Internet marketing
From Digipedia
Internet marketing, e marketing or web marketing is the means by which you make your target and wider audience aware of your online content and also includes the collection of data about audiences as a result of this activity.
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Marketing channels
When considering how to market your online content, existing audience analysis data and user needs research can inform where and how you reach your target audience. This might be via one or more of the following:
- Search engine optimisation
- Prominence on existing web pages
- Newsletters
- Links on external pages
- Web 2.0 applications
- Print media
- Broadcast media
Decisions as to where to focus marketing activity should be guided by:
- where you know your potential audiences already are
- what their preferred communication channel is
- how well known your services already are to potential audiences
- how existing audiences already use them
When launching new online content ensure it has a prominent position on the relevant pages of your website and that other relevant internal links are made. If possible give the resource a simple and memorable URL that can be used on print and other marketing materials. Include information about the new content in newsletters, email autosignatures and where appropriate target external websites and online services (e.g. Culture24) with a short and relevant press release to enable them to readily include information on their site with a link back. Newsletters, especially when they include incentives can act as a tool for viral marketing.
Dependent on your audience and the nature of your online resource, consider announcing the content via social networking channels or creating an online community around the content if appropriate. Create articles or comment on specific websites your audience frequents to raise awareness of your content. Finally include print and broadcast media with an interest in the subject of your online content or in new media itself in the distribution list for your PR activity.
Measuring output
The effectiveness of some online marketing effort can be measured through analysis of web statistics. Seeing where users come from to reach your content, what search terms they use on external search engines and on internal search, all these can inform how and where your marketing effort has been effective. Tracking search logs can also provide insight into user need and help tagging of your content in the vocabulary your audience uses. Over time web analytics provide an unobtrusive way to track evidence of trends in online traffic, by time of day, day of the week or longer periods, such as the duration of campaigns or publicity drives.
Related Digipedia articles
Audience analysis and modelling
User needs
Search engine optimisation
Further information
University of Washington Library's experience of using Wikipedia to market online resources to its students
SCA short course: SEO and improving your online presence - Slideshare presentation by Thierry Arsenault