Digital Marketing
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Course Introduction

 

Core Standards of the Course

STRAND 1
Students will be able to explain the role of digital marketing within the marketing mix. Understand the use of buyer personas, consistency in branding, and style guides.

Standard 1 MARKETING
Ensure that all students have a foundation in marketing basics by describing the following.

1. Compare the similarities and differences between digital marketing and traditional marketing. Examples: Billboards are now digital and static, Ads are on all platforms.
   
2. Explain how each component of the marketing mix contributes to successful marketing.
   
3. Review the Marketing mix (taught in other courses more in depth)
   
   • Product: a good or service.
   • Price: amount of money requested or exchanged for a product, should cover expenses and allow for a profit
   • Place: activities involved in getting a product or service to the end user, may include: shipping, ordering processing, inventory storage, and stocking of goods. Describe that place can be both a physical location or online site.
   • Promotion: process of communication with customers and potential customers to inform, persuade, and remind about products, their price, and where they can be purchased
   • People: the ideal customer or audience for a product or service. (also known as marketing segmentation and Target Markets)
4. Introduce the Marketing mix
   
   • Product: a good or service.
   • Price: amount of money requested or exchanged for a product, should cover expenses and allow for a profit
   • Place: activities involved in getting a product or service to the end user, may include: shipping, ordering processing, inventory storage, and stocking of goods. Describe that place can be both a physical location or online site.
   • Promotion: process of communication with customers and potential customers to inform, persuade, and remind about products, their price, and where they can be purchased
5. Review the Promotional Mix
   
   • Advertising: paid non-personal communication usually targeted at large numbers of potential customers.
   • Public Relations: is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships for a company and the public or its markets.
   • Selling: is a process of persuasion to get potential customers to take action.
   • Sales Promotion: is a marketing strategy where the product is promoted using short-term attractive initiatives to stimulate its demand and increase its sales.

Standard 2 TARGET MARKET
Students will understand how to determine a target market through understanding the four components of a buyer's persona.

1. Buyers Persona: Representation of your ideal customers based on data and research
   
   • Describe how businesses determine their target market using Marketing Segmentation: which is the process of dividing a market of potential customers into specific groups based on common characteristics.
   • Demographics: Who? (Personal characteristics such as Age, Gender, Income Level, Education Level, Race, Ethnicity)
   • Geographics/Location: Where? (Segmentation based on where people live, such as Natural or Political Boundaries, Climate, Cultural influences, and Customs)
   • Psychographics/Interests: Why? (Involves grouping people with similar lifestyles, as well as shared attitudes, values, and opinions such as Activities, Attitudes, Personality & Values)
   • Behavioral: How? (Looking at the benefits desired by consumers such as shopping patterns, usage rate, benefits--and not just the physical characteristics of a product)
   • Challenges/Pain Points: a specific problem that prospective customers of your business are experiencing.
2. Review the Promotional Mix
   
   • Advertising: paid and unpaid non-personal communication usually targeted at large numbers of potential customers.
   • Public Relations: is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships for a company and the public or its markets.
   • Direct Sales: is a process of persuasion to get potential customers to take action.
   • Sales Promotion: is a marketing strategy where the product is promoted using short-term attractive initiatives to stimulate its demand and increase its sales.

Standard 3 BRANDING
Students will understand the concept of a branding identity with brand positioning, and brand persona.

1. Branding- a company name, logo, design, or a combination used to identify and differentiate itself from the competition. Branding should connect with customers emotionally and motivate them to buy.
   
   • Segmentation: which is the process of dividing a market of potential customers into specific groups based on different characteristics. * Demographics: Who? (Personal characteristics such as Age, Gender, Income Level, Education Level, Race, Ethnicity)* Geographics/Location: Where? (Segmentation based on where people live such as Natural or Political Boundaries, Climate, Cultural influences, and Customs)* Psychographics/Interests: Why? (Involves grouping people with similar lifestyles, as well as shared attitudes, values, and opinions such as Activities, Attitudes, Personality & Values)* Behavioral: How? (Looking at the benefits desired by consumers such as shopping patterns, usage rate, benefits--and not just the physical characteristics of a product)
2. Brand Message- is the most important messages a brand wants to share with its target audience
   
3. Brand Experience: the essence of what you represent, a company's positioning, and the experience you are trying to deliver at each interaction with your customers.
   
4. Brand Value:
   
   • the sum total of how much extra people will pay, or how often they choose, the expectations, memories, stories and relationships of one brand over the alternatives.
   • Compare generics vs brand names ie. Kleenex vs Facial Tissues
5. Brand Loyalty: When consumers continue buying the same brand of goods rather than competing brands.
   
6. Brand Style Guide
   
   • Logos
   • Slogan/Tagline
   • Color
   • Font
7. CX (Customer Experience) Brand related experience or service throughout their lifetime.
   
   • Touchpoints: any encounter where customers and business engage to exchange information, provide service, or handle transactions.
   • UX(User Experience): Product-related experience or service.
   • Usability, functionality, visual esthetics, interactivity, and engagement.

Performance Skills

1. Research a business and identify their brand, logo, slogan, and/ or digital content Describe how this business differentiated itself through branding.
   
2. Create a Buyer Persona for a new or existing product or business
   
3. Create a brand style guide using an online digital media program
   

STRAND 2
Content Marketing- Describe and explain the types of content and how it is leveraged using the digital marketing trifecta.

Standard 1
Define Content Marketing: A marketing strategy used to attract, engage, and retain an audience by sharing relevant articles, podcasts, blogs, pictures, gifs, infographics, videos, etc.

1. Describe the categories of digital content, owned, earned, and paid media.
   
2. Digital Marketing Trifecta: is leveraging Owned, Earned, and Paid content and media into a successful marketing strategy
   
   • Owned Media: is any content owned and controlled by a brand, such as content posted on a blog, website, or social media channel.
   • Earned Media: is any material written about a business that the business hasn't paid for or created themselves.
   • Paid Media: is marketing that you pay for
3. Branded Content- is content that is directly linked to a brand, allowing consumers to make the connection with the brand.
   
   • UGC (User Generated Content): is any content - text, videos, images, reviews, shares, mentions, reposts etc. - created by people (fans), rather than brands.
4. Curated Content- Process of selecting content from sources outside of your own and sharing it on your own channels for the purpose of user interaction
   
   • Branded Content: is content that is directly linked to a brand, allowing consumers to make the connection with the brand.
5. UGC (User Generated Content)- created by followers or fans of the brand, rather than brand.
   
6. Influencer Marketing- a digital marketing strategy that involves brands working with social media influencers to promote their products or services
   
7. Viral Content- online media that spreads quickly and gains a lot of attention, often through social media
   

Standard 2
Explore how industry is adapting and creating content with AI (Artificial Intelligence) as a tool. Introduce students to a generative image and/or text program and the possible marketing applications. i.e., Meta descriptions, Blogs, Articles, Flyers, Artwork, and other marketing materials.

1. Review challenges when using AI for content creation. Include any recent updates from major browsers on SEO.
   
2. Issues surrounding deep fakes
   
3. Copyright and royalty issues realted to AI images and content
   
4. Emerging issue, opportunities, policies, and law related to AI
   

Performance Skill (choose one)

1. Students create an infographic on how AI is changing the digital landscape in the career of content creators.
   
2. Students will create content for a real or fictional business using two different categories from the table below.
   

STRAND 3
OPTIMIZATION - Students will investigate the optimization of digital content by providing essential text and visual data to maximize target audience reach.

Standard 1
SEO - Explain how content is deployed and distributed to improve consumer trust and quality of a domain and search engine optimization (SEO)

1. SEO - is the art of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results when keywords are searched.
   
   • Keywords - Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about.
   • Alt Tags - is an HTML attribute applied to image tags to provide a text alternative for search engines.
2. Examine how the search engine results and algorithm implementation provide qualitative and targeted results for search engine queries.
   
   • Search Engine Result Page (SERP) - The page that a search engine returns after a user submits a search query. Search engine results pages include paid search, PPC ads, and organic results.
   • Page Rank - a rank based on algorithms used by a search engine to determine the most popular/ appropriate/best website to answer the question you've searched for.
   • Trust/Authority
   • Quality
   • Backlinks - also known as "inbound links", "incoming links" are links from one website to a page on another website.
   • Keywords
   • Algorithms - ranking systems used by search engines and social media platforms to sort website data based on relevancy and quality instead of publishing time.

Standard 2
Students will evaluate the use of using qualifiable data and measurement in guiding digital marketing campaigns, driving conversion and increasing brand awareness.

1. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) - A metric used to evaluate the success of an organization to meet a goal.
   
2. Awareness KPI
   
   • Page Likes
   • Followers/Subscribers
   • Impressions
   • Unique Visitors- A person who visits a site at least once within the reporting period.
3. Engagement KPI
   
   • Reactions
   • Comments
   • Shares
   • Page Views
   • Zero-Clicks- Zero click searches are queries in search engines such as Google, Bing, or Yandex that do not send you to a third-party website from an organic search result.
   • Bounce Rate- The percentage of website visitors who leave after viewing only one page.
4. Closing KPI
   
   • Revenue
   • ROI
   • Customer Acquisition Costs- The total cost of acquiring a new customer.
   • Conversion Rates- The percentage of users who take a desired action such as making a purchase, watching a video, or clicking a link.
   • Sales and Marketing Expenses ÷ New Customers
5. Delight KP1
   
   • Reviews
   • Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) - The total revenue earned by the entire relationship (including future purchases) with a customer.
   • Average Transaction Value (x) Purchase Frequency (x) Years of Relationship = CLV

Standard 3
Explore data measurement as it relates to the collection, reporting, and analysis of digital marketing data. Describe how analytics drives digital marketing goals, strategies and improves user's experiences.

1. Analytics - The evaluation of digital marketing strategies using a website or digital advertising KPIs.
   
   • KPI Goals - setting intentional goals for improving the KPIs for owned, earned, and shared media.

Standard 4
Introduce browser-based generative AI and how it is changing SERP, and page rankings

1. Discuss the trends for browser-based generative AI
   
2. How it is affecting the customer's journey through the marketing funnel.
   

Performance Skill (choose one)

1. Conduct a content audit of two small businesses for a similar industry from the same geographics. i.e. auto repair shop, wedding dress retailer, or a local deli.
   
2. Use a simulation program to show the effects of different optimization strategies.
   
   • Strategies for Paid ads
   • Strategies for Organic ads
   • Tracking KPIs for each part of the marketing funnel (Awareness, Engagement, Closing, and Delight)
3. Utilize a competitive case study or project from an approved Utah CTSO that incorporates aspects of site optimization.
   

STRAND 4
CONTENT DISTRIBUTION - Students will understand the importance of content distribution to online audiences in multiple media formats across multiple digital channels.

Standard 1
Describe the essentials of owned content distribution and trends.

1. Explain the best practices for effective use of websites as owned media channels.
   
   • Mobile/desktop-friendly website design
   • Clear website navigation
   • The implementation of CTAs (Call To Action) - Content intended to induce a viewer to perform a specific act. (e.g. "Buy Now or Click Here"). CTAs redirect to specific landing pages.
   • Landing Pages are where a visitor "lands" after they click on a CTA (link in an email or ads from Google, Bing, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or similar places on the web.)
   • Website security
   • SSL Certificate (Secure Socket Layer) - A standard security feature that establishes an encrypted link between a website and a customer. It is often identified by a lock icon.
   • Social media integration
   • Clear website branding
2. Students will recognize the impact of content distribution on social media channels.
   
   • Consumer Data Privacy Laws - Emerging legislation that allows users to opt out of having their data collected and sold. Users may also see what data companies have collected about them and correct or delete it.

Standard 2
Students will understand e-commerce site essentials and trends in online commerce.

1. Students can understand the difference between the 4 main types of e-commerce.
   
   • E-commerce - internet commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet, and the transfer of money and data to execute these transactions.
   • B2B - Business to Business
   • B2C - Business to Consumer
   • C2C - Consumer to Consumer
   • C2B - Consumer to Business
2. Students can identify website features and metrics which can be used to measure the success of an ecommerce store and electronic shopping carts.
   

Standard 3
Discuss the impact of earned media on a brand through the use of social listening, engaging marketing strategies, and competitive analysis.

1. Define these terms relating to tools, strategies, and techniques used in social media for marketing:
   
   • Social Monitoring is the process of tracking content on digital content as a way to find out what people are saying about your brand, competitors, industry, and products or services
2. Engagement Strategies Discuss the following strategies to increase engagement.
   
   • Encouraging customer reviews
   • Maintaining media relations
3. Engagement Strategies Discuss the following strategies to increase engagement.
   
   • Use all your channels, digital and traditional
   • Be amazing to your customers
   • Cross Promotion - the cooperative marketing by two or more companies of each other's products or services.
   • Influencers
   • Benefits of cross-promotion like Increased reach
4. Conducting Competitive Analysis
   
   • Research the competition.
   • What are they doing that is successful and less successful
   • Copy, borrow, and implement effective strategies

Standard 4
Describe the components of paid content distribution and how it can be effectively used to promote content using various platforms and networks.

1. Compare and contrast organic and paid advertising promotion strategies.
   
2. Organic Ads - Ads that get your customers to come to you naturally over time, rather than 'artificially' via paid links.
   
3. Paid Ads - Promoted ads placed on digital media platforms
   
   • Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC) - Internet advertising used to direct traffic to websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher (typically a website owner or a network of websites) when the ad is clicked.
   • Cost Per Click (CPC) - refers to the actual price you pay for each click in your pay-per-click (PPC) marketing campaigns.
   • Click Through Rate (CTR) - The percentage of people visiting a web page who click a link to a PPC advertisement.
4. Cost Per Conversion - a metric used to identify how much it actually costs a web advertiser to acquire each real customer - one that actually makes a purchase.
   
5. Keywords - Words that you tell ad networks to use as a trigger to generate your ad. (Words your users search for.)
   
6. Students will be able to understand the need to retarget or remarket and test ad campaigns to reach their target market.
   
   • Retargeting/Remarketing - is a way to connect with people who previously interacted with your website or mobile app through the use of ad networks and their partner websites.
   • A/B Testing - is a research method where two or more variants of a page are shown to users at random, and statistical analysis is used to determine which variation performs better for a given conversion goal.
7. Search Ads: text ads that are displayed among search results on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
   
8. Display Ads as types of graphic ads placed on websites, social media channels or apps.
   
9. Banner Ads, also known as the most common type of display ad, use imagery to attract attention with the goal of driving traffic from a host website to an advertiser's website.
   
10. Wallpaper Ads are ads that automatically insert themselves in the full background of the page, commonly known as a "takeover."
    
11. Pop Up Ads are a highly effective form of online advertising in which a small window suddenly appears on a webpage.
    

Performance Skill (choose one)

1. Research data privacy laws and how they can affect the implementation of paid advertising.
   
2. Create a mockup of a paid ad to be adapted for use on more than one distribution channel.
   
3. SERP ad- meta tag (writing assignment)
   
4. Research effective examples of earned media in popular brands, tourist destinations, or future events.
   

STRAND 5
Marketing Trends-Students will analyze the opportunities available to maintain positive customer relationships by producing timely, relevant, and shareable content.

Standard 1
Students will identify current trends in marketing strategies as a means to efficiently maintain positive customer relationships and increase conversion rates.

1. Email Marketing as an outbound marketing strategy that is cost effective and highly used for older generations and professional consumers
   
   • On average 40% more effective than Facebook and X combined
   • High ROI
2. Social Media Automation - Using paid or free software and tools to automate things like scheduling, posting, and sharing content on Facebook, Twitter, and other channels.
   
3. CRM Software (Customer Relationship Management) - is any tool, strategy, or process that helps businesses better organize and access customer data.
   

Standard 2
Students will understand why businesses need to utilize mobile and web apps to interact with customers, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each type of app.

1. Mobile App - Mobile apps are built for a specific platform, such as iOS for the Apple iPhone or Android for a Samsung device. They are downloaded and installed via an app store and have access to system resources, such as GPS and the camera function.
   
2. Students will explore the different benefits and applications of mobile app technology.
   
   • Push Notifications - similar to text messages, push notifications are clickable messages that pop up on mobile devices and used by app publishers to gain traffic.
   • Customer Loyalty Programs / Rewards
   • Real-Time Marketing Strategies - focus on current, relevant trends and immediate feedback from customers.
   • Location-Based Marketing - using a mobile device's location to alert the device's owner about an offering from a nearby business.

Performance Skills (Choose one)

1. Conduct a personal app audit. Which apps do the students use and why.
   
   • Which app strategies work to get them to open and use the app
   • Which time strategies work on them.
   • Is the app using urgency to get them to open it.
   • The gamification of apps loyalty, streaks, points, promotions
2. Develop a digital marketing strategy for a business, real or imaginary, for a CTSO case study or project.
   

STRAND 6
Careers and CTE Pathways- Students will understand the Utah Marketing Pathway and how it can help students find careers in digital marketing.

Standard 1
Identify potential careers in Digital Marketing. Digital Marketer, Social Media Specialist, Digital Advertising Specialist, Content Creator, Paid Media Specialist, and Marketing Manager.

1. Understand CTE High School to College and Career Pathways that relate to advertising careers and other classes offered related to these Pathways.
   
   • Email Marketing as an outbound marketing strategy
2. Describe the Utah pathway(s) that Digital marketing is currently included in.
   
   • Batching - a productivity technique where all captions or visual content is created during a set period of time.
3. Utah CTE Pathways: https://www.schools.utah.gov/cte/pathways/utah
   
   • UTech Utah Technical College network for technical colleges and the digital marketing programs that exist locally. Explore what opportunities are available for Utah high school Seniors.
   • USHE Utah System of Higher Education. Highlight the current BS or BA opportunities in Social Media Marketing, Digital Marketing, or Marketing

Standard 2
Personal Digital Marketing: Students will understand their own online presence and personal brand.

1. Define Digital Footprint as a trail of data you create while using the Internet. It includes the websites you visit, emails you send, and information you submit to online services and recognizes itscharacteristic of permanence
   
2. Explain the cause and effect of various internet safety precautions (such as hackers using social media profiles to figure out passwords), or lack thereof.
   
3. Summarize the advantages of using social media as an effective inbound marketing strategy in comparison to traditional marketing approaches. Some examples are Product Promotion, Sales, Jobs, Low-Cost Research, and Wide distribution.
   

Performance Skill (choose one)

1. Have students research a digital marketing career that is currently listed on one of the many job posting websites. Then report on the required education, experience, certifications and the jobs potential pay and demand today.
   
2. Write a cover letter highlighting your knowledge and experience in Digital Marketing for a potential employer.
   

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Racheal  Routt and see the CTE/Business website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - THALEA  LONGHURST.

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