Effective Digital Marketing Strategy for HMV: Analysis and Insights

This report assesses the importance of digital marketing for HMV, a UK-based entertainment retailer, in addition to its traditional marketing efforts. It explores search engine marketing tactics like PPC and SEO to enhance website visibility and customer acquisition. The report compares email and social media marketing for customer engagement, identifying effective channels. Website optimization techniques for improved performance are illustrated, and methods for measuring digital strategy success using analytics are explained. Key tasks for an effective digital marketing strategy for HMV are summarized, highlighting the shift towards digital technologies and the benefits of cost-effective, targeted marketing approaches.

DIGITAL MARKETING

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
L1.....................................................................................................................................................2
1. Discuss why it is important for HMV to invest in its digital marketing capabilities in
addition to its existing traditional marketing know-how.............................................................2
L2 L3 L4..........................................................................................................................................3
2 Critically discuss how HMV can use search engine marketing tactics to improve its websites
visibility amongst its competitors and win more customers for the business..............................3
L3, L4..............................................................................................................................................1
3. Identify how Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing can be used to attract, retain
and engage with new and existing customers for HMV. Critically discuss which channel is
most effective at attracting, engaging and retaining, new and existing customers......................1
L3.....................................................................................................................................................1
4. Illustrate how HMV can utilise website optimisation techniques to improve website
performance.................................................................................................................................1
L5.....................................................................................................................................................1
5. Explain how you would go about measuring the success of HMV’s digital strategy using
analytics. Identify any tools that could be used to measure campaign performance with
specific reference to any important features, capabilities or methodologies associated with the
monitoring process.......................................................................................................................1
L3.....................................................................................................................................................1
6. Summarise the key tasks and activities that should be incorporated into an effective digital
marketing strategy for HMV.......................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Pros and Cons of E mail Marketing.................................................................................2
Figure 2: Advantages of Social Media Marketing...........................................................................4
Figure 3: Percentage of Consumer using social media and email...................................................5
Figure 4: Search Engine Optimization............................................................................................2

LIST OF TABLE
Table 1: Comparison between Traditional and Digital Marketing..................................................2

INTRODUCTION
Digital Marketing utilises various digital technologies to achieve marketing goals and objectives
of an organization. The report focuses on importance of digital marketing as compared to
traditional marketing. Various Search Marketing Tactics are discussed to improve the visibility
of website to gain competitive advantage in the market. Social Media as well as Email marketing
is compared in terms of attracting and retaining of new and existing customers. The report also
focuses on measuring of digital strategy by using analytical tools and techniques. For discussing
all the above points, reports have considered HMV as the organization which operates as an
entertainment and music retailer in UK. It recently launched multi channel digital campaign to
gain competitive advantage in the market. For that it also launched online mobile application to
sell its products and services.
1

L1
1. Discuss why it is important for HMV to invest in its digital marketing capabilities in addition
to its existing traditional marketing know-how.
In the era of globalisation, digital marketing is taking place of many traditional methods of
marketing. HMV operates as a retail organization in UK that focuses on providing entertainment
services (Leeflang et al, 2015). It utilizes digital marketing by posting various videos and
pictures on social media platforms such as Facebook, etc. Major differences and advantages of
digital marketing over traditional marketing can be explained as:
Comparison between Traditional and Digital Marketing
Table 1: Comparison between Traditional and Digital Marketing
Traditional Marketing Digital Marketing
It is not easy to measure the marketing activities Posts on social media platforms can be measured
by observing number of likes and clicks.
Effectiveness in terms of building a brand is quite
less
Helps in increasing the effectiveness of brand.
Customers can find the availability of business
when they search online.
It is difficult to reach the target market in case of
traditional marketing
Reaching large number of customers as per the
targeted market is easy through various social
media platforms
It is not a cost effective method. Achievement of
goals and objectives cost very high (Scott, 2015).
It is a cost effective method and requires less
efforts to accomplish the goals and objectives.
2

L2 L3 L4
2 Critically discuss how HMV can use search engine marketing tactics to improve its websites
visibility amongst its competitors and win more customers for the business
Search engine marketing tactics
There are various types of search engine marketing tactics which can be used by HMV so that
they can improve or enhance their visibility between these competitive markets and also make
their customer’s base more strong (Ledford, 2015). Following are the detailed discussion of these
search engine marketing tactics along with the step to design these search engines for improving
the websites visibility:
PPC (Pay per click): Pay per click is one of the most used and famous search engine tactics
which is mostly used by the organizations to enhance their website visibility in the competitive
market. Pay per click is also known as the cost per click in which HMV pay some amount to the
internet so that they can advertise their products and services in their page. If customer search
anything on the internet and they click the link of HMV then the organization get cost as per the
click (Pay per click, 2018). HMV organization use this search engine tactics as their
advertisement model as this will help them to direct the traffics to the websites.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Search engine optimization can be used by HMV as it is
the process of the affecting online visibility of web pages and websites in the web search engines
unpaid outcomes. This is often refers to the organic, natural and earned results. This tactics can
be used by the organization as it may target various kinds of search in which image search;
academic search and video search are included. With the help of internet marketing strategy,
HMV can create their personal web page in which all the details regarding organization must be
provided to the customers (Search engine optimization, 2018). This type of search engine
marketing tactics helps the organization to win more customers through providing their personal
details on their web pages.
Video advertising campaigns: This search engine marketing tactics is also significant for HMV
organization as they can post their product and services videos on their official websites or social
networking sites so that customers will get aware about their products and its features. HMV

organization and its team will create a video in which details, specification of product, product
details, and products price etc details must be recorded and then they can post their video or
show their videos on official sites or social networking platforms (Liberali et al, 2017).
Through search engine marketing HMV can target their audience
Search engine marketing can be used by HMV organization as it is the form of the internet
marketing which involves the organizational websites promotions by increasing or enhancing
their search engine visibility results pages with the paid advertisement. With the help of search
engine marketing which are discussed as above, HMV organization can spread their brand
awareness in this competitive market and along among their customers. Pay-Per-Click is the
most commonly used search engine marketing tactic that can also be used by HMV organization
through which they can target their customers or audience easily. Targeting audience is the major
part of the search engine optimization (Scott, 2015).
By using these video advertising campaigns they can spread their product features and details
between the customers so that they get attracted towards their product and influence to buy their
products and services. It is important for the organization to select their customers and influence
them to buy their products and services only among all other brands which can only be possible
to using these types of search engine marketing tactics. These are the paid search engine which
can be applied in the HMV organization so that they can launch their products and services
between the customers and attract them to buy their products only. They need to pay some
amount to the internet engine in which they want to promote their products and services.
With the help of PPC, SEO, video advertising campaigns or online display, HMV organization
can target their customers because through this spreading of product details and brand awareness
become more easily for them (Giomelakis and Veglis, 2015). This type of search also helps the
organization to identify the motivations and needs or highlights of their products which they are
serving between the audiences so that customers needs also be covered in this. Marketing of the
products and services is the most essential and necessary part or activity or process for HMV
because through this they can sell their entrainment DVD or CDs in the market.

Marketing is used to attract customers
Every organization including HMV design products to sell in the market but for this marketing
process is the most important and essential part to sell their products in this competitive market.
Promotion and advertisement of the HMV product can only be done by conducting marketing
process in which they can delivery details of their products between the customers. HMV
organization wants to attract their customers so that they can influence them to buy their
products or select their brand for this particular products and this can only be occurred through
marketing tactics (Berman, 2016). By using number of social media sites, official websites,
HMV official web pages etc they can attract the customers towards their product features and
prices.
In the current time, each and every customer uses internet through which they got the
information about latest products and services so marketing of the products by using these
platform is the best way to attract the customers. With the help of marketing in digital way is the
most commonly used technique through which customers receive the information about the
product, its price, special features or they can compare the HMV products with their competitive
brand in respect of the quality and price. The statement which refers that marketing attract the
customers is very correct as it help the organization to influence the targeted customers as well as
help customers to take right buying decision (Halligan and Shah, 2014).
There are various types of techniques which can be used in marketing by HMV organization so
that they can attract their audience. With the help of coupons, loyalty programs, social
networking, SEO, rebranding etc are the techniques through which attracting local customers
become easy for HMV organization. Marketing help organization to attract the customers in
following ways:
 Marketing help to identify the target or ideal client for HMV organization so that they
can sell their product to them only (Marketing attracts customers, 2018).
 Marketing process also help to identify the places where their customers lives through
which they can target particular market.
 With the help of marketing, HMV organization can directly connected with their
customers and take their respond regarding their products and services.
 Through marketing they can build strong customers base and partnership.

Laws and guidelines – Search Engine Marketing
The first and foremost activity carried on by the business is to promote their services in different
markets and this activity is known as the search engine marketing. The visitors will explore the
services and quality of the product developed by the organization in market through this strategy
(Gudivada et al, 2015). However, there are various laws which govern the search engine
marketing and some are discussed below:
Best practice of centralisation: In global search market the centralisation of the marketing is
very important to capture the interest of the customers and the stakeholders. The efforts to gain
knowledge should be building up by the organization to boost the sales.
Content is key: The HMV organization is working to reduces the cost of the content and
reducing the size of the content by relative changes in the cost. The content should be according
to the use and preference of the users and they must understand the language and instructions
given in the key.
Keywords can’t be translated: The particular language used in the framework is known as the
keywords and this cannot be altered or translated by the organization or any other person. The
keywords are the guidelines to be followed and there is no connection between the different
keywords (Patil et al, 2015).
Track Market difference: The organization HMV should track the difference between the
different markets and their strategies to analyse the market scenario and the types of the
customers in the market. The customers must be targeted of big cities and who have potential to
buy the product.
Environmental factors: The performance of the organization is effectively based on the market
factors and the variants of the local market. The organization can approach the customers
through online medium or websites. Customers can significantly approach the products and
services of the organization through online medium.
Language drivers: The language must be as per the usability and understanding of the user. The
language used must be in the standard format and should be based on the technique of the
translation and optimisation (Elwyn et al, 2015).

Therefore, the search engine marketing is the effective tool for the business expansion and
growth in the organization. HMV uses the guideline to effectively evaluate the business
strategies in the market.

L3, L4
3. Identify how Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing can be used to attract, retain and
engage with new and existing customers for HMV. Critically discuss which channel is most
effective at attracting, engaging and retaining, new and existing customers.
HMV focuses on implementing various marketing techniques for attracting and retaining more
number of customers for its growth. It implements both Email Marketing and Social Media
Marketing for interacting with its customers, as well as to increase the loyalty and sales of an
organization. Both the marketing techniques have their advantages and disadvantages which can
be explained as:
Email Marketing
Advantages
Email marketing proves to be the fast, cost effective as well as reliable method of marketing to
reach the new customers and to retain the existing customers. Email marketing can be beneficial
for HMV if it is not over used as over usage may sometimes irritate the customers. HMV can
attach attractive graphics and text files along with the emails to explain the best about its
products and services (Sahni et al, 2018).
Attractiveness of Emails helps to increase the business branding of organization. Email
Marketing is much more beneficial as compared to word of mouth marketing. Emails can be read
by customers at any time. This type of marketing creates no boundation for customers as is in
case with telephone marketing. The main reason for which HMV can utilise Email marketing is
that it is a cost effective method and saves lot of time. Another most important advantage of E
mail marketing is that it enables segmentation by targeting only those consumers who meet
certain criteria.