Working as a full-fledged Consultant to businesses of various kinds and volumes over the past six years, has exposed me to gain experiences in NGO’s functioning for over 40 years, as well as reputed publishing houses and training organizations. Such experiences have really made me wonder- Do all businesses seriously conduct their digital marketing needs analysis?  

Interestingly, what has surprised me immensely is the lack of knowledge and use of digital marketing strategies in almost all such organizations, which made me think- either they are not interested in gaining advantage over their competitors, or they are simply satisfied with the volume of their business and so are uninterested in going ahead further. This means, such organizations are tying their death-knells because, not only are they exhausting their offline opportunities, but they are also losing out on creating new online opportunities and enhancing their brands. Way back in 2010 our mentors in digital marketing, told us , this was the future for all businesses; and they must adapt to it for survival and sustenance. Most companies have adapted to this in some or the other way, though most of the time the target audience is different than what it could be or what it aims for, or what it should be.

Talking about the publishing industry and the businesses catering to the various needs of the internal and external customers of the industry, India still is evolving from its nascent stage. The internet has widened the market and its opportunities for businesses globally, increasing the competition manifold. Larger publishing giants manage their marketing needs whether offline or online, but the smaller publishers and the ever budding ones face graver challenges with the ever changing technology, unable to demarcate its target customers, with competition continually on the rise. There are different types of book publishers, depending largely on the market for the book, which essentially diversifies their digital marketing requirements. A ‘Trade Publisher’ would and should definitely not market itself digitally the way an ‘Academic Publisher’ markets itself, or like that of ‘Professional Publisher or a ‘Self Publisher’ or an ‘Online Publisher’ or ‘Kindle Publisher’ or a ‘Mobile Book Publisher’ or a ‘Book Packager/Book Developer’ or a ‘Hybrid Publisher’ markets itself. The result would be an obvious disaster. Therefore, it is high time for publishing businesses to clearly analyse themselves, categorise and then select an appropriate digital marketing method and strategise its overall marketing moves and expenses. Publishers who are still dependant on offline mode of product selling should immediately revert to online bookstores, along with appropriate online branding, marketing, and publicity strategies. They need to analyse their market turnovers clearly and devise definite ways of boosting their sales through effective digital marketing techniques.

Konica Paul Chakraborty