2. Information Technology in Marketing
Information technology professionals with products and services to offer potential customers benefit
from using strategic marketing to reach their target market. A variety of resources are available to
these professionals to achieve their sales objectives. Trade shows, strategic advertising, informative
white papers and free product trials are all components of an effective marketing strategy.
On-line communities and web-sites
Web-site development and e-commerce need to be in place as another arm of your channels of
distribution. The most effective web-sites are those that provide customers with a space to
communicate and share information among themselves and with your employees. These on-line
communities can be an extension of your market and market research.
Web-applications
It is becoming more important that sites are functional, interactive and not just informational. It
develop a range of practical, easy-to-use, distributed web-applications for managing on-line
services, from information sharing to member-based communities, to social-commerce
platforms.
Two Types of Information Technology Used in Marketing
Technology is increasingly being integrated into marketing departments because if provides a way to
reach more target customers and get immediate results regarding the effectively of marketing efforts.
Two important technologies used by marketing department today are search engine optimization
(SEO) and social media.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO is a technology used for companies to obtain high ranking in the search engine result pages
(SERPs). Marketing departments employ SEO to get high ranking for terms their target customers use
to search for their products or services.
Components of SEO
One component of SEO is content creation and syndication. By placing content on the web, with links
to a company's site, people are driven to the site. Articles are placed on multiple articles directories
and made available to other websites as long as they retain the links to a company's site. A company
blog is set up to attract company prospects to information they are interested in. Another SEO
component is video creation and syndication. Google's purchase of YouTube attests to the importance
video is playing in Internet marketing. To increase search engine ranking videos are placed on video
portals such as YouTube with links placed to a company's website. SEO also involves syndicating
company content using a method called real simple syndication (RSS). RSS places the content of a
company's web site and update into an electronic stream of information to which people can
3. subscribe. As new information is published, web users receive immediate notification. RSS
information is read using software called feed readers.
Social Media
Social media is rapidly overtaking older technology such as email. According to the research firm
Gartner, by 2014 social media will replace email. Social media is Web-based technology that easily
allows users to publish content on the Internet and interact with each other. A type of social media
includes blogs, wikis and forums. One of the differences between social media and traditional print
publications is that publishing comes from both the reader and content provider.
Social Media and Marketing Departments:
Social media provides a way for the marketing departments to get immediate feedback on what the
public thinks of the company. It brands a company but also brings with it the risk of a poor reputation
if a company does not serve customers well or if those using social media misrepresent a company.
Information technology tools that are using in marketing:
Websites: Having web design, development maintenance skills can definitely be an advantage for
individuals who want to work in marketing. The level of web skill necessary varies from one
company to another. In some organizations, marketing professionals are expected to handle every
aspect of creating a website, including design, programming, security, content development and more.
In other organizations, marketing employees work closely with in-house programmers or an outside
web development firm on the technical aspects of site management.
Social Media: With so many companies incorporating social networking into their promotional
efforts, marketing professionals need to be well versed in the use of popular social media technologies
as tools for attracting new business and building customer relationships. Marketers are often
responsible for setting up and managing Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for their companies,
publishing video content to YouTube, and establishing LinkedIn profiles for key company personnel.
Blogging: Many marketing is involved in setting up and managing blogs for their companies.
Computerized Presentations: Marketers are often responsible for creating computerized sales and
marketing presentations using PowerPoint or other applications.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: Companies often use sophisticated CRM
software applications to keep track of all types of customer contact, including sales calls,
presentations, purchases,complaints and more. Marketers need to be able to access information that is
in the system as well as input additional data as it becomes available.
Email Communication: Marketing is rely heavily on one-on-one email communication in order to
accomplish their work. Email communication is quite common with customers, prospects, coworkers,
member of the media and others.
4. Email Marketing: Many companies rely heavily on email marketing as a way of attracting new
business and building relationships with current and past customers. Marketers are often responsible
for building and maintaining an email marketing database as well as creating e-newsletters and email
advertisements.
Graphic Design Software: Marketers who are involved in designing advertisements and collateral
materials, such as brochures and newsletters,for their companies are expected to be well versed in the
use of graphic design software applications like In Design, Photo Shop and more.
Mobile Communications:Active mobile communications are fairly new to the party. However that
doesn't mean that this technology is a weak link. Today's mobile marketing applications and
"wrapper" technologies allow companies to leverage communications in a focused and highly
personal context. Systems like Indianapolis-based Tetherball allow marketeers to package commercial
messages,then make information available to a global audience easily, and without irritating the user.
The systems are also able to offer an immediate response capability, binding a seller with a buyer in a
spontaneous manner.
Streaming Media: Whether audio or video (or both), streaming media regularly allows for significant
and global audience penetration in a noninvasive way. Platforms such as YouTube allow the marketer
to literally put "any" message in front of a global audience. All the company needs is a script, a
computer and a low-cost webcam, and your messages can be displayed in front of buyers, sellers and
business partners anywhere in the world.
Where Information Technology not connected in Marketing
Given the Internet’s tremendous rise in popularity, today’s marketers refer to other media channels
that aren’t connected to the World Wide Web as “offline.” Offline marketing strategies utilize offline
media channels to create awareness of a company’s products and services. These campaigns can
include radio and print advertising – including billboards, signs and pamphlets – telemarketing, and
television ads
Catalogues
Brochures
Flyers
Exhibitions
Adverts (newspaper/magazine)
Sponsorship
Newsletters
Business Cards,postcards, and posters made
Networking
Speak or Table at a Conference.
White Papers
Trade Shows
Free Trials. Etc
5. Benefits of using Information Technology in marketing sector:
In general, IT (Information Technology) has brought about significant improvements in Business
operations and in the entire human life as whole. Information technology (IT) benefits the business
world by allowing organizations to work more efficiently and to maximize productivity. Faster
communication, electronic storage and the protection of records are advantages that IT can have on
your enterprise. Information technology has to do with computer applications, on which nearly every
work environment is dependent. Since computerized systems are so widely used, it is advantageous to
incorporate information technology into your organization. For examples
Businesses to be open 24 x7 all over the globe.
Storing and Protecting Information
Automated Processes
Work Remotely
Communication
Cost Effectiveness
Bridge the cultural gap and Exchange of views and ideas thus increasing awareness and
reducing prejudice.
Functionality and Flexibility
Improve internal operating efficiency and quality.
