Definitions of Emarketing vs Internet vs Digital marketing

I’ve been asked this question a lot across the years… does the difference in scope between these terms matter? I always answer, no it doesn’t really matter, but the scope of responsibility is important to make the most of managing the opportunities. So the scope of Emarketing activities does need to be agreed within a business or between a company and its agencies. The books I’ve written have actually had three different titles, updated with the times. I started with Internet Marketing, then Emarketing and in 2012 renamed the original Internet Marketing book to Digital Marketing, about time too! marketing definition E-marketing can be considered to be equivalent to Internet marketing and Digital Marketing. Most in the industry would look at it this way. However, E-marketing is sometimes considered to have a broader scope than Internet marketing since it refers to digital media such as web, e-mail and wireless media, but also includes management of digital customer data and electronic customer relationship management systems (E-CRM systems). Digital marketing definition Digital marketing is yet another term similar to E-marketing. It’s a term increasingly used by specialist digital marketing agencies and the new media trade publications. The Institute of Direct Marketing has also adopted the term to refer to its specialist professional qualifications. To help explain the scope and approaches used for digital marketing working with the IDM in 2005 I developed a more detailed definition than the simple one at the start of this post to better scope it and show how digital marketing needs to be closely aligned to broader marketing objectives and activities: “Digital marketing involves: Applying these technologies which form online channels to market, that’s Web, e-mail, databases, plus mobile/wireless & digital TV) To achieve these objectives: Support marketing activities aimed at achieving profitable acquisition and retention of customers… within a multi-channel buying process and customer lifecycle Through using these marketing tactics: Recognising the strategic importance of digital technologies and developing a planned approach to reach and migrate customers to online services through e-communications and traditional communications. Retention is achieved through improving our customer knowledge (of their profiles,behaviour, value and loyalty drivers), then delivering integrated, targeted communications and online services that match their individual needs”. The first part of the definition illustrates the range of access platforms and communications tools that form the online channels which e-marketers use to build and develop relationships with customers. The access platforms or hardware include PCs, mobile phones and interactive digital TV (IPTV) and these deliver content and enable interaction through different online communication tools such as organisation web sites, portals, search engines, blogs , e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging. Some also include traditional voice telephone as part of digital marketing. The second part of the description shows that it should not be the technology that drives digital marketing, but the business returns from gaining new customers and maintaining relationships with existing customers. It also emphasises how digital marketing does not occur in isolation, but is most effective when it is integrated with other communications channels such as phone, direct mail or face-to-face. As we have said, the role of the Internet in supporting multi-channel marketing is another recurring theme in this book and chapters 5 and 6 in particular explain its role in supporting different customer communications channels and distribution channels. Online channels should also be used to support the whole buying process from pre-sale to sale to post-sale and further development of customer relationships. Multi-channel marketing Customer communications and product distribution are supported by a combination of digital and traditional channels at different points in the buying cycle The final part of the description summarises approaches to customer-centric e-marketing. It shows how success online requires a planned approach to migrate existing customers to online channels and acquire new customers by selecting the appropriate mix of e-communications and traditional communications. Retention of online customers needs to be based on developing customer insight by researching their characteristics, behaviour, what they value, what keeps them loyal and then delivering tailored, relevant web and e-mail communications. Customer insight definition Knowledge about customers needs, characteristics, preferences and behaviours based on analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. Specific insights can be used to inform marketing tactics directed at groups of customers with shared characteristics