The pilot conduct of the Institute’s Online Digital Marketing Course (ODMC) took place last November 19 to December 17, 2020, where 39 participants took interest with the maiden course offering. The 4-week course is a self-phased learning module with required virtual meetings to complete the program.
The ODMC is designed for MSMEs to have a full understanding that digital marketing is the key to many businesses today. It imparts the importance of digital marketing when creating and running a business and what awaits the future in the booming online business.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, operating businesses took big leaps and whether they are ready or not, our MSMEs have a solution, one that is tech-savvy, adoptive and insightful. MSMEs recognize the emergence of digital platforms that become useful tools for businesses that constantly look for ways for improvement. These online media platforms seek marketing strategies to advertise a product or a brand which simply connects with the target audience, or the consumer, in order to build a brand, convert sales and optimize web traffic.
The widespread use of social media has forced the majority of small businesses to migrate and to create Facebook pages, Market Place, Instagram shops and community groups while new business ideas hatch and the existing brands transform their trade and services to e-commerce. These aggressive businesses seek long-term goals by fine tuning their brands with a responsive website. Definitely, digital marketing applies a different marketing approach.
This area of digital marketing “involves publishing useful content on your social media platforms, listening to and being able to engage well with your followers. By doing so, you also get to analyze your results as well as run social media advertisements.” (Madrid, 2020)
With the ODMC offering, market research, email marketing campaigns, content marketing, and among others are the significant concepts being discussed in the course. Likewise, familiarity with the marketing principle is the key point and one of the objectives of the course. The final work involves the formulation of a feasible digital marketing plan that best describes one’s business potentials.
“Given the business goals, there are alternatives and more effective means to achieve the objectives. To become a creative and strategic digital marketer, you need to know more than how to perform specific marketing tasks, using a specific tool on a specific digital platform. The key to a winning digital strategy is to anticipate your consumer’s needs.” (Villena, 2020)
The ODMC is one of UP ISSI’s online regular training programs being offered under the Institute’s Management System (LMS). The course is a blended learning using Virtual Learning Environment website at https://learning.entrepreneurship.org.ph and through Zoom meetings.
This July, the 4th edition of ODMC will run from July 3 to August 7 for a total of 6 Saturdays. For more information on the program, you may visit UP ISSI’s latest Training Calendar.
References:
Madrid, V. M. (2020, May 10). How can social media help you achieve your business goals? Retrieved May 2021, from Echo Manila: https://www.echomanila.com/2020/05/how-social-media-marketing-help-your.html
Villena, D. D. (2020, December 27). Takeaways from Online Digital Marketing Course. Retrieved May 2021, from DeiVille: https://www.deiville.com/takeaways-from-online-digital-marketing-course/
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