2012

New Media Software Andreea Glavan

[MARKETING PLAN FOR 2012]

Executive summary
A new marketing focus, made explicit in this plan, renews New Media Softwares vision and strategic focus on adding value to the target market segments, the key influencers, resellers, end users and competitors. New Media Software (NMS) will change its focus to differentiate itself from other developers and sellers of multi-channel communications systems and call recording solutions. The marketing challenge NMS is facing is reaching out to the right audience through the right platforms in order to maximise business opportunities and also create brand awareness and recognition. This marketing plan is structured in two main sections looking at current marketing strategies issues and future development opportunities for the companys website and the social media platforms.

Situation analysis
For the purpose of developing future strategies and development of new marketing techniques the current situation of NMS needs to be analysed. In addition to this, a thorough understanding of the different target audiences is necessary in order to identify key strategies for each audience in particular both for the web page content and social media activities. The markets targeted are broken into groups according to standard classifications used my marketing companies and also the familiarity with the products which NMS is currently offering on the market. Therefore the strategies used are differentiated for the key influencers (partners like Avaya, Samsung), resellers, end users (current and potential users of the products) and competitors. In the current economic situation, businesses (small and medium enterprises in particular) are tempted to use a do-it-yourself system for their telephone or online marketing needs (telemarketing, e-mail campaigns, etc.). Through communicating the need for maximisation of productivity through the use of NMS Adaptive products to end users, NMS can increase their potential on the market and position themselves in the industry. For this purpose the content and activities on the web page and social media platforms need to facilitate the communication of the advantages of NMS products, while differentiating the Adaptive products from other similar products on the market. Building a strong brand image which communicates NMSs focus on customer experience and product development and improvement is what will differentiate NMS from its competitors. It will also offer resellers and end users a reason to choose the Adaptive products over any other similar products on the market.

Marketing plan for New Media Software Web page content

This section explains the marketing strategies as integrated parts of the companys official website.

1. Objectives
NMS needs to focus their offerings on small and medium enterprises as the key segment which should be owned. The values which NMS have to offer to the end user training, support, service, knowledge are more clearly differentiated and sought for in this sector. Therefore these values need to be communicated to the resellers which are the main channel through which NMS is targeting its end users. The main channel of communication besides the direct communication through telesales is the companys website which needs to be designed in a manner which easily communicates all the values of NMS and its Adaptive product suite.

2. Target audience
As already mentioned in the situation analysis section, differentiating the audiences to which NMS is communicating via the webpage is an important step in understanding and fulfilling the needs of each targeted group in particular. The primary audience are the resellers which need to be directed to the website for a comprehensive understanding of the Adaptive products suite and also the advantages of these products from others available on the market. Resellers will then direct prospective customers with a need for the products developed by NMS to the website if they consider this to be a very easy way to comprehend the advantages of the Adaptive products. End users are therefore the secondary audience, together with the key influencers and competitors.

3. Key strategies
A. Increase traffic on the website B. Increase sales through facilitating an understanding of the advantages of NMS Adaptive products C. Position NMS as industry leaders through evidence of credibility and accountability to current customers

4. Strategies by customer segmentation:

4.1. Resellers

NMSs main strategy for targeting resellers is through telemarketing, web-based conferences or e-mail campaigns. The advantage of these methods is the possibility of a two-way communication and the personal touch which can be added to the communication process. The disadvantage is the time and content restraint which means a lack of potential for explaining all the advantages of the product suite offered by NMS. Through directing resellers to the website the potential for this is maximised and the two types of strategies work together towards increasing sales. The communication can be initiated through the current marketing and sales techniques used by NMS and can then be continued through a very engaging and high quality content of the website. In order to aid the reseller in understanding the importance of informing the end user about the Adaptive products, a precedent is needed. Through establishing credibility via testimonials from previous users of Adaptive products, the reseller can understand what and why needs to be communicated to the end users. Therefore short testimonials with links to case studies of previous satisfied users of the Adaptive suite products can increase sales and build on the image of NMS. Also, the presentations used on the website which explain the business prospect for end users need to be made visible to the visitor. Therefore direct links to these presentations need to be made. A link to the YouTube channel could aid in communicating to both resellers and end users, as a visitor of the YouTube channel is more prone to watching multiple videos, due to user friendly organisation of videos developed by YouTube. 4.2. End Users (Small and Medium Enterprises)

While resellers have an awareness of the features of CTI systems, end users lack this knowledge and communication to them needs to be very clear and straightforward. The credibility which can be built through testimonials on the website which direct the visitor to case studies can be easily used in the case of end users also, because it offers a very clear understanding of the advantages of using the Adaptive products. While the case studies explain the business value of using the NMS products, a barrier in communicating the advantages of the Adaptive products could be the difficulty of implementing the systems and the delay in the ROI which can be perceived by the end user. In order to eliminate misconceptions about these factors which could lead to a lack of interest from the prospective user, a clear communication of the support and knowledge building offered by NMS is vital. Therefore the website needs to inform the prospective user of the Adaptive products of the importance placed by NMS on the customer experience. This can be done by publishing short brochures on the customer feedback undertaken by NMS as part of their strategy concentrating on customer experience.

4.3.

Competitors

For the purpose of developing new products and improving the existing ones, NMS is constantly monitoring input from users and resellers. Another method of ensuring the continuous development of products and services is maintaining a communication with competitors. Companies producing similar products but cater for businesses with a high volume of calls and a higher number of employees can be seen as competitors who are able to test certain features of products and services for development purposes. Through attracting them to the website a communication can be initiated and maintained with the purpose of an exchange of information and knowledge. Therefore, the interest for constant development and improvement needs to be clearly communicated on the webpage. 4.4. Key influencers

Manufacturers of telephony devices such as Samsung and Avaya can be seen as key influencers and association of NMS with these key influencers can help create a rapport with resellers due to their already established brand name and recognition in the industry. NMS needs to concentrate efforts on being featured on these companies web pages, which can lead to traffic increase. For this purpose the content of NMSs web page needs to be highly professional and engaging.

5. Budget and Resources

For the purpose of developing and maintain a highly professional content of the web page, NMS needs to ensure an investment in web development. A budget needs to be allocated for this, with a constant monitoring of the ROI and traffic on the website. The company has already developed a strong web page which can be constantly improved therefore the investment will concentrate on constant improvement and development of new sections depending on the market requirements. In order to identify the market needs an investment in constant research and monitoring of the target audiences perception and actions is highly necessary.

6. Evaluation and measurement

The ROI for the web page can be measured through the use of web analytics, which include hits, unique visitors and user sessions. These can be translated into insights, which help constant development of the web page. Through identifying popular entry pages, links to other pages can be made and this ensures a cycle which can lead to increased business opportunities and an increase in sales.

Marketing plan for New Media Software Use of Social Media

This section offers suggestions of how NMS can use Social Media platforms as an integrated part of their marketing efforts, alongside promotional materials such as presentations, podcasts, etc.

1. Objectives:
The main objective is building and maintaining the reputation of NMS through a constant communication with resellers, end users and competitors via social media platforms. In addition to this, using social media can help identifying new business prospects. The use of social media communication can reinforce and maintain the brand integrity of a company. NMS can make use of the influence created through social media engagement for the purpose of establishing the company's image as experts in the industry.

2. Target audience:
The main focus of marketing through social media is engaging the resellers, who are the primary audience. Secondary audiences are end users, who will check the validity and reliability of the product they will purchase through presence and tone of coverage on social media. Competitors are also an important part of the secondary audience.

3. Key strategies:

A. Increase engagement and number of followers on Twitter B. Create more brand awareness through LinkedIn Account C. Develop YouTube videos which show an insight into the company (staff/office environment) D. Develop company blog via Wordpress

4. Strategies by customer segmentation:

4.1.

Resellers

The resellers will buy into the business opportunity advertised and offered by NMS Adaptive products. The association with Avaya needs to be pushed to the resellers as their already established image on the market can help NMS build on their reputation. A company blog which keeps resellers updated on the product development strategies and customer feedback results will impact on the transparency of the company and will draw resellers back for updates. In order to engage with the readers and followers of the blog, the company's Twitter account can be used for constant updates regarding the blog. The content of the blog should also include interactive media, both because it helps engaging with the reader and because it would show a recognition of integrating different media types, which is what the CTI systems promote to the businesses. The LinkedIn activity should concentrate on connecting with people from NMS's database of resellers, as communication with individuals in the industry can be facilitated by LinkedIn. Also, in the same way as Facebook (but in a business environment) LinkedIn's main features are groups and news feeds which help build and maintain awareness about current and future developments.

4.2.

End Users (Small and Medium Enterprises)

The popularity of social media platforms is constantly rising, and due to this companies need to build and maintain an image on relevant and specific social media websites. The lack of presence on social media platforms could lead to a lack of transparency and credibility for the company. The lack of activity can also lead to a lack of engagement and interest from the target audience. End users are most likely to check the validity of the products promoted by a company through seeking feedback from previous users/customers of a service/product. In NMS's case, the lack of social media presence and activity on Twitter and LinkedIn (these are the most recommended due to the type of audience engaged on such media platforms, as opposed to Facebook, forums, etc.) could lead to customers (i.e.: small and medium enterprises which could benefit from CTI systems) lacking information about certain products, services etc. Testimonials of former customers can lead to new customers being more inclined to chose NMS over their competitors due to credibility and precedent created. Twitter can be useful for this purpose as the Hash Tag (i.e.: #CTIsystems) and mentions (i.e.: @NMSAdaptive) can be traced and through

retweeting, this can appear on the company's official website, while maintaining the credibility as it shows who the author of the Tweet is. In the case of LinkedIn ,the businesses that become interested in the NMS Adaptive product suite can research the company's position on the market by accessing the LinkedIn profile of the company/representatives of the company. A large spectrum of connections on LinkedIn shows an interest in former/current customers, because it shows connectivity is also maintained through social media.

4.3.

Competitors

Maintaining a constant communication can mean a possibility for market research for NMS and also credibility through association with names which are easily identifiable by potential customers, but which are not necessarily suitable for the needs of the potential NMS customer (i.e. the competitor caters for large enterprises). Twitter is a good social media platform for creating engagement with competitors, identifiable through use of # in description, constant tweets, etc. Creating a blog can also be useful in engaging with competitors, through offering insight into future product development strategies. Also, following blogs of leading companies in the industry can help with developing new products/services using the insight of market leaders that can afford to test new ideas and initiatives. Also, LinkedIn groups can help with maintaining contact with competitors, as they are becoming more and more popular.

5. Budget and resources

Most social media platforms are free to use and the ones which are suitable for NMS (Twitter,LinkedIn,Wordpress) incur charges only if the user wishes to upgrade the profile. In order to test the viability of the presence and activity on social media platforms, NMS can create a basic free profile on all the platforms mentioned. Appendix 2 is a detailed schedule for each social media platform, which determines the time invested in this marketing technique, the main resource necessary for the current campaign.

6. Evaluation and measurement

Social media evaluation and measurement is very straightforward and specific for each platform in particular. For Twitter, the number of followers, retweets, mentions and also tone of mentions and retweets can be used as measurement of effectiveness of engagement techniques used. For LinkedIn the number of connexions and the engagement in discussions and other activities carried on the LinkedIn profile are viable measurement tools. Blog measurement tools are available on wordpress.com free of charge and can be transformed in Excel spreadsheets and graphs. The end result of marketing through social media should reflect in the brand awareness and position in the market as a result of the efforts made towards presence and engagement on social media platforms, as well as increase in revenue/customer feedback.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Evaluation and ranking of social media platforms

SOCIAL MEDIA CUSTOMER LEVEL COMPETITOR PLATFORM OF USING ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY? RANK IMPLEMENTED/IM PLEMENT? COMMENTS

Twitter LinkedIn Facebook YouTube Company blog Forums

High High Medium Medium Medium High

Yes Yes Yes Not so much Not so much Not so much

1 2 6 4 3 5

Yes Yes No Maybe Yes No Outdated Wrong audience

Appendix 2
Summary of activities

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

UPDATE FREQUENCY

OBJECTIVES

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

COMMENTS

Twitter

Daily

Engage with Followers, reseller/create mentions, retweets awareness/credibility/dir ect towards blog Join groups/participate in Connexions/engage relevant ment in group discussions/make conversations connexions Engage audience presenting future plans/office environment Engage with potential customers/competitors by presenting customer feedback(testimonials) and product development plans Views/Drive to website from Youtube channel and videos Views/Number and tone of comments/Number of followers

Attention to detail and consistency with posting

LinkedIn

Daily

Youtube

Weekly

Careful monitoring of comments

Company Blog

Weekly

ACTION PLAN