Digital Marketing Roadmap: 2017 and Beyond

In this age of digital media, marketers face sharp new challenges, but they are also armed with new tools and techniques to deal with them.

At a two-hour AmCham Taipei “Digital Marketing Roadmap: 2017 and Beyond” workshop on June 14, James Chard, an independent digital media and marketing consultant and former Communications Manager at AmCham Taipei, shared insights on how to form a successful digital marketing strategy. The program included a hands-on group exercise to spark ideas on ways to develop an effective email marketing campaign.

Chard began with an overview on the current state of digital marketing, noting that consumer expectations are higher than ever. As consumer trust continues to decline and consumer savviness increases, marketers must pursue personalized, relevant, and targeted marketing strategies in order to capture and retain consumer attention. Chard highlighted the importance of technology trends in modern day digital marketing, such as the dominant role of mobile communication and the growing significance of video, chat functions, and influencer marketing, among others. He then discussed the “new customer journey,” which has shifted with the evolution of consumer needs and the expanding landscape of technological possibilities.

From left to right: Don Shapiro, Chamber’s Senior Director, James Chard, Independent Digital Media and Marketing Consultant, Andrea Wu, AmCham President

The New* Customer Journey: Pre-Purchase Stages

1. Engagement – Brand Awareness
2. Education – Problem Identification
3. Research – Investigate Solutions
4. Evaluation – Assess Satisfaction of Needs
5. Justification – Justify & Quantify Value, the Internal Buy-In
6. Purchase – Transactional and Transitional Factors

The New* Customer Journey: Post-Purchase Stages

1. Adoption – Onboarding and Implementation
2. Retention – Satisfaction and Success
3. Expansion – Up-sell, Cross-sell
4. Advocacy – Loyalty and Evangelism (winning the trust battle and getting consumers to spread the word for you)

Chard emphasized the importance of inbound marketing – pulling consumers in organically – rather than outbound marketing, which depends on fighting for consumer attention in a sea of communication messages. He concluded with an analysis of the most powerful tools to boost marketing effectiveness and best practices:

• Website
• Content
• Social media
• Search
• Email
• Ads
• Marketing Automation
• Analytics

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