We have started the year 2021 at “full speed” and are continuing to support the development of entrepreneurship in Serbia and beyond. That is why we have organized, in cooperation with the Association of Business Women in Serbia (http://www.poslovnezene.org.rs/en/), this year’s first webinar titled “Introduction to Digital Marketing”, based on the needs and wishes of the members of the Association.

Our CEO Manuela Stamatović was the presenter at this two-hour long interactive webinar, at which she introduced the members of the Association with the interesting and wide topic of digital marketing and how they can ‘put it to use’ in the best way for the further development of their businesses.

The webinar included 3 key segments:

  • Digital Marketing – Part of the Business Strategy
  • The Basic Elements of Digital Marketing
  • The Digital Marketing Plan

In this Blog text, we are sharing with you an overview of the webinar, as well as the most important information and conclusions.

Digital Marketing – Part of the Business Strategy

As in any good business practice, the starting point also for this webinar was the long-term development strategy of a company and the question why it is important that digital marketing is not only an integral part of marketing, but the overall business strategy. Only after understanding the needs of the customer and the overall picture of the business, as well as the role of marketing in its development, did the webinar cover the basic elements of digital marketing and the tools to use in marketing activities.

Digital marketing is not something a company can do sporadically – it needs to be part not only of the firm’s marketing strategy, but of the overall business strategy. It is exactly because of the integrated approach and aligned communication with consumers why digital marketing needs to be a part of all marketing activities and not separated as something different.

The Basic Elements of Digital Marketing

For the segment of small and medium enterprises, for which we are specialized at Puzzle Consulting, we have selected 8 key elements of digital marketing that can help the growth and development of a business:

  • WEBSITE + SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  • PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING (Google Advertising)
  • DISPLAY ADVERTISING (Banners)
  • MOBILE MARKETING
  • SOCIAL MEDIA
  • INFLUENCERS
  • E-MAIL MARKETING
  • PODCASTS

Each of these elements has been presented and explained in the webinar, in addition to advice and the proposal of tools for their implementation and execution in any company. Depending on the size of a firm, its business plan, marketing and financial resources, the chosen elements can vary, but each of the listed digital marketing tools is relevant in the building of a digital presence and the overall positioning and development of a brand.

The participants of this online course had the chance to share their impressions via an online survey after the webinar. One of the questions that we would like to share is which topics from the webinar do they consider most relevant for their business and the most popular segments were SOCIAL MEDIA, followed by WEBSITE + SEO, and third came INFLUENCERS.  

The Digital Marketing Plan

In the last part of the webinar, Manuela has touched on the importance of planning and objective setting for all activities done in a company. The starting point always needs to be the business strategy of an enterprise with the accompanying marketing strategy, whereas the objectives are a tool with which development and results of executed activities can be monitored. Once goals are defined, a detailed activity plan can be set. 

Looking at business strategy and the presented digital marketing elements, in this last segment of the webinar attendees received recommendations and concrete tools for objective setting, the defining of activities connecting them with their digital marketing activities. In addition, they also got a template for the construction of a digital marketing plan that can help them in their future planning and work.

At the end of the presentation, Manuela concluded the lecture with some of the most common mistakes that happen in practice which are:

  • Not setting objectives and not continuously measuring results
  • Defining a too ambitious plan – too many planned activities for a short period of time
  • No clear role distribution in the team, i.e. who is responsible for which task and activity
  • Incomplete customer journey (missing after-sales activities)
  • Not hiring an expert for select digital marketing domains

The webinar “Introduction to Digital Marketing” has been organized as part of the Puzzle Consulting Education program (https://www.puzzle-consulting.com/en/education/), with the goal to support the further development of knowledge and skills of owners and employees in small and medium enterprises. It is Puzzle Consulting’s mission to help and support the fostering of this market segment, with a special focus on female entrepreneurship.

If you would like to know more about this webinar and how to receive the materials, or you are interested in the support for your business, please contact us under: mypuzzle@puzzle-consulting.com

Together, we can have a look at the aspects and needs of your company and create a plan for its further growth and development.

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