ABSTRACT
The terms in digital and social media marketing can have multiple contradictory meanings. Recognising the hallmarks of success and failure in all types of organisations is an instructive process in developing own organisation’s digital strategy. The majority of sustainable digital strategies will include investment in a website and a blog and the repurposing of content for amplification on the most relevant social media platforms. The history of digital and social media marketing to date is categorised into four distinct phases: Brochureware, Tradigital, Social media marketing, and Engagement marketing. These phases reflect the continuous shifting definition of what constitutes a digitally mature organisation. The uptake of practices that requires digital technologies includes the measurement of business performance and consequently produces organisational change. Digital approaches to business remain challenging and must compete with the opportunities in the physical world. A strategic, iterative and reflective approach is the only way to reduce risk and to keep digital marketing innovations relevant to any organisation.
