Do Business Well

You can also use the Internet and commercial online services to launch your BBS. For example, you can put the connection software for your BBS on a Web site. If someone is interested in joining the BBS, they download the software from your site and install it on their computer. This saves you the trouble and cost of mailing a disk to new subscribers.

In general, the proactive approach is the best way to get a BBS started. If you want people to connect electronically to your company, go to their home or office and set up the system on their computer. You need to be proactive because many people do not have the motivation or the inclination to install new capabilities on their computer. But once the software is set up, they will use the BBS to communicate with your company. So get out there and be proactive.

The Ongoing Process

Following the successful launch of your program, keep it exciting and vibrant by constantly changing the content, and look for new _opportunities. Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing is an ongoing interactive process.

The four-activities process: The digital marketing process is comprised of four ongoing activities: gathering, storing, processing, and distributing digital information. How efficiently and creatively you perform these activities determines the long-term success of your digital marketing program.

1. Gather information: Using digital tools such as smart cards, interactive voice mail, online survey forms, and point-of-sale equipment, you gather information about your customers and place it in a database. You also gather content for your digital promotions such as text, graphics, pictures, sound, and video.

2. Store digital information: You store digital information and make it available to your employees, suppliers, and customers. For example, you can provide your customers with an online database of bonsai tree farms, or place digital audio messages on your interactive voice mail system.

3. Process information: You assemble your digital information into different forms. For example, you can pull together text, sound, and graphics to create a Web site, or process data in your customer database to generate a report on spending patterns.

4. Distribute information: You distribute information using a variety of digital and traditional tools. For example, you can send out weekly e-mail messages to all your customers on the Internet.

When your digital marketing program is under way, you do all four of these activities on a day-to-day basis. You must deal with the constant flow of digital information. You store some of the bits and discard the rest. You take the stored data and process it into many different forms. And then you distribute the reassembled bits to your customers and prospects. Then you repeat the cycle.

To help you manage this process, here are a few words of advice_:

Delegate someone as the administrator of the digital marketing process. Their job is to keep the flow of bits and bytes moving efficiently through the system.

Use digital technology to automate the flow of bits and bytes whenever possible.

Eliminate the manual entry of customer data by gathering it using digital tools, such as online survey forms and interactive voice mail.

Use automated software, such as fax and e-mail broadcast utilities, to distribute digital information. For example, you can use an e-mail list server to notify customers when you’ve made changes to your Web site or BBS.

So remember: digital marketing is an ongoing process. Unlike traditional marketing, you can’t just run some advertising and wait for the telephone to ring. You have to be actively involved on a continuous basis.

The Expansion of Your Program

As time goes by, you’ll want to expand your digital marketing program. You might start off with a Web site and then decide to produce a CD-ROM or add an interactive voice-response system. You might decide to add a calling card loyalty program or a fax-on-demand system. The key is to make sure any equipment you buy is compatible with your existing infrastructure. Ideally, you want all your digital tools and processes to be compatible.

The most important digital tool to expand is your customer database. As the amount of customer information grows, analyze and segment it regularly. Ask yourself: “Are there new markets I should pursue? Are there new segments I should target with special promotions? Are there new products and services I can offer these segments?”

If you’re thinking about adding a new element to your digital marketing program, return to your original plan. Ask yourself: “Does this new component help me realize my Digital Vision? Does it fit into the digital profile of my customer database? Will it attract people to my Digital Domain?” If you ask yourself these questions, you’ll know which expansion ideas make sense, and which ones don’t. The important thing is to keep your digital marketing program on track by constantly referring to your original vision.

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