“Ever-changing” is an old term, but it is apt to describe the latest information technology. Millennials, electronics have disrupted the way people live:

‧From the previous “TV sauce rice” to today’s “never leave the machine”;

‧From the long journey to the famous store to search for favorites, now with just one finger, you can sit at home and wait for the arrival of goods.

Consumers are intoxicated by the colorful online world, which has brought about great changes in the business environment of the market. TV commercials have become obsolete and difficult to reach customers these days. The traditional propaganda media are weak and weak, and the resources available to them have gradually decreased. Hungry but without food, strength is naturally worse, in the face of various changes in the business environment, businesses hurriedly open up a way out. Looking at the four seas, online marketing has bucked the trend and naturally become a lifesaver for everyone. Online marketing is just one of the methods of digital marketing.

Digital marketing generally refers to the combination of computer technology and the Internet to achieve sales pitches. Nowadays, due to the rapid development of technology, digital marketing is no longer limited to computers, but is also applied to other platforms such as TVs, smartphones, tablets and game consoles. So that “marketing” is no longer limited by geography, time, cost and other factors.

#1.1 The importance and power of digital promotion

Digital marketing is becoming more and more popular, from the top management of companies to the marketing people who execute it, and even the individual level is aware of its importance and power.

According to the Hong Kong Audit Office, the resources devoted to digital media promotion have increased steadily in recent years, and the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to increase by 30% by 2017 compared to 2015, which is faster than that of other traditional media. The situation is similar in the U.S. market, according to the U.S. According to the Commerce Department, from the second quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2015, the growth of e-commerce has far outpaced that of traditional brick-and-mortar stores, and the sales of brick-and-mortar stores in the United States have recorded a decline on Thanksgiving.

Nowadays, online shopping is no longer the preserve of young people, with more than 50% of users aged 45 to 64 having tried online shopping, and 48% of friends over 65 years old have tried online shopping. When you start expanding into e-commerce, your products and services are already available to the world, and potential consumers around the world can reach you through your online store.

#個案分享: The big trend of e-commerce

Let me give you an example: I am a father of three children, and I want to give them better health products to enhance their health, although I already have a list of health supplements and organic foods, but because these products are not available in Hong Kong, I have to buy them online in the United States. But the longer I use this store for online shopping, the more I find it to be very competitive. Its pricing is very aggressive, and with a wide selection of items, you can already buy most of what you need in one store. In addition, it is logistically efficient and reasonably priced, and has launched a promotion that charges a flat rate of HK$40 no matter how much you buy.

In fact, e-commerce has a profound impact on every industry, even if you get the exclusivity rights in Hong Kong, customers can still buy on other websites, and with the rise of electronic business models such as Uber and Airbnb, e-commerce has fully entered our lives. Whether it’s retail or service, the ecosystem of the entire industry is changing, and if you want to keep your brand competitive, you need to understand your consumers’ spending habits and develop a tailor-made e-commerce strategy.

Digital marketing involves a number of technical operations and technical terms, such as Search Engine Marking (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Optimization (SMO) and Analytics. These new words may seem complex and difficult to understand, but they play an important role in “digital marketing”. As long as it is thoroughly understood and properly applied, the business will surely improve steadily (see Chapter ●).

Different marketing areas derived from digital marketing, such as search marketing, display marketing, video marketing, social media marketing, and mobile marketing, have their own characteristics. Marketers can tailor brand promotion according to the habits and preferences of customer groups, which is closer to customer needs than traditional media, and can also use different measurement tools to collect customer data for analysis and improve sales strategies. Only by “giving customers what they need” can they stimulate their desire to buy and make products stand out from competitors. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is the age of digital marketing, and if you can’t keep up with this trend, it’s easy to get knocked out.