Digital Marketing Textbook: Students & Employees
If you’re reading this review maybe you are a Digital Marketing Student who needs this Digital Marketing textbook for the semester, or you are someone who is researching digital marketing and trying to find a good source of knowledge.
Either way, I’m about to highlight what’s inside this textbook, so buckle in and get prepare for the ride.
Now, let me tell you why “eMarketing: The Essential Guide to Marketing in a Digital World 5th Edition” by Rob Stokes is either worth your time or not.
Textbook Structure
This Digital Marketing Textbook is structured in accord with the Quirk Agency methods.
First, Inside you’ll find both Core topics and newly added topics that cover an up to date overhaul on digital marketing in 2021.
Author Rob Stokes breaks down this method into 4 categories:
- Think
- Students will research, plan and strategize for branding & for campaigns
2. Create
- Students learn to “build beautiful, highly functional assets and content”
3. Engage
- Use the power of internet connections to drive web traffic to marketing campaigns and leverage all channels to build strong customer relationships.
4. Optimize
- Learn to utilize data and analysis to constantly improve all marketing efforts.
I think, the best take away from this book is both low cost and free tactics to start practical application of digital marketing into action.
Readability
In my opinion, this Digital Marketing textbook is definitely more informative than entertaining.
However, If you are looking for a light hearted read about digital marketing, this is not for you.
Alas, this textbook is a detailed and organized overview of digital marketing from introduction to conclusion.
eMarketing tackles topics in a methodic process that builds knowledge from a baseline of 0 all the way to advanced at the end. You’ll gain tons of insight into this career, by proxy.
Readers with digital marketing experience may feel bored during the first chapter of the book.
It feels redundant to explain common known topics like “What is Digital marketing”, “Crowdsourcing”, and “Digital Audiences”.
“Because of the technology on which it is built, almost every action on the web can be tracked, captured, measured and analysed. ” – Rob Stokes
The book does a great job of explaining the “why” to digital marketing in addition to the “what”.
Also, Stokes does a great job in introducing job appropriate language and jargon that prepares students and readers for assimilation into the role of a digital marketer.
This Digital Marketing Textbook feels like a textbook, it’s packed with high level information and should probably be studied chapter by chapter.
Skip to “Final Thoughts” for my take on whether to read or not to read this book.
Digital Marketing Textbook Chapter Overviews
Think
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 1:
Introduction to Digital Marketing.
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 2:
Introduction to key terms and concepts used in digital marketing. As well as a guide for understanding digital marketing strategies.
How to compile a digital marketing strategy & how to analyze a current action plan. In addition, learning key understandings.
Key Learning Points:
- Marketing Strategy
- Understanding Business (marketing models)
- Understanding Customers (market research)
- Digital Marketing Strategies
- Using “Porter’s Five Forces analysis”
- The Four P’s
- Products
- Price
- Placement
- Promotion
- People
- SWOT analysis
- KPIs
- Objectives, Tactics, and Targets
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 3:
Continuation of key terms and concepts of market research, gathering data, conducting research, and tools of the trade. That is to say, further clarification and practice is needed.
Key Learning Points:
- Key Concepts in market research
- Quantitative and Qualitative Data
- Sampling
- Online research
- Advantages and Challenges of Research
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 4:
Brand and publisher analysis, more Key terms and concepts, Content marketing strategy, Organizational & Conceptual requirements. Certainly, a crucial element to starting.
Key Learning Points:
- What is Content Marketing
- A Content Planning Approach
- Content Creation and Content Audit
- Various Content Models
- Channel Distribution
“One of the factors that influences whether a piece of content is
considered relevant is how much an individual engages with the brand’s presence
on that platform over time” – Rob Stokes
- Tools of the Trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 5:
Introduction to UX (User experience design), key terms and concepts, how to implement a UX project, and guidelines on testing & optimizing. Simply put, user experience is key.
Key Learning Points:
- Understanding UX design
- Core Principles of UX
- Mobile vs. Desktop
- Limitations
- Step by Step guide to UX
- Conducting Testing
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 6:
Introduction to web design and persuasion.
Understanding how web properties work and the web development process. Likewise, a guide to websites.
Key Learning Points:
- Visual Identity
- Web Design
- Design Theory
- Color Theory
- Design Assets
- Web Development
- Web Languages
- Step by Step Guide to building a website
Create
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 7:
Introduction to writing for digital, content creation, key terms and concepts, personas, and SEO copywriting. In other words, all things involving writing.
Key Learning Points:
- Persona
- Audiences
- Web Copy
- News releases
- HTML formatting
- SEO Copywriting
- Tools of the Trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 8:
Introduction to CRM, the importance of data, and tools of the trade. This above all, keeps customers engaged and loyal.
Key Learning Points:
- CRM models
- Understanding Customers
- Gathering and Using Data
- Benefits and Implementation of CRM
- Step by Step Guide to Implementing a CRM strategy
- Tools of the trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 9:
Understanding search engine optimization, marketing tactics, and web search positioning. For example, SEO for google ranking.
Key Learning Points:
- Search engine structure
- SEO and key phrases
- key phrase research
- Optimizing content
- Link Popularity
- User insights
- What not to do
- Tools of the trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 10:
Introduction to search advertising, Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Baidu. In addition to many others.
Key Learning Points:
- Search Advertising
- Advertising in Search
- Writing Copy
- Landing Page
- Targeting Options
- Bidding and Ranking Search Ads
- Planning and Setting up a search ad campaign
- Tracking
- Tools of the Trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 11:
Introduction to advertising online, how it works, types of advertising and payments, tracking and the bigger picture. Of course, a guide as well.
Key Learning Points:
- Online Advertising objectives
- Creating Demand
- Display Adverts
- Payment models for Ads
- Getting your ads online
- Targeting and Optimizing
- Tracking
- Step by Step Guide to Online Advertising
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 12:
How affiliate marketing works, actions and rewards, tracking, affiliate networks, and tools of the trade. Similarly, You’ll see other methods of effective marketing.
Key Learning Points:
- Affiliate Marketing
- Affiliate Networks
- Setting up a campaign
- Tools of the Trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 13:
Introduction to video marketing and sound content strategies with promotion tactics. This section gives insight to digital media videos.
Key Learning Points:
- Video content Strategy
- Video production step by step
- Promotion
- Tools of the Trade
Engage
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 14:
Introduction to social media channels, networking, content sharing, and location based media. Many of these channels will then reoccur in your marketing efforts.
Key Learning Points:
- Social Media Channels
- Social Networking
- Content Creation
- Blogging and SEO
- Bookmarking and aggregating
- Location
- Tracking social media campaigns
- Social media marketing
- Tools of the Trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 15:
Expansion on Social media strategy, engaging, social media plans. These include examples like Facebook and twitter.
Key Learning Points:
- Step by step guide to creating a social media strategy
- Documents and processes
- Dealing with opportunities and threats
- Step by step guide to recovering from an online brand attack
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 16:
Email marketing, database growth, analytics, and tools of the trade. This section also shows how to stay compliant with laws.
Key Learning Points:
- Email Strategy and Planning
- Step by Step Process for Email Marketing
- Understanding your database
- Tools of the Trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 17:
Understanding mobile marketing, using mobile analytics, and measuring mobile marketing efforts. This section is more relevant than ever.
Key Learning Points:
- Mobile in personal communication
- Mobile Messaging Channels
- Location and Mobile
- Mobile Commerce
- Mobile Analytics
Optimize
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 18:
Understanding web analytics packages, metrics for data analysis, web data, and approaches for using data. Which you will then master.
Key Learning Points:
- Working with data
- Setting objectives, goals, and KPIs
- Tracking and collecting data
- Analyzing data
- Tools of the trade
Digital Marketing textbook Chapter 19:
Introduction to Conversion Optimization, data collection methods, and digital marketing tactics. This will come in handy later.
Key Learning Points:
- Testing
- Designing Tests
- Step by Step guide to conversion optimization
- Tools of the Trade
Final Thoughts : Digital Marketing Textbook Review
Lastly, for those who are reading this book to simply learn digital marketing for a career enhancement, it’s a great source of knowledge.
I would suggest skimming through the book to find the sections you are most interested in learning more about, therefor you’ll skip a lot of boring jargon.
This Digital Marketing textbook is not designed to entertain, so now learn the digital marketing key terms and phrases well.
When you read the chapters, be sure to read the Case Studies in each chapter to see a practical application. This, is a useful tip.
You will learn a lot of important terms and tactics. As a result you’ll be better prepared for any career involving digital marketing.
For anyone who is reading this for school, I would look at the overview of each chapter first, and then study each section in depth. For instance, check the chapter summary first.
This book tends to overexplain a lot of knowledge that younger readers most likely find commonplace. Sometimes, this can feel boring to read.
If you have little to no prior knowledge of the internet, digital marketing, or advertising this textbook is sure to open up many new possibilities for you.
Honestly, the best part of this publication is the Step by Step guides that can be used to apply teachings to real world practice. Then you can use these as a guide.
Interested in learning more about how digital marketing can increase your business, bring you more clients, and convert more sales? Then this next book may help you.
You might like “The Business of Getting Business“, by Joe Manausa.
