This chapter introduces the ideas that recur in every later unit: media types, measurement focus, channels, and trends that change tactics without replacing fundamentals.
Key concepts
- Audience and intent: Who you reach, and whether they want to learn, compare, buy, or return
- Measurement: Visits, leads, and sales — not likes alone
- Testing: Small experiments before scaling spend
- Integration: Owned, earned, and paid supporting each other
Media model (remember for exams)
- Owned: website, email list, profiles you control — explainer
- Earned: PR, reviews, shares, mentions
- Paid: ads and sponsorships
- North Star Metric: the one outcome that best tracks long-term value — explainer
- Customer journey: awareness → advocacy — explainer
Channel map
| Channel | Role | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| SEO | Organic visibility | Trust + long-term demand |
| PPC / paid search | Buy intent | Immediate leads, promotions |
| Social | Attention + community | Awareness, UGC, influencers |
| Owned relationship | Retention, launches | |
| Content | Education | SEO fuel + sales enablement |
| Conversation | Close, support, COD confirmations |
Trends to watch (Nepal + global)
Mobile-first UX, short-form video, weaker third-party cookies → first-party data, AI-assisted creative with human review, vernacular copy, Maps/GBP, wallet checkout.
Case study: “Minimum viable stack” for a Lalitpur bakery
- Owned: Google Business Profile + simple site with menu and WhatsApp button
- Earned: Encourage Google reviews after pickup
- Paid: Meta ads geo-fenced 3 km, objective = messages
- North Star: Weekly paid orders (not follower count)
Lesson: Channels are tools; the North Star keeps the team from optimizing vanity metrics during festival chaos.
