enables you to improve the SEO of your website. Customers are more likely to find and visit your website as a result of an online search if you do this. They keep the website up to date and offer chances for audience engagement. You can link to reliable websites, which increases client loyalty and increases your audience. The most important benefit of blogging is that it can strengthen your relationship with your audience. All of this contributes to the generation of more leads and the expansion of sales.
Video and Podcasting
It is a well-researched and accepted fact that a communication methodology involving the simultaneous use of ears, eyes and brain have a higher retention. In this context Videos and Podcasts assume great significance and give your marketing strategy some personality. They enable businesses to convey informative content and engage audiences by using storytelling techniques.
Online Advertising
In simple terms reaching your target audience based on their demographics, interests, and behaviours by paying the platforms is known as online advertising.
Influencer Marketing
This refers to the process of working with influencers to advertise your brand’s messages, products, or services. Influencers are those people who have huge following amongst the net users. These influencers are likely to be prominent celebrities, Sportsperson, politician, content creators etc. Invariably these influencers will undertake paid collaborations to promote your brand, product or services.
In a world that is virtually dependent upon internet usage to lead our day to day life, any marketing mix cannot ignore Internet or online marketing. IM requires separate strategy, budgets and understanding.
