It would be difficult not to acknowledge the astonishing rate at which eMarketing is growing.  For example, online ad spend has tripled in the last 10 years and is expected to grow by 60% over the next 5 years (Viener, 2010).  However, digital is not without it its critics. I spoke to a few digital evangelists for their opinion on how things are developing in the world of online marketing. They identified challenges to growth in the industry and gave some tips for tackling a digital strategy.

According to Rob Stokes, CEO of Quirk eMarketing, businesses are aware of the importance of digital but there is uncertainty around how to tackle it. Andy Hadfield, CEO of One Big Widget, explains that there is not yet enough confidence in digital to move large budgets and traditional advertising still works for many brands. Rob explains that the spend on digital is taking longer to balance with traditional channels because companies are not sure of the risks and rewards associated with this space, so they tend to still stick with what they know.

In light of the above, Andy highlights the importance of training in an organisation from the bottom up, to empower people to understand and then drive confidence. Rob also acknowledged the need for education for “better and more intelligent spend and skills to facilitate the growth of online."  Scott Gray, Client Strategy Director at Quirk, believes that “digital will eventually become traditional." Andy explains that this will be driven by the digital natives, the younger generation. They don’t make up the bulk of revenue for brands but their medium is digital. 

Essentially they all highlighted that it comes down to the simple question, "will it make me money?" So when you are convinced that you want to invest in the online space, you should consider tactics that deliver an immediate demonstrable result. When you prove a positive return on investment and quantify the value of investing in the online space, the budget should follow.

Online marketing has developed to a point that no longer is a website cutting edge – things have gone beyond that. “More and more people are living and breathing the online space, it is like their oxygen”, says Scott. He shared with us four fundamental steps to prioritise your online efforts – firstly, setup your website and mobisite, establish your Social Media presence, use media to drive traffic and make sure your site is visible to search engines.

However, don’t engage online if you are not ready to listen. Andy suggests running six months of Online Reputation Management before establishing yourself in Social Media space. Brands should also “realise that whether or not you are in the online space, people may say negative things anyway, so it is important to be there and have some kind of control," says Scott. Savvy brands are aware that it is better to have a complaint in your own channel.

Showing the success of others who have used digital is also an important consideration, says Rob. Find out what your competitors are doing. If they are doing something interesting and you're not, this is also good angle to use when convincing superiors to invest more online. Look at best practices in the market, including international competitors. Rob suggests you “define your success criteria upfront." What do you want to achieve and what is your benchmark for success?

Some people think that when you go digital you have to use all channels, although brands do not spend on all traditional channels and online should be no different. Andy advises “find your fit for purpose for each brand in digital." There is a great deal of experimentation involved. Don’t be afraid to tweak, change and mature. Channels should be selected to achieve overall brand objectives and strategy should be involved throughout the whole process. Scott highlighted that “there are different depths to wade in the eMarketing swimming pool." Some brands just don’t suit digital – it is important to consider the brand, market and industry says Rob. The budget for marketing online also depends on the current marketplace.

As budgets for digital marketing increase, so does the responsibility of the online strategist, explains Rob. Scott believes that the role has moved from someone “who is heavily knowledgeable in technical areas to someone who is aware of brand-related challenges." A good strategist understands all the tools in an eMarketer’s toolkit and can show how they all work together. This involves finding innovative ways to incorporate digital into overall brand objectives. Andy points out that the role is also about showing how measurable digital is. Traditional marketing still makes up the lion's share of most companies' budget, but as businesses understand the measurability of digital, the playing field will start levelling. 

Scott explains that “the way brands communicate is becoming social”. Social Media’s broad reach and accessibility to the average Joe is driving a great deal of the growth in digital. It may be a “small aspect of digital but has opened doors for non-digital people” – showing that there is more to the online space than just Googling. It has provided a publishing platform, allowing people to be involved in a personal capacity and as a result they are interacting more with brands. The confidence that this has provided means people are willing to buy into something they are comfortable with. They are more open-minded about digital and this is fuelling a shift where people are seeing the power of digital.

Online is certainly more visible and people are paying more attention, even if the significant portion of budget is not being spent in this area. Andy feels that we should be doing more but companies don’t know what to do and that is a result of visibility. So go forth and harness that visibility!

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