Marketing in the Internet Age: Understanding Your Options and Avoiding Common Missteps

Marketing in the Internet Age: Understanding Options, Avoiding Missteps, and Maximizing Your Budget

Gere Jordan, Holony Media, 7/14/15

Hi!My name is Gere Jordan and I’m President of local digital marketing company Holony Media.

We use the internet to grow businesses.Through website design, SEO, online advertising, and consulting.

Where do you spend your marketing budget? Any existing digital

expenditures?

Quick Survey

Agenda for today:

1. Quick review of marketing basics2. Outline of online marketing process3. Review of Big 4 digital channels4. Tips and advice for small business

Marketing 101

Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

What is marketing?

Source: American Marketing Association

Marketing is the messages and/or actions that cause messages and/or actions.

Jay Baer

A more basic definition:


The act or process of selling or purchasing in a market.

The process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service

And a couple more...

Source: Merriam Webster

Advertising is the act of getting the word out to consumers about a product or service.

Source: Study.com

What is advertising?



Why is the internet such an effective marketing tool?


88% of North America

is online

6 hrsper day, per adult avg. in

USA

47%of all time spent

with media is digital media

Sources: http://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/digital-social-mobile-in-2015http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Mobile-Continues-Steal-Share-of-US-Adults-Daily-Time-Spent-with-Media/1010782

It’s where people spend their time...

Source: American Marketing Association ...And search for what they need.

Additional Advantages

1. Better targeting2. Reduced cost3. Measurable4. Easier to refine5. Long-term exposure6. Engaging7. More capabilities8. Less intrusive

Digital marketing spend is expected to reach 35% of total

budgets by 2016. http://www.webstrategiesinc.com/blog/how-much-budget-for-online-marketing-in-2014

Getting Started with Online Marketing

STEP 1:

Strategy and Planning

STEP 2:

Quality Website

STEP 3:

Generate Traffic

STEP 6:

Measure Everything

STEP 5:

Convert to Sales

STEP 4:

Convert to Leads

The Inbound Marketing Process

Marketing Strategy & Planning

1. What are your goals?2. Who is your ideal customer?3. Where do buyers look for

your products/services?4. How much should you invest

in a marketing program?5. How will you measure ROI?

Quality Website

The hub of your online marketing

1. Professional appearance2. Easy to navigate3. Search engine friendly4. Mobile ready5. Easy to update

Generate Traffic

More traffic = more exposure

1. Social media2. Email3. PPC4. Organic Search

Convert to Leads

“Create attractive offers and calls to action that appeal to potential buyers at all levels.”

1. Capture information2. Provide offer, add to list, etc.3. Place calls-to-action (CTA)

throughout web presence

Convert to Sales

1. Track and score leads2. Send targeted messages3. Develop lead nurturing

campaigns4. Leverage automation5. Integrate CRM software

Measure Everything

1. Traffic to leads (conversion)2. Leads to customers3. Cost per lead4. Cost per customer5. Unique visitors (traffic)6. Traffic by source

Allocating Budget: The Big 4 Online Channels

Social Media Email

PPC Organic Search

Social Media

28% of time spent online is social networking

Source: AdWeek

Facebook

● 71% of adult internet users use Facebook

● 58% of entire adult population

● Usage among seniors increasing; 56% of internet users age 65 and older

● More popular with women than men

Twitter

● 23% of adult internet users use Twitter


● Particularly popular among those under 50 and college educated

Instagram

● 26% of adult internet users


● Almost all demographics seeing growth

● 53% of young adults age 18-29 now use the service

Pinterest

● 28% of adult internet users.

● 22% of entire adult population.

● Women dominate site. 42% of online women are Pinterest users compared to just 13% of men.

LinkedIn

● 28% of adult internet users.

● 23% of entire adult population.

● Popular with college graduates, those in higher-income households and the employed. 50% of college graduates.

● Only platform where ages 30-64 are more likely than 18-29.

Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms-2/

Leverage social ad networks to promote

your content

Social Media Marketing Tips

● Know your audience and pick the right networks.

● Local businesses should focus on community.

● Allocate budget to social media advertising to increase ability to reach target audience.

Email

Email provides lowest cost per lead.

Source: marketingcharts.com/traditional/b2b-marketers-rank-15-demand-gen-channels-by-cost-per-lead-47657/

There will be 1.1 billion business email accounts by 2017, and 77% of worldwide accounts are consumers.

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244802

Email Marketing Tips

● Send relevant messages that encourage action.

● Create a timeframe with a sense of urgency.

● Use consumer intelligence for targeted and more personalized messaging.

PPC

Google AdWords controls 67% of the pay-per-click (PPC)

market.

Bid on specific keywords and only pay when someone clicks

your ad.

PPC Tips

● Don’t set it and forget it; manage your account

● Use negative keywords to rule out terms that aren’t applicable to you

● Only advertise where you operate or can deliver

● Take advantage of Google AdWords free support

Organic Search

Organic results are the “natural” or unpaid search

results

70% of the links search users click on are organic,

not paid

Organic Search Tips

● Your website is #1 asset; continually optimize and improve

● Expand your website to target more keywords

● Earn links and shares to improve your authority

● Prioritize search if you’re primary need is lead generation

What Not to Do: Common Online Missteps

1. Not measuring performance. Always install Google Analytics and track results.


2. Maintaining multiple websites or paying vendors for separate domains. Invest in one great website.


3. Neglecting search engine visibility. Showing up on Google is almost always most important.


4. Spending a little money everywhere and hoping for the best. Work a strategy instead.


5. Investing heavily in niche directories instead of your personal website. Many of these companies are thriving off SEO. You can too.

In Summary

Consumers spend their time online and use the web to

search for what they need.

STEP 1:

Strategy and Planning

STEP 2:

Quality Website

STEP 3:

Generate Traffic

STEP 6:

Measure Everything

STEP 5:

Convert to Sales

STEP 4:

Convert to Leads

The Inbound Marketing Process Is:

The Big 4 Channels to Focus On Are:

Social Media Email

PPC Organic Search

Common Missteps:

1. Not measuring analytics2. Multiple domains/websites3. Neglecting Google4. Spending on too many services5. Paying directories instead of investing in website

Discussion time. What questions do you have? Let’s assess your online

marketing situation.

For more information, including a copy of this presentation, visit:

http://www.holony.com/bed

http://www.holony.com/bed