3 months ago I walked into a classroom, put down my school bag and sat front and centre, eager to learn what this e-marketing class would entail. Oh how different my thinking is now compared to back then.
Then:
- Online marketing meant figuring out which websites were popular with your target audience and paying for ads on that site so they saw them.
- Social media marketing was creating a Facebook page and getting as many people as possible to like it, so that when you posted, lots of people saw it.
- All companies should do as much as they possibly can online (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, etc.) because the more they do the stronger online presence the will have
- The more money you paid Google, the higher up you showed on their search results.
Now:
- Online marketing, while requiring strategy and labour hours, does not require a lot of money to be successful
- Social media is for building relationships and having conversations with people…it is not for broadcasting.
- Different companies will use some online platforms, and not use others, depending on their target audience and where they “hang out”.
- Companies can do a lot to improve the quality score and optimize the search engine results of their website, without paying a cent.
- Anything online can be monitored to track success…it just requires a lot of analytical thinking, strategy and preparation.
In 23 classes I learned far more than the points mentioned, but these are the 5 main insights I will take away from this course. Things that I didn’t know before, things I found interesting, and things I know I can apply to whatever job I take after graduation.