Learning Contract for Digital Marketing Practices in Small Scale Organizations

This learning contract focuses on analyzing the benefits of digital marketing practices in small scale organizations. It includes the problem statement, learning outcomes, justification, methods, timetable, and evidence of accomplishment.

Student Details
LEARNING CONTRACT

Contents
Section 1: Student and Course Detail....................................................................................................2
Section 2: Focus.....................................................................................................................................2
Aim or Problem Statement:...............................................................................................................2
Learning Outcomes:...........................................................................................................................2
Section 3: Justification of the undertaken project:................................................................................3
Section 4: Methods................................................................................................................................4
Section 5: Timetable..............................................................................................................................5
Section 6: Evidence of accomplishment................................................................................................5
Section 7: References............................................................................................................................6
1

Appendix 1:-
Section 1: Student and Course Detail
Student Name: ABC
Tutor: ABC
Selected Project or Pathway: Analysing the benefits of Digital Marketing practices in a small
scale organization.
Section 2: Focus
Aim or Problem Statement:
Background of organization and the problem:
AMC square is a small scale organization operating in the publishing industries. The
organization recruits in-house technical writers and professionals and prepare books
belonging to the technical domain. (Anon, 2018) The organization was set up in the year
2012, in the last 6 years the organization has been successfully able to empower its
employee base but the organization has not been able to develop a strong and dependable
client side. The core reason behind the same is the intense market competition coupled
with lack of effective advertising and marketing practices being implemented by the
organizational management. The limited financial resources available with the organization
can be referred to as the reason behind this ineffective planning. (Plus, 2018) This has
eventually impacted the brand awareness level of the organization in the market hence
leading to a potential problem and the requirement of revamping the marketing practices
being used by the organization.
Problem Statement:
“Lack of effective marketing and advertisement practices being implemented by the
organization to target the Core market and increase brand awareness”.
The focus will be on solving the same using digital marketing approach.
Suggested Course of Action:
In order to tackle these issues and ensure better financial optimization of the resources
available within the organization, DIGITAL MARKETING can be suggested as the ideal
practice for the organization (operating at small scale). (Heldman, 2017)
In this proposed project, the aim will be on analysis the fact that how digital marketing
practices can be used to optimize the marketing and advertisement practices of a small scale
organization.
Learning Outcomes:
Project Planning Learning:
The planning related learning outcomes for this project include:
2

 Analyse a situation and identify the key reasons behind the issue.
 Identify and articulate strategies to address the key requirements of the project.
 Demonstrate the background knowledge relevant to the project and the target topic
 Evaluate the effectiveness of the areas that are suggested as recommended actions
to target the key ideas.
Core:
The predicted learning outcomes for the proposed project include:
 The meaning and importance of digital marketing.
 The impact of the digital marketing on the business efficiency or process.
 The potential benefits of using digital marketing for a small scale organization.
 Different digital marketing practices that the organization can use for their business
optimization
Section 3: Justification of the undertaken project:
The social presence of an organization is one of the crucial factors that decide the
perspective of the customers or the market towards an organization and its services.
(Phillips, Bothell and Snead, 2012) This social presence of the organization is highly related to
the brand awareness level of the organization and how it can be used to impact the
behavior of the customers towards the products and the services offered by the
organization. (Springer, 2010) Traditionally, physical marketing practices like door-to-door
marketing, advertising, sponsorships etc. were amongst the top pics of the organization but
with the advent of the technological age, practices like digital marketing, Social media
marketing etc. have grown on to become a preferred choice for the businesses. (Phillips,
Bothell and Snead, 2012)
As in case of small scale organizations, it allows them to reach out to a far greater or
expanded market section with the help of digital channels and platforms like digital media,
social handles etc. (Springer, 2010) Digital marketing provides them with a cost effective way
to reach or cover a larger geographical area and generate potential business leads and
customer domain. As evident, the hike in the technological trend has considerably impacted
the daily practice of general public who now intend to spend more time on social handles
and platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. These users usually conduct an online
search for the product and the services they intend to use and then conduct the required
business or transactions online.
Consider an example, when a user googles for a food shop near him, he is more likely to visit
the first two or three links that are displayed. (Phillips, Bothell and Snead, 2012)The reason
behind the same is the trust that is established in the customers or the users following the
positioning of the brand in the top pages of google or any other search engine. Now, while
selecting them from the first 3-4 links the user will analyze the position of each of the
service providers and the reviews that other customers of the organization have posted on
the different social media handle. This will further affect the perspective of the person
conducting the search and how he or she perceives the organization and its services, hence,
in turn, impacting the overall decision of the user.
3

Digital marketing approach intends to target these users and convert the users into
potential business leads for the organization. (Rocha et al., 2013) In order to achieve the
same, the organization tries and impact the perspective and the behavior of the customers
towards the organization. This, in turn, helps them build positive social media presence and
a positive brand awareness. (Phillips, Bothell and Snead, 2012)The key strategies that are
generally used to target the user perspective and behavior include:
 SEO or Search engine optimization for ensuring that the website or the business of
the organization ranks amongst the top links as displayed on the google or any other
search engine. (Rocha et al., 2013)
 SMO or Social media optimization. The purpose of social media optimization is to
ensure that the band or the organization sustains or poses a positive image on the
social media handles like Facebook, YouTube, twitter etc.
 SMM or Social media marketing where the organization intends to advertise or
market its products and services for sales using the social media channels and the
platforms. (Hanna, 2010)
There are several other strategies like email marketing, mobile marketing etc. which intends
to address the common purpose of creating a positive social image and strong trust
relationship with the client side. (Hanna, 2010)
Undertaking this project will allow me to learn the impact of these practices on an
organization and how one can effectively utilize these methodologies to address the issues
of the organization he or she works in. Additionally, learning about digital marketing and its
practices in a small scale organization will add to my existing knowledge set and then help
me progress towards a more successful and growth-oriented carrier in the same domain.
(Phillips, Bothell and Snead, 2012)
Adding such skills to my knowledge and skill portfolio will help me to gain the operational
knowledge about the use of such skills in a live environment. In addition to this, throughout
this project, I will able to undertake and track some of the essential skills that are required
for a better execution and implementation of the project.
Section 4: Methods
Finalized Methodology or pathway:
For this particular project I intend to follow a research methodology where the prime focus
will be on conducting the research and collecting information relevant to the following
sequence of tasks:
Initial Phase Methods:
 Understanding the nature of the organization and the industry it works in.
 Understanding the target market and the core market the organization wants to
target.
 Observing and analyzing the customer demographics of the target market in order to
get a clear picture of their preferences and behaviors. (Springer, 2010)
4

Execution phase:
 Understanding and evaluating different digital marketing strategies, their focus
areas, the key benefits that they offer.
 Mapping the business requirements of the target organization with that of the
obtained or analyzed business of the organization. (Springer, 2010)
 Articulating the set of strategies to address the business requirements of the
customers.
Control and evaluation phase:
 Evaluating the impact of the strategies to identify the addressable areas, the
modifications required in the strategy and how effectively it can address the core
issues evident within the organization.
Section 5: Timetable
Activity Duration Starting Time Ending Time
 Analysis of
the
organization
and business
organization.
Estimated 5 days Demo Date Demo Date
 Analysis of
the target
market
Estimated 2 days Demo Date Demo Date
 Observing
and analyzing
the customer
demographics
Estimated 2 days Demo Date Demo Date
 Analysing and
identifying
the
approaches
to be used for
digital
marketing
Estimated 7 days Demo Date Demo Date
 Structuring
the digital
marketing
strategies
Estimated 7 days Demo Date Demo Date
 Execution of
the strategy
Estimated 60 days Demo Date Demo Date
 Control and
Evaluation
Estimated 5 days Demo Date Demo Date
5

Section 6: Evidence of accomplishment
By the end of the project I will be able to produce the following documents and information
sets:
 Learning Contract (The current Document)
 A detailed project report
 List of supporting documents and evidence
Information:
 The meaning and importance of digital marketing.
 The impact of the digital marketing on the business efficiency or process.
 The potential benefits of using digital marketing for a small scale organization.
 Different digital marketing practices that the organization can use for their business
optimization
Section 7: References
Anon, (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/How-Digital-Marketing-helps-
small-and-medium-businesses [Accessed 2 Jul. 2018].
Hanna, N. (2010). E-Transformation: Enabling New Development Strategies. New York, NY:
Springer-Verlag New York.
Heldman, K. (2017). CompTIA Project+ Study Guide. Newark: John Wiley & Sons,
Incorporated.
Phillips, J., Bothell, T. and Snead, G. (2012). The Project Management Scorecard. Hoboken:
Taylor and Francis.
Plus, J. (2018). Top 10 Benefits of Digital Marketing for Small Business (Infographic). [online]
Business 2 Community. Available at:
https://www.business2community.com/infographics/top-10-benefits-digital-marketing-
small-business-infographic-01174211 [Accessed 2 Jul. 2018].
Rocha, A., Correia, A., Wilson, T. and Stroetmann, K. (2013). Advances in Information
Systems and Technologies. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Springer, M. (2010). Project and program management. [West Lafayette]: Ichor Business
Books/Purdue University Press.
Learning Contract Submission:
Signed Supervisor
Signed Student
6

Date
7