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My name is Zongcheng Ma, and I’m a student in the process of immersing myself in the fantastic world of digital marketing. This blog has been created as an integral element of what will be my course in Digital Marketing, and I will use it as an active notebook throughout this semester. Indeed, this is a project that I am grateful will fulfill two purposes: one to use it as a vehicle to record my learning, and the other to develop a practical platform that is publicly visible for illustrating the very skills about which we are learning.

Why This Platform?

After having a look at both Wix and WordPress, I have decided to create this website using WordPress. Although Wix was stunningly simple to use with its drag-and-drop functionality, WordPress showed me its robust flexibility and huge ecosystem potential-just what marketing needs. I have chosen a clean, minimalist theme, which will support quick reading and allow the content to shine. The deep navy and bright white colors indicate professionalism, clarity, and substantial focus, while the font stack is modern and clean. I created the header graphic using Canva to tie everything together. This process taught me a lot about branding and user experience!

My Starting Point: What Is Digital Marketing?

My current understanding is that digital marketing encompasses much more than just social media posts and online advertising; it integrates all outreach strategies to connect with one or more target audiences in their natural habitat: cyberspace.

American Marketing Association defines digital marketing as developed techniques and practices through which an organization can operate an effective measurement of success or failure in realizing objectives, predominantly through immediate, up-to-date assessments.

I see it as an integrated system encompassing:

Content creation: Telling a brand’s story through blogs (like this one!), videos, and infographics

SEO: Helping people find that content organically.

Data Analytics: Using tools to measure performance and make informed decisions—moving beyond guesswork.

Community Building: Engaging authentically on platforms from LinkedIn to TikTok

Resources like the HubSpot Marketing Blog have been invaluable for seeing these concepts applied in real business contexts.

What I Hope to Gain

So, in this class, I will peel the onion of the real deal. I will get into the guts of the tools and data that power digital strategies. I want to learn how to develop an integrated campaign starting from audience research and finishing with the performance report. From that perspective, a marketer’s point of view is significant; for example, if I look at a web page, a social feed, or an email campaign, I want to look at this and understand not what I’m looking at but the strategy behind it.

This blog is the foundation for that journey. I plan to continue maintaining it after this class to grow my digital presence and professional portfolio. I invite you to follow along as I explore, experiment, and learn.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more!