Internet marketing as a business necessity

INTERNET MARKETING STRATEGY 
The creation of new positions like Chief Digital Officer (CDO), Chief Information Officer 
(CIO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and various others testify how important is for a 
company to keep up with trends in digital age, especially in terms of transformation of 
traditional organizational systems and cultures. Consulting firm Russell Reynolds 
Associates describes the CDO as “an individual who helps a company drive growth by 
converting traditional “analogue” businesses to digital ones, and by overseeing operations in 
the rapidly-changing digital sectors like mobile applications, social media and related 
applications, virtual goods, as well as “wild web-based information management and 
marketing” [26]. Accordingly, in the years ahead, whole marketing discipline must be 
adapted to the new business climate. Understanding Internet marketing postulates and all the 
possibilities of its channels is the essence of new age marketing strategy. 
Successful Internet marketing strategy requires integrated campaign, collaboration and 
coordination of all actions and actors, in order to avoid generating duplicate or unadjusted 
content that is not aligned with the general marketing aim. Transparency is on the highest 
level, and each activity is recorded and can be tracked [15]. “Marketers must move from the 
reactionary (cost-centre) mentality but view themselves as growth strategists – and execute a 
digital plan around their member’s buying journey – including awareness, consideration, 
purchase, adoption and advocacy.” [15]. 
Sweetwood [6; p.5] explained that the basic marketing specialist’s skills today are associated 
with data management, analytics, data governance and reporting. Besides, he highlighted the 
role of Inbound marketing and the art of engaging with customers in every point of decision 
journey, by creating a “deeper and more intelligent conversation with potential customers”. 
Inbound marketing, as one of the basic Internet marketing strategies, refers to the preferred 
and highly effective approach in reaching consumers who are overloaded with information 
from different media, and refers to catching consumer attention by providing value that will 
firstly create a relationship, develop trust and finally lead to sales [27]. 
Guidance for effective Internet marketing strategy, given by Vaughan [3] emphasizes the 
following important ingredients of “inbound” approach: 

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creating a keyword strategy and optimising website – in order to be easy found by 
customers through SEO, 

creating blog and marketing offers – driving the right people to your business and offering 
a value for them, 

promoting content through social media – using the “buzz” power of social media platforms 
and creating a group of advocates that will engage in sharing of the company’s content viral, 

converting web site traffic into leads – transforming visitors of a web site into potential 
consumers, 

nurturing leads with targeted messages – staying at the top-of-the-mind of potential 
customers and creating a desire for purchase, 

optimizing marketing for mobile viewing – making all content and offerings optimized for 
mobile devices, 

analysing and refining business and marketing strategies – conducting examination of 
marketing strategy from the beginning to the end and improving it in all points. 
Given that customers are very attracted with making an impact among members of their 
online social community, influencer marketing together with content marketing has become 
very effective and creative tools in “reaching multiple micro-markets that company wouldn’t 
traditionally reach in online or TV advertising campaigns” [15]. 
Internet marketing demands a holistic strategy and engagement of all the channels that are 
available in online space, with constant evaluation and improvement of Internet marketing 
manager skills and expertise. 
Riefenstahl [28; p.90] suggested that when planning Internet marketing strategy, companies 
should “focus on rational and emotional benefits for the company, products or services in 
each medium”. Besides, he gave the next tips that should be taken into account in making 
marketing plans [28]: 

each company should have its own web site, 

company’s web site must be optimized for desktop, iOS, Android phones and tablet usage, 

blogging is a great tool for keeping in touch with customers, and blog section on web site 
should be inspirational, 

communication should be crafted according to different interests of multiple target audiences, 

all marketing messages in each medium should be integrated carefully, 

public profiles of all employees should be in accordance with organizational image and interests, 

design of all messages is very important part of communication and driving attention, 

talking through videos and live streaming is effective in online communication, 

highlight and distinguish business from competition with a unique message, 

engaging with customers through social media is necessity, 

track customers interests and adapt permanently. 
Generally, according to Jones et al. [17], there are three general cornerstone principles of 
Internet marketing that are crucial for success in virtual market: (i) immediacy with timely 
response to the audience, (ii) personalization, and (iii) relevance of information. 
The power of marketing strategy in Internet environment, especially through social media platforms, 
is the fact that with investing less money a company can reach higher scores, and additionally, 
comparing with traditional marketplace, there are no geographical and time limitations [29].