Book Report on "Internet Marketing Project"

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52.0 Target Market Analysis

83.0 Web Traffic Plan for MarketNet

93.1.

Facebook MarketNet Group Web Traffic Plan Objectives

123.2. Facebook MarketNet Group Web Traffic Plan Strategies

143.3. MarketNet Blog Content Strategy

153.4. MarketNet Analytics Strategy

164.0 Website Selection and Justification

164.1. Stanford University Entrepreneurship Corner

174.2. CIA Factbook

184.3. The Wall Street Journal

194.4. The Sydney Morning Herald

195.0 Survey Development and Justification

214.1 Copy of Survey

211. How useful have you found MarketNet in your day-to-day study and research?

222. How easy was it to integrate MarketNet into your existing study and research?

223. Do you have any suggestions for improving MarketNet?

224. Would you recommend this Software to your colleagues?

225. How did you become aware of MarketNet?

236. Did you visit CQU website for more information about MarketNet?

237. What is your reasons for using MarketNet?

235.0 Conclusion

1.0 Introduction

The use of social networks as a means to stay connected has become the fastest growing area of the Web over the last three years. Social networking platforms have emerged as a means to create online communities of people who share common interests. Facebook's dominance in this area of groups can be seen from the over 120 million accounts that exist on the social networking site today (Dunay, 2009). Colleges and universities have found the ability to quickly create groups for students interested in a common field of study and share information and market intelligence with them. Often these groups become global in scope given the how pervasive social networks are today.

The intent of this analysis is to create a marketing strategy for gaining more members of the MarketNet group on Facebook. As a first step in this analysis, college students' Internet usage habits are analyzed from the context of the Pew Research Center's data and research (Gordon, 2003). Based on this research a series of marketing objectives and strategies are defined. The use of additional social networking platforms including LinkedIn, social networking websites and YouTube are all included in the strategy recommendations. The entire marketing strategy is based on social networking sites and strategies that have little cost yet will require intensive levels of effort. The end result is to have an integrated marketing campaign that can scale globally as the information and market intelligence needs are comparable across students from all colleges and universities.

2.0 Target Market Analysis

Central Queensland University's undergraduate and postgraduate students in marketing and business are the primary target audience for the MarketNet Facebook Group. As of May, 2010 there are 404 MarketNet members, with the demographics indicating the majority are undergraduate marketing and business students. The intent of this target market analysis is to analyze the graduate and undergraduate business and marketing students using MarketNet on Facebook. This analysis will serve to provide a foundation for a web traffic plan, contributions to content for the site, and development and analysis of a Web-based survey.

The median age of the international graduate and undergraduate students is between 20 and 24 while the age distribution of domestic students being much more evenly distributed between the age ranges of 20 to 24, 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39 and 40 to 49. This data has been obtained from the CQU Registrar. In addition to these demographics from CQU additional studies by the Pew Center for Internet Research also provide insights into Internet usage by college and post-graduate students (Gordon, 2003). These studies indicate that nearly one in five college studies first began using PCs between the ages of 5 and 8 and many by the age of 16 had already created at least one website, learned how to manage e-mail, social networking and online services sites, and also perceive the Internet as more useful than access to a traditional library.

The Pew Research studies have also shown that 86% of college students globally have gone online for research, socializing and seeking employment versus 59% of the general population. In addition, 85% of college students have a computer and 66% have one or more e-mail addresses as well. As a result, the majority of college users check e-mail at least once a day or more (72%) and 26% use Instant Messaging (IM), which is over double the equivalent usage rates globally of the general public. As can be seen from these figures, college students have exceptionally high levels of activity online, achieving an expertise in its use.

As a result, Central Queensland University's undergraduate and postgraduate students in marketing and business also share a highly positive perception of the Internet as a learning and research platform as well. Extrapolating the results of the Pew Research study to CQU, the dominant perception of college students of the Internet having a positive effect on their collegiate academic experience (79%) is seen in the rapid adoption of the MarketNet group on Facebook. Consistent with this finding is the fact that nearly half (46%) of college students globally agree that e-mail enables them to express ideas to professors they would not have shared in class. This enables a much higher level of collaboration that over time can be transformed into trust. The progression of collaboration to trust can in turn lead to higher levels of long-term learning and knowledge retention as well. This is certainly the case with Central Queensland University's undergraduate and postgraduate students in marketing and business as one in three (37%) commute to the university and do not live on-campus.

The Internet has also replaced the library as the research platform of choice for the majority of university students globally with nearly three-quarters (73%) stating that it is more convenient and valuable compared to the library as it is on 24/7 and has greater depth of information. In many respects the Internet has now replaced libraries as the means to research topics in greater depth.

Further supporting the demographics of Central Queensland University's undergraduate and postgraduate students trusting the Internet as a viable communications, collaboration and learning platform can be seen from the Pew Research studies on Internet use. In the Pew Study, well over the majority of students report they use one or more academic-oriented mailing lists (68%) to stay current on their studies. Many students who were respondents in the Pew Research study also report that e-mail is more effective than telephone conference calls to get coordinated and in sync with their fellow students on complex projects. In addition, e-mail is the most preferred approach to managing conversations with instructors on the subject of grades (58%). Consistent with this finding is the predominant use of e-mail as a means to communicate with instructors regarding grading and progress towards learning objectives (65%). According to the Pew Research study 48% of students in the respondent base also are required to use the Internet as a means to collaborate with the instructor and other students on projects. This is certainly the case with the MarketNet Facebook Group as well.

The demographics obtained from the Pew Internet study indicate that the Internet has become the dominant collaboration and communication platform of choice for undergraduate and graduate students globally (Gordon, 2003). This is certainly the case with the development of the MarketNet Facebook group which continues to have exceptional growth in the near-term. In the Facebook group MarketNet are lessons learned in terms of making the Internet an effective platform for instruction and teaching. The ability to communicate collaboratively and also share valuable content are critical, as is the ability… READ MORE