Module 5-Promoting your Digital Presence Final LK

Module 5: Promoting your digital presence

2

Table of Contents

MODULE 5: PROMOTING YOUR DIGITAL PRESENCE .........................................................................4

1. I NTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 Website Marketing .............................................................................................................................. 6

1.2 Mobile Marketing ................................................................................................................................ 6

1.3 Video Marketing .................................................................................................................................. 6

1.4 E-Mail Marketing ................................................................................................................................. 6

1.5 Content Marketing .............................................................................................................................. 7

1.6 Affiliate Marketing .............................................................................................................................. 7

2. P AID A DVERTISING ........................................................................................................................................ 7

2.1 Google Ads .......................................................................................................................................... 7

2.2 Facebook Ads ..................................................................................................................................... 8

3. T HE P ROTECTION OF P ERSONAL I NFORMATION A CT (POPI) ..................................................................... 8

3.1 Obtain Consent ................................................................................................................................... 8

3.2 Unsubscribe or opt Out .................................................................................................................... 9

3.3 Details of the Sender ......................................................................................................................... 9

3.4 Permitted Contact Times .................................................................................................................. 9

3.5 Cooling Off ........................................................................................................................................... 9

5. S UMMARY .................................................................................................................................................... 11

BIBLIOGRAPHY .........................................................................................................................................12

3

Module 5: Promoting Your Digital Presence

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

 Understand the different components of digital marketing  Develop a better understanding of paid advertising: Pay Per Click and Facebook Advertising  Understand the implications of the POPI Act in relation to advertising.  Understand the risks associated with using social media

1. Introduction

In the previous module we made the point that having an online presence is only one part of the equation in conducting business in the digital world. The other key aspect of the equation is to ensure people know about your online presence and are kept informed of the goods that you sell or the services that you offer. As we have learnt in Modules 3 and 4 there are various ways of marketing and selling one’s products online. The central component of any online marketing strategy has to be the website. For the website to work and to be monetised it is very important that a coherent digital marketing strategy be used.

4

Activity 19

Instructions:

a) Look at the graphic below taken from (Reliable Soft, 2021) and write down a few points on how you can promote your website using the various components contained in the graphic.

Activity 20

Instructions:

a) View the video on Digital Marketing by clicking: https://youtu.be/aC-DwwgqG6A?t=360

Now we have much more information about digital marketing and its various components.

5

Let us take a brief look at each component of digital marketing:

1.1 Website Marketing

Websites can be marketed in a variety of ways but merely telling somebody you have a website is not necessarily going to get them to visit it. Only if people have a need that can be addressed on your website will they visit it. We use paid advertising, search engine optimisation, email marketing and social media to get people to know about websites.

1.2 Mobile Marketing

Our cellphones have become an extension of our selves meaning that they must become a central part of our marketing efforts. Equally, tablets have become very popular devices and ideal for reading blogs, pdfs, marketing material and the like. It is therefore important to design marketing material that will be compatible with all devices not just computers.

1.3 Video Marketing

YouTube has become synonymous with video marketing in the world. What’s more, search engines love videos which make it easier to find your website on the internet. You can upload your video to You Tube for free and embed that video on your website. Links to your video can be posted on the various social media sites.

1.4 E-Mail Marketing

E-mail marketing has been around for many years, but the challenge is always to get past a person’s SPAM filter to reach the person’s inbox. Unsolicited emailing is bound to be a “hit and miss” exercise for this reason. It is therefore important to get potential customers to “opt- in” or subscribe to your newsletter or special promotions or give-aways as we demonstrated in the previous module.

6

1.5 Content Marketing

Using content that interests the reader and meets the reader’s needs helps build a relationship with the reader. For example, instead of merely hard selling solar lights, interesting articles on load shedding, energy saving, and alternate forms of energy will be good content to market to your potential customers or repeat customers. It is also quite strategic to become your customers’ go-to person which puts you into a position of trust.

1.6 Affiliate Marketing

A good way and a potentially profitable way to market your goods and services is to leverage off other online companies. A very good example is Amazon affiliate programme which allows you to place an Amazon link on your website and every time somebody buys something off this link, you receive a commission.

2. Paid Advertising

As your business matures and starts to generate revenue it is important to explore paid advertising to ensure your business is being marketed and is reaching its target audience. Here we will explore Google Ads and Facebook Ads although there are many other sites that you can advertise with.

2.1 Google Ads

In the graphic above as well as in the You Tube video we came across: PPC (Pay Per Click). Every time somebody clicks on your ad, you pay a certain amount of money to Google. You only pay for clicks on your advert.

7

2.2 Facebook Ads

WordPress sites make it possible to add a Facebook plug-in to your website. Based on your budget, Facebook will create an ad for you and geo locate the ad according to the geographic area you choose. As a small business it is important to aim for local market penetration and Facebook ads are very good at doing this. Take a look at the screenshot below which is our Facebook page for Solar Lights: https://www.facebook.com/Solar-Lights- 109511871560426 Click on the link and you will find yourself on the page below. From here you click on Start Selling from this Page"(circled by an oval) to get your advert going. You will find the process to be simple and easy to follow, but keep in mind you will have to pay for the ad.

3. The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI)

POPI was promulgated (passed into law) in 2013 but was only implemented this year in July. The regulations of POPI have far reaching implications for direct marketing. No more can you send emails, SMSs or call anybody without their permission to do so. Often we are contacted by telephone marketers or email marketers without our consent and this constitutes a violation of our privacy. It becomes a source of irritation and annoyance and will certainly turn potential customers into potential non-customers. Here are a few regulations which must be followed with all communications to customers or potential customers:

3.1 Obtain Consent

The onus is on the sender to obtain the consent of customer if he wishes to communicate with that customer. Only if the customer grants permission will it be permissible to communicate with him/her. If you have previously communicated with a customer, you will have to refresh the mandate to be able to communicate with the customer.

8

3.2 Unsubscribe or opt Out

The Consumer Protection Act (which regulates direct marketing by post and telephone) and POPI (which regulates direct marketing by electronic communication) empower consumers to block marketing communications. If customers have chosen to unsubscribe or opt out companies must oblige or else, they will conflict with POPI.

3.3 Details of the Sender

The details of the sender and on whose behalf he/she is communicating must be clearly indicated. Therefore if the customer wishes to cease communications he/she knows who to direct the request to.

3.4 Permitted Contact Times

There is nothing more annoying than receiving an unsolicited call or email after work when you are trying to unwind and relax with your family. The prohibited times for contacting consumers at home (this includes via telephone, SMS or email) are as follows: Sundays or public holidays; Saturdays before 09h00 and after 13h00; and all other days between the hours of 20h00 and 08h00 the following day, except to the extent that the consumer has agreed otherwise.

3.5 Cooling Off

The customer has 5 days to “cool off” which means he/she is at liberty to change their mind should they wish to do so.

4. Understand the Risks Associated with Social Media

The benefits of social media are plenty and as a medium of marketing it can reach a large audience quickly and inexpensively. This works great when there Is good news but works just as well when there is bad news. Bad news travels must quicker than good news and your company's brand could be damaged with one incorrect post that might become viral. Take a look at the graphic below that surveyed why people choose to unfollow certain brands:

9

(Pixel Kicks, 2021)

 The risks associated with damaging your brand could be big if you annoy, offend, or irritate people.  Too many promotional messages are the biggest reason why people have chosen to unfollow a brand. Too few messages send the message the company is not serious.  Many companies have social media policies which are in place to protect the company and Its reputation. Make sure you don’t violate their policy with your social media posting.  Do your research, don't use a "shotgun" approach by trying to target everyone with one campaign. Use a more laser like approach where you can home in on your target market. In this way your information will be seen as relevant.  Be careful about forwarding, reposting, and retweeting posts that might not be true. This could land you in hot water.  Remember using social media is a "two-way street" that requires you to respond to posts from other people. If you respond timeously and honestly you can build a relationship of trust with your followers and create new followers in the process.

10

5. Summary

Starting an online business is not impossible, even if you know nothing about businesses and entrepreneurship. You don’t need a university degree but you have to be willing to work hard to learn how to become an online entrepreneur. The ‘recipe’ is the same of all kinds of businesses:

 Come up with an idea  Evaluate your idea  Decide how you will make money  Setup a website  Promote your website to get traffic and clients

This training programme is not meant to make a web developer of you but to give you the key tools to transition your business Into an online entity. The toolkit you have now is at your disposal and can be used to improve your business regardless of whether you are successful at starting an online business. Like most training programmes the value that is created is very much within the power of the learner. If you apply the skills and knowledge taught in this training programme you will be in a position to supervise the quality of your online business going forward. Don't hesitate to make mistakes, don’t be fazed by the technical jargon, persevere with the programme and you will have an online business after 21 days!

11

Bibliography

Reliable Soft. (2021). Reliable Soft . Retrieved November 25, 2021, from https://www.reliablesoft.net/seo-resources/

Pixel Kicks. (2021). Pixel Kicks . Retrieved November 27, 2021, from

https://www.pixelkicks.co.uk/blog/dangers-of-social-media-in-business/

Internet Sites:

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/traditional-business-vs-ebusiness-12563.html

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-introductiontobusiness/chapter/technological- changes-in-business/

https://www.gomodus.com/blog/eight-ways-technology-changing-business

https://www.bingimages.com

12