2. INTRODUCTION
E-marketing means using digital technologies such
as websites, mobile devices and social networking to
help reach your customers, create awareness of your
brand and sell your goods or services. The basics of
marketing remain the same - creating a strategy to
deliver the right messages to the right people.
3. E-MARKETING PLAN
The E-Marketing plan is a guiding, dynamic document for e-marketing
strategy formulation and implementation. The purpose is to help the
firm achieve its desired results as measured by performance metrics
according to the specifications of the e-business model and E-
Business strategy. Although some entrepreneurs use a napkin plan to
informally sketch out their ideas, a venture capital e-marketing plan
will help show that the e-business idea is solid and the entrepreneur
has an idea of how to run it.
4. E-MARKETING PLANNING
PROCESS
The e-marketing planning process entails three steps:
Marketing plan creation
Plan implementation
Plan evaluation/corrective action.
5. CREATING AN E -MARKETING
PLAN
The e-marketing plan is a blueprint for e-marketing strategy
formulation and implementation. It serves as a road map to
guide the direction of the firm, allocate resources, and
make tough decisions at critical junctures.
6. The Napkin Plan
The idea that many dot.com entrepreneurs were known to simply jot their
ideas on a napkin over lunch or cocktails and then run off to find financing.
This is also known as the just-do-it, activity-based, bottom-up plan.
The Venture Capital E-Marketing Plan
Dot.com’s can be financed privately through angel investors or
family/friends, or through venture capitalists. Venture capitalists invest in
good ideas with competent people running the business and generally look for
an exit plan to get their money and profits out of the venture within a few
years.
7. SEVEN-STEP E-MARKETING
PLAN
Seven key planning elements include
Situation Analysis
E-Marketing strategic planning
The plan objectives
E-Marketing strategy
9. ADVANTAGES OF
E-MARKETING PLAN
Eliminating elements of the traditional distribution chain
Increases possibilities of greater revenue
Saves on traditional marketing costs (printing, postage)
Increases target market to world-wide audience
10. COMMON QUESTIONS REGARDING
E-MARKETING PLAN
Why do e-marketing plans need an evaluation component?
How do managers use budgeting within the e-marketing planning
process?
Why do entrepreneurs seeking funding need a venture capital e-
marketing plan rather than a napkin plan?
11. WHY DO E-MARKETING PLANS NEED
A N E VA L UAT I O N C O M P O N E N T ?
Once the e-marketing plan is implemented, its success depends on
continuous evaluation. In general, today’s firms are quite ROI driven.
As a result, e-marketers must show how their intangible goals, such as
brand building or CRM, will lead to higher revenue down the road.
Also, they must present accurate and timely metrics to justify their
initial and ongoing e-marketing expenditures throughout the period
covered by the plan.
12. H OW D O M A N AG E R S U S E BU D G E T I N G
WITHIN THE E-MARKETING PLANNING
PROCESS?
A key part of any strategic plan is to identify the expected returns from an investment. These can then be
matched against costs to develop a cost/benefit analysis, ROI calculation, or internal rate of return (IRR),
which management uses to determine whether the effort is worthwhile.
This would include forecasting of revenue, intangible benefits, and cost savings. Revenue forecasting would
estimate the level of Web site traffic over time, because this number affects the amount of revenue a firm can
expect to generate from its site. Revenue streams that produce Internet profits come mainly from Web site
direct sales, advertising sales, subscription fees, affiliate referrals, sales at partner sites, commissions, and other
fees. Intangible benefits are much harder to budget for, how does a manager account for brand equity or
increased brand awareness? Putting a financial figure on such benefits is challenging but essential for e-
marketers. Finally, money saved through Internet efficiencies is considered soft revenue for a firm. Examples
of savings could include those from channel markups, not having to printing direct mail advertisements,
postage, etc.
13. WHY DO ENTREPRENEURS SEEKING FUNDING NEED
A VENTURE CAPITAL E -MARKETING PLAN RATHER
THAN A NAPKIN PLAN?
Investors are looking for a well-composed business plan, and more importantly, a
good team to implement it. The plan prepared by entrepreneurs for VCs should be
about eight to ten pages long and contain enough data and logic to prove that (1) the
e-business idea is solid and (2) the entrepreneur has some idea of how to run the
business.
Napkin plans on the other hand are not recommended when substantial resources are
involved. This is because sound planning and thoughtful implementation are needed
for long-term success in business and e-business. This principle became increasingly
evident during the dot-com shakeout.
