Digital Skills and Research Methods: Marketing and Communication

This report delves into the crucial role of digital skills and research methods in modern organizations. It begins by highlighting the importance of technology in enhancing individual experiences and driving innovation, emphasizing the need for employees to manage their professional online presence. The report then explores the implementation of digital skills, such as social media, unique code services, digital training sessions, and web conferences, to improve communication, security, and collaboration. Part 2 focuses on social media as a marketing and communication tool, analyzing its effectiveness in building brand perception, gathering information, and engaging with customers. Finally, the report compares two technologies, Skype and FaceTime, for web conferencing, evaluating their advantages and disadvantages for business use. The report emphasizes how technology is essential in business for effective management practices and provides insights into creating a professional online presence.

Digital skills and research
methods

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
Digital skills and research methods in all organisations........................................................1
PART 2............................................................................................................................................3
Explore social media as tool for marketing and communication within the work place.......3
PART 3............................................................................................................................................5
Compare two technologies on the website.............................................................................5
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Technology has become essential part of individual's life. It assist in removing the gap
between new inventions by making things smarter adequately (Beetham and Sharpe, 2013).
Digital skill is necessary for an individual as it helps people in managing professional online
presence which is important for generating new and innovative ideas in their working practices.
These skill can be Social media, cloud technology, web conferencing and so on. At workplace,
these kinds of practices play a most important role in which technology makes things easier for
the effective management practices. This report is based on analysing effectiveness of modern
technology at workplaces as well as uses of social media as a marketing tool. At last it will
determine the requirement of creating own professional online presence.
PART 1
Digital skills and research methods in all organisations
In an organisation, technology play a most important role that assist in enhancing
experience of individual at workplace (Benckendorff, Sheldon and Fesenmaier, 2014). Main
objective of implementing digital skills in the firm is that employees are able to generate unique
and new ideas for managing successful business operations.. Through this, organisation can
handle numerous challenges that aid them in maximising opportunities for desired success.
Before implementing digital skill in firm, it is required for management to identify required areas
in which employees are looking for new changes for maximising success options. These kinds of
elements are works to provide effectiveness in some areas as -
 Social media – As per the views of Khurana N, 2018 Main objective of implementing
Social media is that through this an organisation can identify requirement and need of
customers easily. On the basis of social media technology, a firm can operate their
business at worldwide for providing quality services to customers easily. Main objectives
of these approaches are to enhance experience of customers towards the business firm
and it products. Throughout this, a firm can sustain their customers for a long-term
duration by interacting them easily through internet services. Herein, employees of
organisation can easily resolve issues and queries of services users by providing them
detailed information in regard their products and services.
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 Implementing unique code services – Modern technology is a most effective tool that
assist in providing security services to firm. Now a days, this is a major concern in front
of each and every organisation to get effective security services to keep their data secure
from third party authorities. These concerns can be related to payment services, online
data transfer approaches, digital payment and storage as well. Therefore, firm needs to
implement unique code services in order to ensure security services for their business
operations. Modern technology also provides assurity to customers about secure
transaction through online methodology.
 Digital training sessions– Employees are the key strength of an organisation who assist
in attaining organisation's objectives and goals in effective manner (Bizirgianni and
Dionysopoulou, 2013). For the enhancement of their performance, management conducts
training and learning practices that assist them in enhancing interpersonal knowledge
towards modern technological approaches. The uses of modern technology aid in
enchaining productivity of employees easily and provides them space for execution of
their own innovative idea in transformation manner. On the basis of these concepts,
employees can build direct relations with customers by providing them desired services.
These approaches can be beneficial for firm in which they can ascertain new challenges
for getting desired success.
 Web seminars and conferences – As per the views of Christopher pappas, 2016 Web
seminar is a unique modern technological approach that assist an organisation to building
effective collaboration with other service partners. Modern technology can help in
enhancing the communication among different companies which can facilitate them to
look forward collaboration (Brynjolfsson and McAfee, 20124). Through this, an
organisation can easily build their relationship with target customers in different
countries. Modern technology is required for its effective execution at appropriate places
that aid them in getting desired objectives. Thus, for the management of a firm it is
required to implementing web conferences in their effective working practices.
Technology is widely used in almost each department of firm in order to creating
appropriate collaboration with similar industry type. These practices assist in providing
business growth and success.
Research methods
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 Online content analysis – In order to gathering information through internet services, an
organisation can use online content services through which they can find desired data
easily. In this process author's articles, books and blogs determine appropriate content on
desired topic.
 Social network analysis – Social networks has a vast impact upon individual's life.
Through this, an organisation can easily search required information on social media
platforms.
PART 2
Explore social media as tool for marketing and communication within the work place
Social media is the interactive computer mediated technological advancement which
helps in creating awareness, sharing information, ideas, career as well as several other type of
expression through virtual Communities and networks (Brynjolfsson and McAfee, 2014). Along
with this, social media is the best tool use by the companies for marketing and communication
purpose. These kinds of techniques assist in promoting business services in target market through
online practices. Social media is a cost effective and time saving technique that provides instant
results to organisation. On the basis of social media, an organisation can communicate with their
desired services user for building long term relationship with them easily. There is some
effectiveness of social media is determined below as -
Social media as a tool for communication
 LinkedIn – As per the views of Nathan Resnick, 2017 On LinkedIn, organisation can
create their own company page that allowing them to manage group of employees
through which they can share information regarding internal events and so on (4 Social
Tools to help improve internal communication, 2018).
 Company blog – These kind of platforms are basically uses to update current
information regarding organisation. HR of the firm update such blogs for the employees
benefits.
Social media as a too for marketing marketing
Social media is a marketing tool that helps an organisation to analysing customer's
requirement, new trends and change in practices. Through this, they make changes in
manufacturing practices in order to providing quality services to target customers. Now a days,
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each and every customer builds their direct connection with organisation through social media
platforms. Social media marketing also act as interactive platform for business and customers
where buyers are able to recommend organisation about relevant changes. These kinds of
practices assist in building direct connection between organisation and its potential services
users. Social media marketing also have an advantage that through this, an organisation can
strengthen their brand perception by communicating core values with a wider audience. Thus,
the benefits can help them in getting desired success in target market.
Information gathering practices through Social media platform – Social media is an
effective concept on which numerous audiences gathers their desired information (Buhalis and
Foerste, 2015). For this there can be numerous options available that provides desired results to
services users on the basis of their need and requirement. These techniques can build a direct
connection between organisation and its target customers. On the basis of these kind of practices,
an organisation can also promote their products and services in market for providing detailed
knowledge to customers about new services. Gathering information via social media platform is
another advantageous step for online marketing because in these employees of firm are already
aware about consumer preferences and expectations. Customer of an organisation can use
different kind of information gathering practices as-
 Search engine optimization – These kinds of operations assist in providing information
to services user on the basis of their recent search (Cohen and et. al., 2014). For this,
organisation requires to having a good rating from market services that assist them in
maximising their search engine optimization for analysis practices.
 Websites – Now a days, numerous organisations create their own website on which they
promote their products and services. Main objective of creating website is that on which,
an organisation can update information of their services for customers to make a direct
connection with them.
 Professional social media page – There are several organisations which design or create
their pages on social media such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and so on. Because
such activities assist them in direct marketing as well as communicating with customers.
Social media page is full of images with time to time offers as well as description about
organisation which result in attracting large one of customers without any much
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expenses. Whereas, communication is necessary for remaining in touch with existing and
potential customers in this social media play its important role.
PART 3
Compare two technologies on the website
For a business organisation, it is required to have their own website through which they
can build direct connection with services users. In business, these kinds of approaches assist in
maximising their interaction with others service users so that organisation enhance their business
sale easily. In order to implementing web conferences for business purpose, an organisation
requires to adopt different software services by analysing its advantages and disadvantages as -
Skype – This is a secure and reliable digital tool for an organisation that assist them in
building direct interaction with other service person through web conferences (Di Pietro, Di
Virgilio and Pantano, 2012). This provides services in terms of visual and voice communication
services in worldwide. Employees of an organisation can access its services on multiple platform
to communicating through single interface by using a single device from any location.
Advantages -
 Reduction travel cost – As per the views of Heba Soffar, 2015 Skype is a digital
technology platform that assist in providing visual services to both parties. In business
process, these kinds of activities play a most important role in order to reducing travelling
cost as it is simplest and accessible tool for web conferencing. These kinds of practices
are usually in trend of building connectivity between different businesses easily (What
are the advantages and disadvantages of Skype ? 2015).
 Cross platform support – In business, employees can communicate information from
different locations with the help of Skype. It assists in managing business productivity as
well as business projects will be operated on timely basis as it supports tracking for
expenditure and also cut the cost of business calls.
Disadvantages -
 Impact on business continuity – Some of the business activities are required for
operating on continuous basis. Therefore, these digital practices can be affected by
continuous functioning approaches.
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 Operational structure concerns – In each and every organisation, operational structure
is formed in order to enhance continuous communication and decision-making practices.
Therefore, it is hard for firm to operate business hierarchical structure during web
conferring via Skype.
Face time – In a business organisation, face time web conferencing can be done if firm has a
single device connection which is working on Apple platform (Dickinson and et. al., 2014).
There can be numerous advantages and disadvantages of Face time as -
Advantages -
 It is a unique feature which can only be used by apple service users for video calling.
 Face time can be beneficial for voice call as Face Time audio is another feature which is
beneficial for those who are not having front cameras.
Disadvantages -
 It requires an effective internet connection with strong processing.
 It consumes a large amount of data.
 It is required for the services users of face time to maximise data plans for getting
effective services.
 Face time services only accessible on Apple devices thus it is required for organisations
to having apple technology in order to communicate with each other.
For a business purpose as for web conferencing, live meetings and training sessions, face
time is not suitable as Skype because it bounds the company to use similar path way (Apple
products) which limits the flexibility of using technology in the organisation.
RECOMMENDATION
As per the above analysis it has been recommended that to the organisation that -
 Organisations requires to implement modern technique practices through this they can
build direct connection with their service user by promoting their business activities.
 In order to creating online presence, firm needs to create professional pages there is an
option about contact with us and feedback which assist in interaction within organisation
and customers.
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CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been summarised that modern technology is an effective tool
that assist in providing quality services to customers. Now a days, numerous organisations
implements these kinds of concept in their business in order to make things easier for employees
and customers too. This report is described Digital skills and research methods in organisations
as well as effectiveness of social media as communication and marketing practice. It also
describe the effectiveness of web conferences by implementing different applications.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Beetham, H. and Sharpe, R. eds., 2013. Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: Designing for
21st century learning. Routledge.
Benckendorff, P. J., Sheldon, P. J. and Fesenmaier, D. R., 2014.Tourism information technology.
Cabi.
Bizirgianni, I. and Dionysopoulou, P., 2013. The influence of tourist trends of youth tourism
through social media (SM) & information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. 73. pp.652-660.
Brynjolfsson, E. and McAfee, A., 2012. Race against the machine: How the digital revolution is
accelerating innovation, driving productivity, and irreversibly transforming
employment and the economy. Brynjolfsson and McAfee.
Brynjolfsson, E. and McAfee, A., 2014. The second machine age: Work, progress, and
prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies. WW Norton & Company.
Buhalis, D. and Foerste, M., 2015. SoCoMo marketing for travel and tourism: Empowering co-
creation of value. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management. 4(3). pp.151-161.
Cohen, S. A. and et. al., 2014. Understanding and governing sustainable tourism mobility:
Psychological and behavioural approaches (Vol. 43). Routledge.
Del Chiappa, G. and Baggio, R., 2015. Knowledge transfer in smart tourism destinations:
Analyzing the effects of a network structure. Journal of Destination Marketing &
Management. 4(3). pp.145-150.
Di Pietro, L., Di Virgilio, F. and Pantano, E., 2012. Social network for the choice of tourist
destination: Attitude and behavioural intention. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism
Technology. 3(1). pp.60-76.
Dickinson, J. E. and et. al., 2014. Tourism and the smartphone app: Capabilities, emerging
practice and scope in the travel domain. Current Issues in Tourism. 17(1). pp.84-101.
Online
The Importance of Digital Skills in the Modern Workplace. 2018. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.skillsyouneed.com/rhubarb/digital-skills-modern-
workplace.html>.
Journal of Mass Communication & Journalism. 2018. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/the-impact-of-social-networking-
sites-on-the-youth-2165-7912-1000285.php?aid=65365>.
Top 7 Benefits Of Web Conferencing Software For eLearning Professionals. 2018. [Online].
Available through:<https://elearningindustry.com/top-7-benefits-web-conferencing-
software-elearning-professionals>.
4 Social Tools to help improve internal communication. 2018. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.business.com/articles/nathan-resnick-social-tools-to-improve-
internal-communication/>.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Skype ? 2015. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.online-sciences.com/technology/what-are-the-advantages-and-
disadvantages-of-skype/>.
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