Portrait of a youthful Steve Jobs

How can a golden age of online marketing take place amid turbulent stock markets, high unemployment and a growing European financial crisis that threatens the U.S. Banking system? Maybe it’s premature to say “golden age.”  Just one more dramatic downswing and we may see a double-dip recession. Yet, when I think of all that’s been happening I say quietly to myself, “hey, this may be the golden age of Internet marketing.”

It may be wise to address this issue because the transformational power of technology has grown more quickly than other parts of our economy. Considering the end of an era with Steve Jobs’ passing, one can easily assert that a very special golden era has also passed with him.

Moammar Gadhafi: Brought down by cell phones?

But there’s something about social media and the state of all things digital that keeps me thinking we’re in the midst of a spectacular run, with everything accelerating at Tech Speed.  Indeed, the fall of Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, and the stunning swiftness of the Arab Spring, was sustained by cell phone technology.

With regard to marketing, just take a look at the customer. He/she is an empowered person with Mouse-in-Hand who enjoys enormous and unparalleled freedom:

• Finding great websites and blogs
• Great information on nearly any product or service
• A robust era of social media sharing
• A  host of ways to publish and republish individual passions and ideas
• With everything one could possibly want online everyday

Yet people are not getting into the car, or punching their phone lines as they once did with basic questions. Clearly online content is profuse — as wide as it is deep. The customer has become very savvy and well educated before contacting a particular business about a specific product.

Business-to-business and business-to-consumer, everyone sees the same thing: human behavior has fundamentally changed. Right now people are looking for your product: locally, regionally, internationally. Their quest for information growing. If you own or manage a business, are you taking advantage of everything that’s happening? Are you seizing the day? Or, are you still waiting for something, or someone, to light a match under you so that you can finally take action?

Here’s three big reasons to move:

• Internet Marketing is continuing to grow and evolve.
• The Internet is beginning to mature, e.g. Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin now dominate social media (with Google + on the way up)
• The customer has spoken. They have the mouse, cell phone and tablet in hand. They’re excited by the Internet and it shows.

The time for action is now. You have every reason and incentive to get underway with that next idea or strategic campaign. There’s blogging, content marketing, micro-sites, mobile media, search engine optimization, online advertising and more. These tools are tremendously adaptive and effective. But you should think of them as much more than a random shopping basket of techniques. You’ll need a strategy to make everything work. (Full disclosure: that’s what our business is all about, finding the best strategy and tactics for the company involved.)

So, what do you think? Is this the Golden Age of Internet Marketing?

As always, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Your Website Can Do More, Cost Less and Pull In Better Traffic

Many site owners fail to realize their website is just the beginning of a larger process. Though they may understand usability, keyword optimization and branding. Often, there’s much that can be done to bring real excitement and fresh results. If you’re passionate about serving your customers and proving what you can do for for them, you’ll enjoy having a website, or company blog, that pulls more qualified inbound leads and customer traffic. Transforming static pages into a compelling inbound program — with blog posts, web video, social media, carefully tested landing pages, new conversion steps and more — requires the ability to look at your product with fresh eyes.

Start re-thinking your website. Ask, “how can we add more compelling content on a regular basis?” Now, you’re getting closer to the real challenge. A website that’s easily updated. A website that pulls in more leads. A website:

• That you can update
• That grows over time with useful news and information
• That offers every opportunity to demonstrate your responsiveness
• That’s very search engine friendly
• That “works for you.”

Building websites using WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS) benefits you because:

• WordPress is the world’s leading blog software
• It is one of the fastest growing platforms for building business websites
• Major Search Engines love blogs
• Using a CMS allows you to think about your content in a more fluid style
• Your site can help you attain more: Energy, Excitement, Opportunity, Sales.

There’s always more to say on the subject of blogging, especially for business. What do you say to your management team? How do you get them to commit to a company blog that drives new traffic and results?

Working with clients allows you to accumulate experience in small doses over a long period of time. Yet it can be difficult to distill all that experience into a great company story. Even when you have worked with a talented founder who has made a strong impression in their industry, it can be difficult to figure out what made their contribution so compelling.

Somerset Maugham, the British writer once known as the “most famous writer alive,” was often asked the question, what makes a good story? He responded by saying a good story must ‘interest’ the reader. Seems pretty basic doesn’t it? However, in the U.S. we’re a little more demonstrative. We like to think in terms of great stories, exciting movies and unbelievable products, etc.  So what makes a ‘great’ company story?

Great company stories don't require charismatic founders, but it can help.

Think about Steve Jobs and Apple Computer. What an unbelievable run! America’s top technology company (having finally supplanted Microsoft just last week). I recall purchasing the original Macintosh computer in 1985 as a young man, just a few months after its introduction. It was an obvious choice based on the machine, its POP displays and the friendly little screen with mouse and trash icon. The store’s staff downplayed it by saying I would feel ‘silly’ dragging a file to a little “cartoon trash can,” it was unbusinesslike, etc. Yet there’s such a great story here: Epoch making design and quality; a cult like following; a founder who leaves the company; the company in a sudden dramatic slide; the founder returns to an even greater success, etc. And, it’s all still going strong of course.

Dithering Over Details Can Make It Hard To Uncover The ‘Underlying Drama of The Brand’

As a creative marketing professional, I think it’s very much part of my job to find that story for each of our clients and help them work on it in their branding and marketing without allowing it to come across as self-serving, boring or egotistical. How to make the story memorable is also challenging. The raw material must be there, but the right solution may not be so obvious. The client may be inclined to downplay himself, or the product may need renewed positioning so the prospective customer can perceive it in dramatic terms. There’s literally  hundreds of issues that can arise. Clients often want to tone down the narrative and make it safe, universal or compliant, thereby turning a great story into something perfunctory or dull. Dithering over details can make it hard to uncover the ‘underlying drama of the brand.’

That last one is a paraphrase of Leo Burnett on advertising. As Leo inferred in his book, the underlying drama of a product, company or brand requires some digging and a little insight — if not some great streak of luck — because it takes a client with an open mind to let the story come out on its own terms.

One customer of ours is inherently interesting because of where he began in the U.S. aerospace industry. Mr. Egon Jaeggin helped in building the first hand held camera used in outer space. He has been active with prime contractors, such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, over the past forty years. His firm Numerical Precision Inc., built the Mini Power Tool for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Upgrade Mission, completed last year. The Power Tool allowed the astronauts to remove fasteners in outer space that were never meant to be removed, all the while sustaining an astonishing range of temperature extremes.  The entire mission was so riveting (forgive the pun!) that a first rate film documentary is now touring through OmniMax Theaters and currently showing in Chicago. Mr. Jaeggin has shown the Power Tool to selected groups, from industry VIP’s to a local Veteran’s Group in his home town.  Yet, he always remains self-effacing in his comments. Never talking in a way that might over shadow or diminish the achievements of his client (a note of disclosure: we built and currently maintain their corporate website, email newsletter, and other marketing programs).

The Fundamental Truth

Despite his soft-spoken style, Mr. Jaeggin enjoys a world-wide reputation in his field. We have never burnished his firm’s reputation with hype. What his company does takes years of hard work to achieve. Which brings me to the core point of this post. You need to be connected firmly to a fundamental truth, one that naturally supports and underlies a strong product or service, in order to express the unique qualities of a great brand.

A great story sells itself. But it must be presented well, in a compelling way. And, it has to connect with people. I believe there’s almost always a good tale of innovation at the heart of every great entrepreneur, service concept or product that’s enjoyed continued success.

Perhaps you have something that comes to mind? A great product or service which you have observed in the making?

Please take a moment and reply to this post if  you will. We would love to hear your thoughts on the ‘underlying drama of the brand.’

Consider The Long Tail When Thinking About Strategy (image from Wired Magazine).

As you think about developing a unified strategy for Internet marketing, you may find many points of creative fusion between your traditional advertising program and the emerging possibilities online. When you study unique characteristics, such as the Long Tail, you’ll encounter many transformative new ideas that may completely reshape your assumptions about business. As you get underway please remember:

1. Simply building a website won’t grow your business;
2. You’ll need an effective strategy to be successful online;
3. In fact, your current website may represent only the first step in a larger online program.

Many marketers fail to realize their website is just the beginning of a larger process. The overall purpose and depth of content on your domain may suggest a compelling new strategy. It’s important to have a sense of where the latent energy of your site may be going: to substantiate your credentials? Tell a product story? Generate leads? Or, direct sales?

Marketers Often Become “Stuck” On Strategy

Most people think creativity has more to do with art, music and literature and less to do with business, science and engineering. But that’s not the case!

• Creativity is the act of producing new ideas, approaches and actions;
• Innovation is the process of generating and applying ideas in a specific manner and context;
• Both definitions apply for your business, especially if you’re planning to leverage Web 2.0 applications;
• The Web is all about innovation!

Here’s where it gets interesting, and potentially exciting, especially if you think outside the box. Today, new competitors are rapidly emerging as traditional marketing practices evolve into new online propositions. To ride the waves in today’s economy we need to engage in lateral thinking and divergent thought. Today it is possible to do things we could only dream a few short years ago.

1. If you check out wootwine.com you’ll be looking at a special sale, for one day only. “Woot” is a domain that specializes in daily deals, one item only, at a very discounted price. We learned of them in a recent issue of Inc. Magazine. They build their customer relationships via Twitter. What’s interesting to us is the simplicity of the business model, one sale each day on one select item, a strategy that would be nearly impossible in the traditional retail world.
2. Kogi Korean BBQ, a company with just a little over one year of operations, serves Korean style meat in Mexican-style flatbread (an innovative idea!) in Los Angeles. Kogi designed its delivery system using Twitter to inform customers where their delivery truck is headed during the course of the day, so impassioned customers can enjoy their Korean fast food fix (see kogibbq.com).
3. Ms. Brigitte Dale won Yahoo!‘s Best Internet Personality 2008 for her quirky video blog posts. What’s she selling? Her creative talent of course. Though it may be difficult to envision her approach for business, these charming online videos feature sharp scripts, self-produced on a shoe string with surprising sophistication. Here’s a recent post on YouTube.

Practical Questions Must Be Encountered

Successful strategy is often built from tactical advantages (note our Online Marketing Awareness Map). Whether to build slowly with a focus on Content Marketing or more quickly with Internet Advertising, may depend on whose asking the question.

I. An e-commerce site dealing in branded items sold at discount might focus on:

• Area 1: Websites;
• Area 2: Online Advertising;
• Area 6: Landing Pages, Analytics & Conversion.

II. Whereas a manufacturer or B2B services firm might focus on:

• Direct mail and inside sales;
• Area 3: Content Marketing or Blogging;
• Area 5: Online Video;
• Area 6: Landing Pages, Analytics & Conversion

Start With Small Steps

It helps if you have a strategy. It can make a huge difference. But if you don’t have one (or, it’s just too confusing) you’ll benefit by taking smaller steps. It is hard to go wrong with good landing pages and well designed content featuring important keyword groups and site analytics. Pilot programs make sense. Add a company blog to the mix, or perhaps a Google Adwords campaign. Adwords can work quickly, which is one reason why sponsored search listings are so popular.

Yet, a hasty campaign cobbled together with little planning is unlikely to work very well, unless you’re very lucky. False starts can be demoralizing and damaging due to the possibility of a poor Quality Score from Google, which can take months to overcome. Better to work deliberately and strategically, even with a small beginning. Content marketing, especially from blogging, is designed to build up carefully over time.

Once again, let me suggest an important reminder: We’re striving to keep things simple (not simplistic) to help you in framing your initial approach. What’s right for you will depend on your product and the unique vision you may have for your business or enterprise.

Be Thorough In Developing Keywords

Marketers engaged in their first encounter with online advertising are often surprised at the amount of time they need to develop effective keywords and Adgroups. Using Google’s Keyword Generator can help you create hundreds of keywords. But don’t fall into the trap of letting the software do your thinking for you. Instead, as a first step, take the time to really think about your customers. Stand back, look at them as real people and don’t pigeon hole them. Ask how they might type a search query to find your product or service. Doing this in a candid manner makes you relate to them personally. This is a simple step that can help your website, online advertising or content marketing as well. It is also a great marketing practice for strategic planning in any medium.

There‚ is no end to the possibilities one can use in making the transition to online marketing. This may be a great time to reexamine your business and restart your marketing in a more innovative direction. We can take you through a few current campaigns we’ve done in helping our clients create a smooth transition to online marketing:

• Dorion-Gray Retirement Planning, Inc.
• Numerical Precision, Inc.
• RaueInsider.com

Thank you for taking the time to explore this “outside the box” online marketing series.  If you have any questions on how to get started, contact us, or leave a comment below.

Additionally, please take a moment to share any interesting strategies that you see online!

Clients often react to marketing as if it is just fun and games

Big mistake. Great marketing is resolute. Great marketing is supported by strong data and analysis. It is the product of a well founded strategy executed with passion and intelligence.

For The Times They Are A Changing

Remember that song? Driving my daughter to High School last week, she put the CD in the dashboard player. It was Bob Dylan’s “You Better Start Swimming…” I smiled when I heard the song.

“I didn’t know you liked Bob Dylan.”

“Everyone likes Bob Dylan dad.”

Then it hits me. It’s 6:30 AM and I realize Bob Dylan is a very successful marketer. Indeed, one might listened and learn:

• Successful marketers know how to swim. They know what it takes.
• They have learned to kick hard while under water.

For start up marketers the truth of these lyrics couldn’t be more succinct.

• You’d better start swimming, or else.
• Start ups must be on target with their strategy.
• They have to know how to do the right things.
• One out of five make it.

Then there are the more grown up corporate realities on marketing: The average tenure of a CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is now less than two years; Ditto for the average agency relationship with clients. Most newspapers are scrambling to maintain their franchise (attempting to reinvent themselves online due to falling readership). And, fewer family firms are surviving.

Better start swimming or: You’ll… Sink… Like… A… Stone!

Here’s more:

• The internet is now the fastest growing marketing medium in the world.
• This year brought new pressure on the up-front TV Spot market. First time ever another medium has put such pressure on TV spending.
• Consumer generated media is all the rage. Consider the rise of Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, wireless computing, and Google’s unbelievable run.
• Not to mention The Long Tail.
• The Internet has brought unprecedented change.
• Technology now allows us to do things we could only dream.

If there’s a point that I want you to remember it’s this: marketing is very serious business. It’s always has been serious. Even more so now. For the times they are a changing!

Sometimes I think clients often continue to react to marketing as if it is just fun and games. Big mistake. Great marketing is resolute. Great marketing is supported by strong data and analysis. It is the product of a well founded strategy executed with passion and intelligence.

When you “go to market” you’re placing a substantial bet on the future.

Tonight we’re going to talk about how to swim. How to go to market. What to worry about, etc. Yet, we’re also going talk about changing times.”

As mentioned in previous postings, I have spent a long time before the mast in marketing. I want this blog to say more, or convey more thinking, apart from incessant handwritten notes which I am guilty of preserving in three ring binders.

One of the things we like to say does not yet exist much in writing. For us these four qualities, or properties, beautifully express what we provide: Energy, Excitement, Opportunity, Sales (or, EEOS for short).

Perhaps, it sounds jingoistic. Yet, marketing programs will produce strong benefits if done well. And for the millionth time as we dutifully sound the note, “increased profits and growth”… well, how many times can we say such bland pronouncements with a straight face?

It actually goes further than this. I’ve come to think if anyone asks me what they should expect from a successful marketing engagement I would say it comes down to four things:

• You should feel a strong uptick in the Energy level within your company.
• The program should produce real Excitement in your staff, sales force and customers.
• It must take advantage of a genuine Opportunity in your market.
• It must deliver a sustainable return in new Sales.

These four properties may be less profound than the breakthroughs of modern physics, quantum mechanics, or anything so noteworthy. Yet, when they ask us what to expect, we tell ‘em:

Energy! Excitement! Opportunity! Sales!