Self+Assesment

Where do I stand as an Online Advertiser and Marketer?
As part of my online marketing course, I was required to conduct a self-assessment on my learning experience based on the assignments I composed for this course (available on the portfolio page). I believe I entered this course with very little knowledge of online marketing, and marketing in general. I never realized how many new considerations the new digital era brought to the advertisement scenario. I knew it brought opportunities and new channels, but I never grasped the challenges and issues pertinent to this new field of online advertising.

For example, in lectures, I learned terms such as click rate and cost per click, that have to be acknowledged in order to create a profitable campaign. I also learned that for online ads, size does matter since each format or placement (i.e: banners, Facebook ads, skyscrappers, Twitter etc.) has its own specific standards in space or characters that can be used by an ad. Also, I finally came to terms with the fact that placement is extremely important to make sure you reach your target market.

In fact, learning how to target a market appropriately online was also extremely valuable. I now understand that is not a matter just of getting attention through your advertisements, but getting relevant attention. Even metric tools have to be used wisely, and thinking about target market. For example, the use of IP trackers instead of just number of visits to measure a website’s traffic might be a better indicator of success because it can show if the visits you get are from you target audience. Conducting surveys on consumers and tailoring your strategies to their preferences is also highly effective tools to help create a more relevant campaign and webpage. One thing I really learned in this course therefore is the importance of knowing not only your company and your product/service, but your target market as well. All the knowledge I gained in CCT 356 were applied in the three assignments I was required to do for this course.

For the Online Advertisement critique, I had the chance to look at how other companies approach online marketing and notice their strengths and weaknesses. I also managed to see how placements of these advertisements were entirely based on target market, corroborating the concepts I learned in class.

The observations I made on my critique were highly relevant to enlighten me to compose my very own online marketing campaign. I created a fictitious e-commerce store for Canadian fashion, which targets a young, north American demographic. I paid attention to the same details I observed in my critique but tailored them to my target audience. With my target market in mind I though out the best and most effective placements and formats of advertisments to get attention and generate sales. Our last assignment was the highlight of the course. As a group, we were required to compose a complete and viable market plan for a company of our choice. For this assignmnt we had to consider all the concepts and advertising strategies we learned throughout the course and determine which ones were relevant to our client. This allowed us to conduct market research, experience with Porter’s 5 force model, create a feasible strategy and support our strategy through a presentation to a “client” (our professor, Michael Jones). This was an extremely valuable experience because it gave me a feel of how to create a professional marketing plan. Working as a team was particularly fulfilling, especially in terms of brainstorming experience. Also, my group had the opportunity of pitching our strategy to the actual client, and get signed to do their website.

In sum, I believe I am now very well versed in online advertising and marketing. I entered this course as an avid web-user who didn’t even think about all the thought processes behind all the ads I saw on a daily basis, and exit it as a (beginner) online marketer strategist. I still have a lot to learn, but I believe that knowledge will come will come through experience and further instruction, which I am more than willing to gain. That said, I do think I am off to a good start!