Management Buy-in for eMarketing
Without the support of the management your internet marketing plans
Jun 14, 2008
To do this you need to get management buy-in to the emarketing plan. This may not be easy as some see it as a dangerous place for business and not a real marketing option.
Because of the dot com boom of the past, many senior managers are nervous about the Internet, and many marketing agencies and professionals do not see the Internet as the wonderful marketing tool it really is.
Steps to Getting Management Support for Your Online Marketing Plan
To get your company and management support you need to prove to them the value of the Internet. You need to establish the values that online marketing can bring, the benefits the technology bring to the organisation from online sales and brand awareness for better return on investment.
Set out your plan in a way that shows you have fully assessed the Internet's value to the company. Draw up the idea, look at the technology and eTools needed. Work out the cost of the applications and resources needed. Do a SWOT analysis on the costs of online advertising and your search engine optimisation costs. Look at your competition, assess their market position and the possible impact of not getting an online presence could have on your business. Assess the risk of going online vs. not going online.
Return on Investment
Every company and all management are concerned with their ROI. Department or personal return, they will want to see how any new method of marketing the business brings them benefit not just in brand awareness but more importantly in their pockets and bank balance. Your new ideas need to bring in a return or they may be axed before they have a chance to grow.
Luckily the Internet is the place that arguably has the best return on investment for your marketing budget and you can prove it. Through analytics you can prove not only how many hits or visits your site gets for the money put in but crucially how many sales. If you have an integrated eCRM system you will also be able to prove offline sales that have been brought about by online marketing.
Putting into your plan the projections of return on investment and the way you plan to control and analyse this return will win you a lot of votes. Add in facts and articles that suggest that the return on investment is higher online than any other form of marketing and you will help sway the floating voters or doubters.
Present Your Plan
There is little point in having a plan of action if you are not going to present it. You need the backing of the board and the company in general so that you get the time and resources you need to get the job done. Present your plan in a professional and structured way. Have the backing of technical information if you need it. Show you have done your research and how not going online could present more problems in the long run as competitors take the market advantage.
Action the Plan and Stay in Control
Once you get the support you need to action your plan and stay in control of it. Make sure you use the technology to achieve your plans goals and not for the sake of the technology itself. Most importantly stay within budget where possible and enjoy seeing the real return you get.
