In two points resemble Online marketing and classic marketing in an amazing way. Main target it is, more Range to create new target groups to tap into. In classic marketing, the task can be accomplished with the help of a manageable number of tools and offline procedures within the boundaries drawn by the material world.
In online marketing you have considerably more possibilities available - many of them in real timet. However, a well-known principle in process theory is: The more funds are present, the more error are possible. This makes the Precise coordination of the resources used so important in the online sector.
In other words, it's all about the online marketing mix.
The four P's of the online marketing mix
An important principle of business administration also applies to the online marketing mix, namely the four P's of the successful campaign design. They are:
The objective is to make these four elements to be optimally coordinated with each other and coordinate them with each other. This is the only way to set up campaigns that are highly effective and powerful enough to reach their intended target.
Once the four P's of the online marketing mix have been clearly clarified and optimally adjusted, they answer the fundamental questions of every marketing project:
- What am I selling?
- At what price?
- Through which channels?
- How do I make my offer known?
If there are conclusive and comprehensible answers to all four questions, your successful Campaign formation nothing more stands in the way. In the following steps, the aim is to use the insights gained to develop the elements that are essential for a balanced online marketing mix and to coordinate them optimally.
Market and market participants always in view
No campaign can sustainably positive results achieve if it moves virtually in a vacuum, however sophisticatedly it may be constructed. When setting up the individual online marketing mix, the A constant eye on the market be in which the campaign should work.
Without sound knowledge of the current circumstances and the Competitive situation no effective strategies can be developed. Only on this information basis can you viable forecasts create a competitive pricing and a effective distribution plan allow. Likewise, the choice of the right communication channels does not work without sound knowledge of the market conditions.
Also your Target group must be the subject of closer consideration. Without a detailed understanding of their personality structure, their thinking and feeling, their social classification and their value matrix, it will hardly be possible to make the right offers to them at the right price via the right channels.
The more precisely you know your potential customerthe greater your chances of tailoring the online marketing mix precisely to their needs and expectations. For this reason, one focus of any campaign design should be the intensive consumer analysis z. e.g. in the form of a customer persona.
Product strategy - the beginning of it all
The central element and starting point of any online marketing mix is the ProductThe campaign is about the product - or the service.
The central characteristic that every offer must have: Added value for the customer.
However, added value is a variable variable. The added value of an offer can be facilitation in everyday life, more fun with a hobby, support at work, relaxation, recreation or health, to name just a few of many examples. This clearly shows that To localize the added value, you need to know the customer. If you want to place a fascinating and innovative health product on the market, it is of little use to address a target group that is currently intensively searching for the ideal destination for its next vacation.
That is why the Sound research in the search for target groups so important. The point is this, Connect with the right person at the right time with the right resources. This only works with a well-balanced online marketing mix - and that requires the right product.
In addition to the considerations of added value, the following also play a role design aspects play a role - especially in the case of physical products. Here, too, the intensive understanding of the customer is the decisive factor. Does the design fit the style of the persona to which the customer belongs? Does it correspond to his attitude to life? Does the packaging meet the requirements in terms of stylistics and signal effect?
That and a number of other questions - from the Ease of use to the functional benefit of the packaging - is part of the catalog of questions you should work through during product development. Only in this way will you arrive at a product that enables a successful online marketing mix.
Pricing - measure of sales opportunities
Does the price fit the target group? This is the key question you need to address when pricing. Of course, the calculation must include a reasonable profit margin included to secure the existence of the company - but all efforts are in vain if the price is not accepted by the target group. This would be a clear indication that something is wrong with the online marketing mix - most likely in the selection of the target group.
In addition to determining the realistic price, other elements also come into play. In many cases, factors that seem so incidental as the Terms of payment a decisive role in the success or failure of a campaign. Also Discount promotions and a balance between direct sales prices and wholesale prices are often decisive parameters.
Sales channels - the strategic course
How does your offer reach the customer? This question is one of the central challenges of a successful online marketing mix. Basically, it's a question of how much effort the customer has to make in order to obtain the purchased service.
For physical products, it boils down to the Speed and reliability of shipping logistics beyond. Also the question of Shipping costs belongs in this subject area. A striking example in this context is Zalando. The company owes its rapid growth not least to its strategy of free shipping for any size of order. In this way, Zalando has developed a USP that has remained virtually unassailable to this day.
In the case of services, the question of Accessibility the focus. Web services, where distribution often consists only of providing a download link, must in this context focus primarily on Powerful servers pay attention to those that allow speedy and trouble-free downloading. Companies that offer services in the material world, such as tax consultants or doctors, should pay particular attention to the detailed documentation of the range of servicesThe company attaches great importance to the quality of its business premises - insofar as this is necessary for customer traffic - and its accessibility.
Basically, even providers that offer services in the tangible world rely on a mature online marketing mix when it comes to acquiring new customers and building customer loyalty.
Communication - making your own offer known
In addition to the question of which content is the best way to make one's own offering known to the target group, the Choosing the right communication channels play a decisive role in the effective online marketing mix. In this area, it is above all about the Development of sales promotion campaignsbut also for brand and image building.
It is not primarily a matter of informing the potential customer in detail about the offer. Of course, this must be part of the communication strategy, but ultimately the decisive factor is the form in which the information is conveyed. Here again the close look at the target group indispensable. Information can be conveyed in a variety of ways - whether you use it to trigger the desired response depends on whether you use the Interest of the recipients have met.
"This scarf warms even in the crispest winter weather." With this description, you'll appeal to a different target audience than with, "The cozy scarf for the successful outfit in the current fashion color eggplant." Mind you, it's the same scarf. But they are two fundamentally different target groups with different priorities. A functioning online marketing mix must take such nuances into account.
Also the Communication channels depend on the target group. While some are best served via targeted mailings and advertising banners are accessible, the others are more likely to be found on networks like Instagram. Also in this context, the well-founded target group analysis the starting point of any success strategy.
Conclusion
The online marketing mix is a process for balanced application of the elements product strategy, pricing, sales channels and communication. Only when all components have been designed in the best possible way and are optimally coordinated with each other can this result in a permanent strategy the sustainable customer acquisition and retention develop