LAS VEGAS — The four Ps of marketing are still valuable in the digital age, according to a presenter here at the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association World Congress.
Product, price, place and promotion are effective in today’s world of online marketing, Jane Gordon, senior web account executive at VGM Forbin, a custom web development company, said.
Gordon said one needs to have a clear understanding of the company’s products and know its competitors. She compared 1992 to the present on ways to reach clients and promote oneself. In 1992, ways to reach out would include newspapers, phone calls, billboards, radio and television. Today, reaching out includes websites and e-commerce, she said.
“We have to use that viral environment … in our businesses,” she said.
She discussed direct digital marketing as well as advertising using digital promotions, including landing pages, snapchat ads, mobile ads and Facebook campaigns.
“Landing pages are highly successful and they’re not expensive,” she said.
Regarding media outlets today, she said there are many channels to get to clients.
Christina Throndson, director of business development at VGM Forbin, discussed the five processes of digital promotion, including strategy, audience, positioning, crafting a message and communication.
Tools to find out where one stands compared to competitors include using search engine results placement rankings, site testing and reading customer reviews on online sites, including Yelp and Bing. To craft a message, one needs to identify the ideal marketing mix and develop a marketing communications strategy, she said. It is also important companies learn how to use Google advertising and Google alerts.
“You need to know what it is you are trying to achieve,” Throndson told O&P News. “Establishing your goals before hand – having a plan, knowing your audience and having the measurements to back it up and watch the success, is based on what you are trying to achieve.” – by Bruce Thiel
Reference:
Gordon J, et al. Back to the basics: Using the classics to make online marketing affordable. Presented at: American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association World Congress; Sept. 6-9, 2017; Las Vegas.
Disclosures:
Gordon and Throndson report no relevant financial disclosures.
