Why eMarketing?

In our current competitive business environment marketing is more essential now than ever. In most industries the big companies are fighting for market share, relying on innovative products and marketing strategies to outdo each other and to grow. As consumers rapidly expand their use of the Internet for work, play and commerce, it is only fitting that businesses include this medium in their outreach. This is where eMarketing becomes critical. eMarketing can be defined as applying marketing principles and techniques via electronic media and more specifically the Internet. The terms eMarketing, Internet marketing and online marketing, are frequently interchanged, and can often be used synonymously. eMarketing includes both direct (mobile applications, eBlast and eNewsletters) and indirect marketing elements (websites, social media, etc.) and uses a range of technologies to help connect businesses to their customers. It encompasses all activities a business conducts via the worldwide web with the aim of attracting new business, retaining current business and developing and extending its brand identity. Here in Jamaica many companies are now using eMarketing to push their brands, products and services. For example, the Scotia Group is very active in social media and there is daily interaction with fans/followers through posts, competitions and online seminars. The Jamaica Observer recently launched a mobile app to give readers easy access to the news, any place, any time. On the international scene, phone giants T-Mobile and AT&T, among others, are heavily into online advertising, social media, mobile apps and much more. Even universities are using this marketing strategy to promote their programmes and interact with current and prospective students. One reason eMarketing is growing is that it gives a better return on investment (ROI) over traditional means of marketing. It is often cheaper and connects with a much larger audience. One Internet advertisement can be seen right across the world for a relatively low price. The Internet is now the most powerful marketing force in most markets of the world, and can no longer be ignored. It is a means to aggressively engage a company’s local market and be a window for anyone else interested in your service or product. For marketers, the Internet is at the forefront of a redefinition of way businesses interact with their customers.