I worked for a large publishing firm which was, let’s say, a little backwards about coming forwards when it came to the deadly importance of online content. As I had experience of Search Engine Optimisation I taught my team what I knew, some of them embraced the knowledge and some of them ignored it but I took the stance that only time would tell…And did you know that for Christmas 2009 the sale of ebooks was greater than the sale of traditional material?  Yes, times are most certainly changing!

I’ve just read an article that debates whether marketing magazines are soon to be superfluous. I must admit that I read this particular article in a paper format magazine and that I do like to read magazines on occasion although my daily thoughts are inspired by what I read online. I will read articles by the same people, or recommended by the same people, time and again because I have come to trust their opinions. The magazine I was reading highlighted some key points as times change about the ever increasing importance of becoming known as an authority in your field to maintain interest when it comes to online content and the possibility of charging for this content.

Becoming known as an industry expert is something that I stress to my clients time and again. The way to get people to read your content is to build your brand around being the forefront expert in your industry so that readers come to trust and respect what you have to say. It doesn’t matter whether you’re sharing recipes, fitting windows or selling used cars, if you can convince people that you know what you’re talking about then you are more likely to gain and retain readers.

This is where blogging becomes imperative. It’s a quick and easy way to talk about your business and related industries while naturally including keywords relevant to your business and introducing more fresh content to your website. Not only that, but the more regular your posts become, and the more comments and discussions they provoke, the more of a trusted source of information you are likely to become and people may begin to spend the money that they would have spent on a magazine subscription on a subscription to your blog.

Food for thought…

Would you pay for online content if it was high quality and from a trusted source or are you determined to stick to reading the books and magazines designed for your industry?

Surely, you’re going to consider creating a blog and becoming the specialist in your industry though, just in case offline content can’t compete? Come on; introduce yourself to Joe Blogger, he’s a useful kind of chap…

Chichester Design can incorporate a blog into your website design and development and their professional copywriter is more than happy to get you started writing search engine friendly blog posts. Contact us today.

The reality of it is that, like the rest of the world, marketing is dynamic and ever-changing; particularly so now that digital marketing has really taken off.  Every day there is a shiny new digital medium introduced, just look at the growth in social media. So why not use those resources available to you and mix up the marketing mix a bit, as it were?

I was flicking through B2B magazine and came across a nifty little article using a musical analogy to describe how the marketing mix should work in harmony like an orchestra, each part coming together to create one beautiful sound. And while many of these musical instruments may now be digitally based, there is still some room for some old wind and brass at the core of the orchestra, and together, this mix of sounds can make a truly groundbreaking, best-selling tune. Ok, I think that’s enough metaphors, I’ll get on with it…

Back to basics

While the tools and techniques of planning a marketing strategy might have changed, the fundamentals of planning have not.  As a marketer you should always consider:

• Who you are aiming at
• What you are aiming to achieve
• Where you want the message to appear
• What the budget constraints are
• What the most persuasive way to achieve these outcomes is

Remember to keep testing and refining what works and what doesn’t.  You should also think outside the marketing box and engage with the reality of what the customer wants. That is, you should see the brand as something people experience rather than a promise made in advertising.

Over the hurdles

Business objectives are paramount and there are some obvious marketing options that have always been selected to fulfil individual objectives, such as using PR to influence public perceptions. However, digital options should not be dismissed.  You can create the perfect solution using a little creativity (something that many marketers lack and few strive to achieve). 

You could use online mediums, such as social media and websites, to enable virtual product testing along with live feedback and debate via blogging and comment tools. Through a channel like Twitter, for example, you could get on the radar of a popular tweeter and receive a celebrity or industry specialist advocate for your product.  Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Basically, for every marketing issue you perceive there is a solution using digital media.

Chanel efforts

There are so many digital marketing mediums to choose from so there should be no excuse not to fine tune the mix.  Use data on your target audience to choose the medium that will best reach them.  For instance, did you know that there has been a significant increase in the use of social media in the over 40s, with middle-aged women flocking to join Facebook?

But be warned not to bombard customers with spam, use analysis to make sure you are targeting correctly. Surely, using a mixture of different channels to reach people at the most appropriate times through the most appropriate means has got to be worth investing in, hasn’t it?

Open to change

There may be some truth in the old saying that you can’t teach an old marketing dog new tricks but for your sake, and the success of your business, you must be prepared to try new things and make changes when necessary.

One of the benefits of digital media is that you can measure its successes in real time, meaning you can see what’s working and push those campaigns. You can also find out what’s not doing so well, rectify issues and make changes before they have a chance to escalate and damage the brand. Be vigilant and check bounce rates as well as conversions, you are in a position of control and you should use that control to your advantage, always.

The power of email

Often viewed as the failsafe of marketing campaigns, and wrongly in many circumstances, an email campaign that is not optimised and analysed correctly is a waste of time and server space. Make sure you do your research into what spam filters are looking for and avoid using emails containing more graphics than text, for example.

You should also strive to personalise your emails and keep them short and to the point to encourage people to read them. They are more likely to have the desired effect if you already have a relationship with the client you are sending them to and are better to re-establish a brand or promotional offer, rather than for use in the first instance of promotion.

Offline but not dead

Don’t get me wrong, I love paper as much as the next woman; the smell, the touch, the clutter (you should see my bulging bookshelf). Print promotion and other forms of offline promotion have their place and certainly have not seen their day just yet.

There are times when you can’t beat holding a cheeky little flyer in your hand and. To be honest, it can make a welcome change to receive something through the post when all you see throughout the day is mail, and every other piece of information you receive, in a little box onscreen.

Team spirit

Most importantly, don’t forget that your own team can be your most powerful brand advocates; word of mouth is still the marketing master and made even more omnipotent by social media and its digital marketing friends.

If you treat your staff right, they’ll not only reward you with big smiles and hard work in the office that transfers to great customer service and sales techniques they’ll also introduce new customers and brand loyalty like you wouldn’t believe.

(Inspired by B2BM July/August 09)         

Don’t forget that if a harmonic marketing mix is what you want then Kate’s your girl.  Contact us today at: kate@chichesterdesign.co.uk for a marketing consultation, marketing strategy and marketing mix that will make your brand to fly.