Ask the Internet: what is "Channel"?

Wei wave of the "post-media age" a text to make me a shock, I saw two lines in the heart silently said: This article is about the Sina acquisition of the audience of things? After the text did not mention Sina, but the discussion of a central vocabulary is with Sina, the matter is closely related----channels!

The term "channel" has been used very indiscriminately in the internet sector. Some people say "channel is king", some say "Channel attribute and media attribute is contradictory", someone says "your website cannot produce direct sale, what channel?" ”

Sina alliance with the media, many tens of thousands of elevators between the LCD screen, news praise Yue: "Channel advantage"! Of course, some analysts also question: LCD advertising screen and the Internet? Then, by the web2.0 era of network marketing essence, this composition is neither search nor Word-of-mouth transmission, offline and online how to linkage?

All the questions are the definition of the channel concept! We must explore the true meaning of the channel.

Baidu Encyclopedia, "What is the channel" answer by the marketing channel concept occupied. The best answer is marketing textbooks to channel the full definition and detailed explanation, the second concise answer is "channel is the product or service access to the terminal channel or call". This is the authoritative interpretation of traditional marketing, but it is impossible to explain the Internet's channel concept with this concept.

Vanke, a sales director evaluation of 365 real Estate home network in Nanjing value, said: "You are really good real estate sales channels, but you do not play a good role in the channel." This once again deepens my anxiety about network channels: What is the channel? How does network channel embody value?

We then look at Baidu Encyclopedia of "What is the channel" question of the alternative answer: "channel equivalent to the media [physics], is to achieve the purpose or get what you want to the way or way." "This one answer chilling me, I think of a famous saying:" Thanks to CCTV. "We are well aware that television media are indeed channels." But this channel is not the traditional meaning of the product channel! What exactly is the CCTV channel carrying? is the brand! The channel of the brand can build the foundation of the product channel, and reach the sale.

Kam Wah decoration of the Tang Jie teacher to explore the value of home Web site to raise another question: "What is the site for consumers to help?" "In this respect, my friend the son of the town gave me a good reference to the answer:" The transfer of demand and solve the path! The answer is his practical conclusion.

In this way, I can generally summarize the concept of Internet channels:

1, the Internet channel is a medium, used to convey products, brands and needs. This boils down to the following:

The internet is the channel for product sales.     The internet is the channel of brand communication.     The Internet is the channel through which consumers need to pass. The internet is the channel of public opinion.

2, the Internet channel is the channel of information!

In his book The 21st Century Management challenge, Peter Drucker defined the greatest impetus to human history as a revolution in information. The value of the Internet channel we are exploring is embodied in the "information". We are keen to discuss web2.0 marketing model, channels embodied in the UGC, reflected in SNS;

3, according to the different types of websites, the main content of the channel is not the same. Mainly embodied in the "brand Channel" and "Product channel" Characteristics:

network media similar to outdoor big-name, is the brand channel.     This is the basis of the marriage of Sina and the media of the audience!     The community and the instant communication mainly manifests as the interactive Word-of-mouth brand channel, is the product of the web2.0 times, differs from the traditional marketing.        The advertisement of the game is generally to appear with the implantation type advertisement, also belong to the channel of the brand. "Thanks to CCTV", is not it should also say "thanks to Baidu, thanks to Google"?     Can you ignore the role of search engine branding? E-commerce is mainly expressed as the channel of products. Ma said to let Taobao catch up with Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart is definitely more powerful than suning gome entity channels. Taobao "is not a person in the fight", when, excellence, Fank are confirmed that E-commerce site is really real sales channels!

4, do not ignore the value of the channel of demand, from the consumer, buyer this level of the past, the value of the channel reflected in the value of content and services. The core value of Mr Jobs's resource consolidation as a partner and the construction of Apple's itunes Store is a "valuable service". Valuable service can create wealth!

In short, the Internet channel, is two-way, interactive, is the demand transmission or product, brand transmission of a path of information. (Text/Dream Qinhuai)