A talk on the business and profession of digital marketing - to marketing professionals, startups, students et al - at a conference at IIT Bombay.

1. Less talked about aspects of
digital marketing
Business Conclave, eSummit,
IIT Bombay
Rohit Varma
January 30, 2016

2. The business and the profession
of digital marketing
(The real title of the talk )

3. Who is this talk for ?
Digital marketing
• end users (clients)
• agencies
• professionals

4. Where am I coming from ?
- PGDM IIMA
- ~ career
- ~ 1/2 career
- Rediff.com
- Yo4Ya.com
(Social networking)
- ~ ¼ career
- In-house (Aptech)
- Agency (Interskale)

5. 1. Digital marketing is - first and
foremost - marketing

6. Digital marketing is firstly marketing..
Same success factors apply e.g.
Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning
Extension of ‘direct marketing’ –
1-to-1 marketing
Same challenges apply e.g. how do we
build a brand
Should be preceded by education in
marketing – But where from ?

7. So why do we (clients and agencies)
begin discussions
on digital marketing
with SEO, SMO, PPC, SEM, ORM
and the like.. ?

8. 2. Good digital marketing needs
multiple skills

9. Marketing
Content and
editorial
Visual Design
Product
management
Web
Technologies
Analytics
Creative
Technical
Customer
acquisition
Brand
management
Effective digital marketing
needs multiple skills !

10. 3. The digital marketing discipline is
moving ahead at warp speed

11. An innovation a day.. more features,
more products..
Google Adwords
Facebook AdsLinkedIn Ads
Twitter Ads

12. The field is moving at warp speed..
• There is an industry innovation every other day.
• Platforms are getting increasingly sophisticated.
• Degrees & certifications do not exist; nor can
they be dynamic enough
Consequently =>
• Digital marketers have a learning challenge
• Clients continue to lag behind in understanding

13. 4. Who’s using or wants to use
digital marketing ?

14. Everyone.

15. The digital marketing industry is
witnessing an explosion
in demand from all organizations -
big and small, old and new..

16. More small organizations than big,
many of the old and all of the new.

17. 5. How do you get good digital
marketing work done ?

18. Doing digital marketing:
In-house or agency ?

19. Getting good work done by a digital
marketing agency..
1. Agency selection: Carefully done
2. Marketing objective: Clear
3. Brief: Thorough
4. Process: Agreed
5. Relationship: Nurtured

20. Some more observations

21. 6. What platform do I use ?

22. What platform do I use?

23. 7. Google vs. Facebook as a
digital marketing platform

24. Google & Facebook: Pros and Cons
• Platform:
- Google most evolved platform
- Facebook caught up a bit in 2015
• Challenges:
- Google getting expensive
- Facebook unpredictable
• Not a Coke vs Pepsi choice BUT
an Apple and an Orange
(usually need both)

25. 8. Digital marketing and the
mobile phone: challenges

26. Digital marketing and mobile:
challenges
• How do you get a mobile user to click an ad?
• Will consumer fill an enquiry form on the
mobile ??
• Will he install and use your app ?

27. 9. What is the most underestimated
digital marketing tool ?

28. The company website.

29. A final word..

30. The Internet.. where is it all going
Source: Internet Trends 2015: Mary Meeker, KPCB

31. Summing up
1. DM* is first and foremost marketing
2. Good DM needs multiple skills
3. Field of DM is moving ahead at warp speed
4. Everyone wants to use DM
5. How do we get good DM done ?
6. There are many DM options, a few are essential
7. DM on mobile is a work in progress
8. Don’t undervalue your website
* Digital marketing !

32. Questions to ponder
1. How do we reconcile - explosion in DM
technologies and demand - versus DM skills
available ?
2. How do you get the best value from your DM
agency ?
3. What is needed to be a successful digital
marketer?

33. Thanks !
Rohit Varma
rohit@interskale.in
linkedin.com/in/rohitvarma
marketerskaleidoscope.com
Interskale Digital Marketing and Consulting
www.interskale.in