As we sit on the brink of another new year, we perform that time-honored, nearly obligatory tradition of listing our resolutions. Yeah, I know that the tradition of making resolutions is matched by our tradition of breaking them; but it's still a wonderful opportunity to take stock of the past 365 days and think of all the ways to change for the better (personally and professionally) over the next 365 days.
In terms of technology and online marketing, we saw social media skyrocket in popularity. More and more businesses began launching presences on various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as their own corporate blogs. In 2009, social media is in a position to really come into its own (think search marketing about 3 years ago), and we should see more companies using it as part of their online marketing and customer engagement strategies.
I polled my friends on LinkedIn and Twitter to find out what their marketing resolutions for 2009 are. I think that these go to show that social media and content marketing are on the dockets for many marketers in 2009.
2008 has been a wild ride of a year, hasn't it? Social media has really started coming into its own, and everyone wanted to create something "viral" (including those of us in online marketing). So, as 2008 comes to a close, I'd like to reflect back on some of the viral videos that caught my attention in the marketing and social media sphere.
I've just finished reading a post from marketing consultant Mayra Ruiz at the Marketing Misfit blog. It seems she's in a quandary regarding a client of hers whose CEO is slowly (but inadvertantly) killing his business by sinking every online marketing effort she and the company's marketing manager have made - and is thisclose to killing their website completely and going back to a "brochureware" approach, complete with an entirely offline marketing strategy. Read Mayra's post here to get the full picture.
The whole story saddens me and has brought up some painful memories of frustrating attempts at explaining web 2.0 and content marketing to bottom-line focused C-levels. It amazes me how many CEOs can have such "pie in the sky" aspirations while still having such a narrow-minded view of sales and marketing. I could go on a long rant here, but I won't. Instead, I want to address some of the points of contention that she brought up.
Here are some particularly mind-boggling reasons the CEO came up with for killing their website budget (which Mayra listed in her post), followed by my own commentary:
Most people only visit the site once or twice. Why, dear readers, do you think that is? Because there's nothing of value offered on the site. It seems to me that the CEO has the mindset that his product in all its feature-laden glory should be valuable enough for his visitors. Now, I haven't seen the website myself, so I don't know how the product is described; but none of his prospective customers are going to care enough about his product to visit the site more than a couple of times.
Most of those people don’t covert to actual leads, just general traffic vs. actual qualified leads. Again, I haven't seen the website myself and don't have any clue to the marketing copy (features vs. benefits-driven). It's obvious, though, that there is no value proposition enough to pull visitors through the conversion funnel. Or the traffic is really untargeted.
No point in adding new content all the time - there are plenty of other places on the web to get research, data. What would you like to bet that a good chunk of those "other places" are their competitors? Why doesn't the CEO want his website to be one of those go-to places for research and data related to his product? Why doesn't he want his company to be an authority in its industry? They have an incredible opportunity to build trust and authority around their product through content - they just have to create an effective content marketing strategy and stick with it.
Most people just want to learn about the product(s) and don’t have time for the “extra” stuff. How did he make this assumption? From his prospects and customers? No, they don't. Prospects have to go through the research phase of the buying funnel - they're looking for the what, when, where, why, and how and gathering as much information as they can (all that "extra stuff") in order to draw up a well-researched short-list of options. It's imperative to provide them with all of this information to give them the full 360 view, impart valuable knowledge, and instill trust in their own product.
Website seems to be more trouble than it’s worth; constant upkeep and maintenance incurring costs...and perhaps that money could be allocated to other marketing activities like direct mailings, magazine advertisements and trade shows. Offline marketing activities are all well and good; but this is the 21st century. Prospects expect a website - no matter how many mailers you send out, how large your print ad is, or how much you spend on your double-decker state-of-the-art trade show display. Offline marketing efforts won't be nearly as effective on their own without a tandem online strategy to help keep your sales leads warm. Kill your website, and I guarantee you'll be killing your new business.
Jonathan Betts also wrote an excellent, thorough response to Mayra's predicament on his blog, The Bettsonian, which covers the CEO's reluctance to invest in a viable marketing plan and branding strategy.
All in all, it seems to me like the CEO is not really in tune with his audience, has a lack of understanding of online marketing in general (not just web 2.0), and does not want to put the time and effort into a content marketing strategy to not only generate leads, but nurture them through the sales process. Perhaps if he were to see successful examples of blogs or other content used by either his competitors in his space, or comparable non-competitive products, he might be saved from the primordial goo of web 1.0.
What would you do in this situation? Leave a comment with your thoughts and help a fellow marketer out!
Today's guest post is from Adam Helweh of Secret Sushi Creative. It's the first a series of posts Adam is contributing about online video.
Put a hand up if you have ever watched a video online. Ok, keep it up if you have sent someone else a link to a video online. I bet there is a good chance that your hand is still up. Ok, now keep you hand up if you have ever uploaded a video online. Although you might still have your hand up, you might be surprised at the number of people who have not taken advantage of the increasingly easy and powerful medium that is online video.
Starting with this article I plan to provide a little insight into online video, some of the many tools used to create videos, which services to consider, and some of the ways to reach viewers. This series of articles should be especially useful for those who put their hand down on my last question; but even if you have uploaded a video before I hope you might still learn something.
Online video is only a few years old and has been gaining popularity faster than almost any digital medium. Previously those who wished to distribute video online had very limited choices. Since the debut of Youtube in mid 2007, things have exploded. Recent numbers by ComScore show Youtube's parent company Google, accounts for 63% of the US search market share. What is most interesting is that 25% of the searches on Google are Youtube video searches. Considering that 2.7 billion searches were generated by Google last month, that is a lot of people looking for videos - 621 Million to be exact!
The numbers say a lot, but here are a few other reasons to consider doing more than watching online video:
Inexpensive tools & software have made producing videos easier than ever (we will discuss this in part two)
Almost all online video services are free (more about this in part three)
Online videos can become "viral" and are easy to share with a dozen friends or 1,000 potential customers (covered in part four)
Online video is easily measured. Most services provide statistics on views, visitor demographics, and other valuable information (also covered in part four)
Video has always been one of the most powerful ways to communicate. Whether it is a how-to, show & tell, or "watch my kid!" video, getting it online and in front of friends, family, and customers is easier than ever.
Adam Helweh is the principal of Secret Sushi Creative, a new media marketing and design company located in the Silicon Valley. Adam has been involved with the creation of digital media for 10 years and currently advises clients on social & new media marketing strategies for their businesses. He also enjoys the show Lost, his cat Tiger, and of course sushi! You can contact him at adam (at) secretsushi.com.
Many of us have been hit hard by the recession, which makes us want to hang on to every last dollar we have (especially during the holiday season). I'm sure that many of you have reduced your gifts budget, cut out travel plans, and shrunk your dinner menu compared to years past because there just isn't as much money available. Believe me - I'm right there with you.
What I want to tell you about today is some ways that you can make the holidays a little brighter for others - without giving more than you can afford. Giving to charities doesn't necessarily mean you have to give cash. Here are a few ways you can help:
Donate old electronics. Do you have old, unused cell phones, chargers, or PDAs lying around? Guess what - there are charities that take these old gadgets and recycle them into cash donations for a variety of causes. One to check out: Cells for Cells
Give away old clothes. We all have clothes sitting in our dressers or closets that - face it - we just don't wear anymore. Get them in a garbage bag and donate them to your local homeless shelter, Goodwill, or Salvation Army. Better yet, collect old clothes from your neighbors as well. Check out How to Donate Old Clothes at Real Simple.
Donate canned goods. Many families don't have enough money to buy food - which is where you can help. Gather together some canned goods (your ownand/or from your neighbors) and donate them to your local food bank. You can find one here.
If you can, donate even a little cash. You don't have to give huge amounts of money - just give what you can. Even $10-20 can go a long way. For instance, the 12 for 12k Challengeencourages donations of just $10 a month. I've also recently donated $12 to Dachshund Rescue of North America, which will help pay for one month of heartworm prevention for these sweet little guys.
Happy Friday before Christmas, Caffeinated readers! It's only 6 shopping days 'til Christmas - have you finished your shopping yet? If you're still looking for ideas, here are a few to consider:
One more idea: a FREE subscription to Website Magazine. I highly recommend this magazine because there's so much valuable information for online marketers, especially for a free magazine.
Now, on with some weekend-before-Christmas online reading:
Junta42 recently published the findings of their recent survey, which shows that "56% of marketing- and publishing-decision makers plan to increase their content marketing spending for 2009". BTW, I was recently chosen to receive a copy of Joe Pulizzi's and Newt Barrett's book, Get Content. Get Customers. Thanks!
Speaking of link building, here is a huge (and growing) list of link building techniques from Jeff Quipp at Search Engine People.
If you have a freelance business, Twitter can prove to be an excellent way to grow your business - if used properly. Here are some tips to follow from freelancer Jenny Cromie.
Speaking of Twitter, there was a bit of an argument this week about whether brands belong on Twitter. Here's the against side, and here's the for side.
My parents own an antique business in Elgin, TX. They have a booth at a local antiques mall, they sell at various antiques fairs and markets throughout the year, and they have an online shop through a platform called Ruby Lane. And they could be doing so much more.
How would you explain Twitter to these women?
I've been thinking about the many ways Twitter could help their business. My mom loves to talk, and she could converse with antiques enthusiasts from all over the world. They could tweet about new items they've added, or special discounts they're offering. They could offer help and advice for people who want to get into the antiques business.
Would they do it? Hmmm...that's another story.
While I'm sure they would be more than open to the concept, I'm not sure they would really get it. While I was thinking of how they could use it, I was also thinking about how I would explain it to them. My initial thought was to them it was a bit like instant messaging, but with a group of people that you follow. I think it's a good start, but I think I would need to be physically there to show them how it works (and how they can make it work to their advantage).
So, how would you explain Twitter your parents (or someone who isn't quite up to speed with the world of web 2.0)?
There are lots of surprises to be found here. While Twitter looked to be the frontrunner for the Mainstream & Large Scale Social Networks category, European social portal Netlog pulled it out, while social rewards site Platinum Lounge took the runner-up spot.
What is your opinion on this year's Open Web Awards winners?
Web content isn’t just about articles and blog posts. Content can be just as effective (if not, more effective) when it’s more…visual. There’s a really good chance that a high percentage of your visitors are visual learners – meaning you need to provide them with content that they can easily digest and understand.
Enter online videos.
Online video content can be a very powerful way to convey any sort of message to your audience while adding that much-needed personality to your business. It adds a dimension of value to your web content that isn’t necessarily achieved through text alone.
Now, I’ll be honest with you – I’m pretty new to online video creation. However, I realize how effective it can be as part of a content marketing strategy, and I wanted to publish a series on it in the hopes that you and I both would learn something more about it.
Future posts in this series will delve more into the creation and optimization of online videos. Meanwhile, I’d like to give you a few ideas in this post
Different Ways Online Video can be Used
Demonstrations/How-To’s: These can be extremely effective, especially if you have either a somewhat complicated product, or a versatile product with lots of uses. How-to’s don’t have to be focused on one particular product either – just keep your target audience in mind. Think about what sort of video content would be valuable to them, but still relevant to your website. Examples: Cooking demonstrations, arts & crafts how-to’s, home DIY demonstrations, exercise demonstrations
Interviews: This type of video is especially effective for B2B websites. Conduct interviews of thought-leaders in your industry at conferences, seminars, or even at your company. This sort of video content is meant to build credibility and authority by associating your company with a well-respected figure in your industry. Talk about the future of your industry as a whole or a specific aspect, or get opinions on recent industry news that impacts your customers.
Examples: Here’s a great example of the interview video for the online marketing industry.
Video sites to check out:IMBroadcast, FreeIQ (has how-to’s and interviews), DoGooder.tv (video site for non-profits)
Events: If your company regularly holds seminars or sessions at industry conferences, or participates in community events, take those opportunities to record them on video and post them on your website. This provides valuable content to your visitors who weren’t able to attend your events in person, and also shows your company’s community involvement. Examples: Check out the series of videos Search Marketing Expo posted here from the "What Is Spam" session at SMX East.
Video sites to check out: IMBroadcast
Humor: What better way to demonstrate the lighter side of your business then with a bit of humor? The key here is to show video content that is funny or lighthearted (and IN GOOD TASTE so as not to offend anyone) while still maintaining a thread of relevance to your company or products.
Examples: I posted a video in last Friday’s Whole Lotta Link Love that was a parody of Alanis Morrisette’s song “You Oughta Know”, which is a really great example of a humorous video that is still relevant to the company that produced it, HubSpot.
Also check out the Vimeo HQ channel on the video site Vimeo – all “behind-the-scenes” videos of life at the company.
Have you ever used online video content on your website? What worked for you and what didn’t?
You may be completely overwhelmed by all the social media and networking sites and tools that are out there (I don't blame you). But it's OK - you don't always have to use the hot new thing in social media.
When it comes to building an online community, too many companies focus on the technology rather than the people. Check out Richard Millington's Online Community Building Manifesto - it's an absolute must-read.
What is your lead generation plan - push out offers and hope that prospects bite, or pull in customers by listening to and conversing with them? Chris Brogan talks about how lead generation methods need to change to "empower the users".
DoGooderTV is a video site for non-profits to promote themselves via video. They even offer video production services at "a price point that's within a nonprofit's budget."
Lastly, I haven't been able to get Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know" out of my head since I first saw this video from Hubspot:
