eMarketing - The Essential Guide to Online Marketing

Reviewed by Justin Pomerance, PhD Candidate, University of Colorado Boulder on 6/11/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book is definitely comprehensive—I taught digital marketing twice before ever seeing this book, and it covers all of the topics that I hit on in my class, plus many more. As I mention later, I really like that they begin with strategy, something that doesn’t have to be covered in a digital course. Other topics (e.g. UX design, CRM, web design, data analytics and market research) are also beyond the scope of what I have taught in the past, but it is nice that they are there in case I want them, or for students’ reference.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I haven’t yet taught from this book, so I haven’t read it in perfect detail, but of what I have read it seems accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

It’s hard to remain relevant over the long-term in digital marketing because everything is constantly changing. I think that’s one advantage of using an online textbook—hopefully it will remain up to date, as it is easier to update than a regular textbook might be. But all the basics seem sound.

Clarity rating: 5

There are a *lot* of technical terms in digital marketing. This book does a nice job explaining them when they are first introduced (e.g. “SERP” = search engine results page, “SEO” = search engine optimization/optimizer)

Consistency rating: 5

I didn’t notice any problems with consistent use of language/terminology.

Modularity rating: 4

The textbook is divided into four sections: “Think”, “Create”, “Engage”, and “Optimise.” I was initially skeptical about this division and how it would apply to digital marketing, but after reading through the book it seems like it’s a useful division. The thing I like most is the initial focus on strategy—I find that often with digital marketing the strategy can get lost in the tactics; this structure focuses on strategy early, which I think can combat this issue.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

I don’t think there is a super natural order in which to present digital marketing information; however, as mentioned, I really like that they begin with strategy, and then go into tactics. Tactics can overwhelm strategy within digital, so this is nice. I do think “optimize” and “create” could go hand in hand, as this is ideally a pretty iterative process.

Interface rating: 5

I downloaded this as a PDF, which made it very easy. This is another draw to me of this textbook—not having to ask my university’s bookstore to order the book/have to deal with students who have different version/etc.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

None noticed.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

No issues noticed.

Reviewed by Michelle Glasmann Skaggs, Assistant Professor, Community College of Denver on 4/30/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Structured more for upperdivision level class, not lower.

Content Accuracy rating: 2

Last published in 2013, needs updating. Still has a chapter on Google+

Relevance/Longevity rating: 1

Seven years old, doesn't address current social trends nor technologies for marketing.

Clarity rating: 5

Far too much jargon for a lower division introductory class.

Consistency rating: 5

Consistent and detailed.

Modularity rating: 3

Modularity is outdated.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Organized well.

Interface rating: 5

Interface appeared well.

Grammatical Errors rating: 1

Low/no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 1

Not culturally insensitive.

Comments

Too far outdated to even consider bringing in to my classroom.

Reviewed by Jennifer Johnson Jorgensen, Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska - Lincoln on 12/5/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This book covers the major components of how to engage in online marketing. Topics highlighted in the book are brief, but based on the breadth of the book, it needs to be. I would have enjoyed a little more content on influencers, as well as the visual nature of social media which has become so popular (e.g., Instagram, Pinterest). An additional chapter on consumer perceptions of online marketing (in general) would also be helpful to highlight the need to satisfy target market desires. Overall, this is a good introductory book that touches on the different ways that companies can utilize online tools for marketing. I imagine that this book would be very beneficial in higher education at the Freshman/Sophomore level.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found the content of the book to be accurate. Due to its brief nature, I found myself wanting more information on each of the topics. However, if exposure to various online marketing tools is the aim, then this book delivers.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The relevance of this book stands, as online marketing will continue to become more prevalent. There are a few things that could be updated/more specific, which includes the visual component of social media. However, I was happy that the topic of blogging was included, which tends to be left out of some marketing textbooks.

Clarity rating: 5

This book was written in a clear and concise manner. I believe that there is little in the text that could be misinterpreted or misunderstood. I also think that students would appreciate the concise nature of the book, as there aren’t any ‘frills’ to distract or derail their time. Every word and image has a purpose.

Consistency rating: 5

I found the content of this book to be consistent in nature. There seems to be an equal, yet fair, amount of content on each topic. Each main topic starts with a brief history, and then delves into what it is and how to use it. Terminology is also used in a consistent way.

Modularity rating: 5

The content is very modular by design. Sections of the book could easily be used without needing reference to other parts of the book. The case studies can also be used in a stand-alone manner, as some could supplement existing course content without the surrounding chapter of this book.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization is logical and appropriate. The book starts with discussing the Internet and continues to build to more comprehensive online marketing tools from there. The content on each topic also tends to start with a section on “how it works” and then delves into the “nuts and bolts” of the topic.

Interface rating: 3

I tested some of the web links, in which I found many that led to the expected webpage(s) and some that led to questionable websites. It’s tedious to do, but the links should be checked again. I would have also enjoyed seeing a Table of Contents page on the PDF version that allowed for a simple ‘click and link’ feature (similar to the online version). In addition, I found that some of the visuals were pixelated, which was somewhat distracting. Other than these minor issues, I found the book easy to navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I didn’t find any grammatical errors in the book. Overall, it was well-written, clear, and concise.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Due to the topic of the book, there isn’t a lot of discussion on culture, diversity, and inclusiveness. This is a component that would be beneficial to highlight, however, as marketing campaigns are becoming more personalized. Now that marketers must reach people on a more individual level, it is important to understand the target market, what they expect from companies, and how to make sure that companies are representing consumers’ beliefs and values in each campaign. An adaptation of the Market Research chapter or an additional chapter on identifying target markets and their perceptions of each type (or some of the main types) of online marketing tool(s) may be the answer.

Comments

Overall, this text is a helpful introduction for students at the lower levels of higher education. This book will expose them to the basics of the topic, and provide some "food for thought" before they reach more complicated coursework on developing marketing campaigns and consumer research.