Online channels crucial in making marketing choices

CEBU, Philippines - Apart from the customary public relations, advertising and branding strategies, entrepreneurs are encouraged to leverage on digital marketing techniques and seek assistance from digital influencers to penetrate the market and attract more customers.

Fleire Castro, social media manager and owner of Third Team Media, said that with the advancement of technology at present, a customer is actually exposed to several online channels that could influence him in making a decision whether to patronize a specific brand or not.

She said that for an entrepreneur who is interested to incorporate digital marketing in his business strategies, he must start with a basic research to check if his target customers are actually online.

"He can do this by knowing the customer journey. What does the customer go through? What is his path before he makes the last click to purchase or that leads him to visit your store," she added.

She cited that a customer's journey could begin by seeing an advertisement online or friends liking a brand on a social network but seeming not to care since he does not feel the need yet of what one is promoting.

"Now when the need arises, he will do his search online and see organic or paid results. This influences his decision into choosing your brand instead of the competitor's and he eventually clicks on your shop to purchase, pick up the phone to call, or visit your shop," she explained.

Castro further noted that the success rate for entrepreneurs upon venturing into digital marketing could depend on his research for the customer's journey and his investment on such channels for the desired influence.

She, however, clarified that an entrepreneur needs not to forget the traditional marketing approaches apart from the modern digital marketing channels.

"Knowing that journey plus the channel is half the game. Next, of course, is executing your plan for marketing through these channels. Then again, these digital marketing channels are good for assisting in the last interaction. They should not forget the other forms of marketing out of the equation," she stated.

Various digital marketing techniques that she cited include email marketing, paid search and organic search, mobile marketing and social advertisements.

"The end goal of digital influence is to be able to change people's minds and assist in their decision making. If you don't have the relevance, the reach, the resonance to influence the decisions of your audience or customers, then you are definitely powerless," Castro stated.

She then encouraged the public to participate in the boot camp, adding that they aim to gather around 60 attendees during the event.

A Digital Influencer Boot Camp face-to-face session will be conducted on June 6 in Diamond Suites and Residences Cebu in support of the ongoing Digital Influencer Boot Camp online workshop.

Third Team Media is a partner of DigitalFilipino.com in bringing the boot camp in Cebu.

The event shall serve as an avenue of knowing how to build one's digital influence and growing one's existing business by collaborating with influencers and using various digital marketing techniques to market products and services.

The highly-interactive session with e-commerce players and industry practitioners shall tackle about digital influencer marketing, creating one's online presence, digital marketing policies, search engine marketing, e-mail and newsletter marketing and social media marketing.

The workshop will be conducted by e-commerce and social media specialist Janette Toral and other invited DigitalFilipino club members.

Toral, who started her career in the field of e-commerce and digital marketing since 1997, will share her hands-on knowledge and expertise in the industry.

She has published a blogging book and produced a video tutorial series in 2008. She had partnered with Ateneo De Manila University and eLearning Edge for the Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur Program.

The one-day educational event will start at 8 AM with the registration process and shall end at 5 PM with the digital influencer project presentation.

Castro revealed that the boot camp will also be run in Boracay, Davao, Bohol and Manila.

There will be a boot camp fee of P1,000 inclusive of lunch. Interested attendees could register at http://bit.ly/CebuDIBC and shall get a feedback after from the event organizers. /JMD (FREEMAN)