I :: The Basics: What You Need to Do to Market Your Business
Establishing a solid online presence by leveraging core online initiatives (website, eNewsletter, online advertising, SEO)
II :: Social Media: How to Harness the Power of Two-Way Communication
Using online social networking tools to interact with your target audience (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs)
III :: Thought Leadership: How to Stand Out From Your Competitors
Communicating innovative value added information to the your target audiences (eBooks, webinars, blogs)
How to Develop a Successful Online Marketing Strategy
1. How to Develop a Successful Online
Marketing Strategy
presented by
parallel interactive communications
and the building industry association of san diego
28 october 2009
2. goals for today
• Self-evaluation :: What am I doing now? How well?
• Evolution of online marketing
• The marketing pyramid
Level 1 :: Core (the basics)
Level 2 :: Interactive (social media)
Level 3 :: Dynamic (thought leadership)
• The basics + social media + thought leadership = 360 degrees of
success
• Questions and answers
3. expectations for today
• Ask questions … everyone learns that way
• No one has all the answers … success is knowing where to find them
• Social media is a marathon not a sprint … pace yourself
• Commit to learning something new today … and every day going
forward
• Technology is only scary if you make it scary ... so don’t
• Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to … learn from others’
mistakes and success
5. the marketing pyramid
Core Dynamic
• Corporate website • Innovative content
• eNewsletter
DYNAMI
highlighting unique
• SEO research, industry
surveys, new
• Online advertising technology
Interactive • Advanced social media
• INTERACTIV
Basic social media • Fully integrated, multi-
• Custom websites channel 360 degree
• Smart phone applications marketing initiatives
• eCommerce CORE
• Advanced online advertising
• Advanced SEO
6. the marketing pyramid :: core
• Purpose(s)
Establish core online presence
Satisfy due diligence requirements of target audiences
Create periodic touch points with target audiences
• Information: static
• Resources: minimal to moderate
• Components
Corporate website*
eNewsletter*
SEO (search engine optimization)*
Online advertising
7. website :: the basics
Site Analysis :: Your Site vs. Top 5 Competitors
• Homepage
Dynamic with movement, clear directives, focused
• Navigation
Hierarchical, defined by audience, easy to use
• Content
Clear, concise, tiered, SEO friendly, definitive call to action
• Design
Consistent with brand, value added visuals, interactive elements, alternate
learning paths
• Analytics
Tied to audience and call to action, measurable conversions
9. website :: the basics
• Other Questions
Do you have measures of success defined?
• What are the conversion paths?
Do you have an online calendar?
Who is the editor of your website?
• Who manages content creep, voice/tone, consistency of content
depth and adherence to core messaging?
Who manages the update cycle?
• Is it timely? Is it systematic or random?
How often do you review your website statistics?
10. eNewsletter :: the basics
• Questions to Ask
Quality of your email list
Consistency of eNewsletters (design, content, technical issues)
Frequency of eNewsletters
Tracking between online initiatives for bumps in online traffic
ROI measures
• Levels of eMail Services
ConstantContact
GoDaddy
VerticalResponse, BlueHornet
12. SEO do & don’ts :: the basics
Excerpts from “Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Do’s and Don’ts, by Colin Greig
Full article available on blog.parallelic.com
DO evaluate your competition thoroughly. What keyword statements are they targeting;
how well are they ranking?
DO create a thorough keyword strategy that is well researched for your market position,
domain expertise and target audience. Include in your keyword strategy long-tail
keyword phrases to be used in the various website tags as well as website copy.
DON’T stuff your content with too many keywords to trick the spider into increasing your
ranking. It can get you penalized and removed entirely from the search engines!
DON’T focus on the keywords you associate with your business. Consult with an expert or
speak with your customers. What keywords would *they* search for if they were
looking for a solution to their businesses problems?
DON’T rip off and duplicate someone else’s content. Search engines keep a history of
website content and if they detect another site’s copy on your website, they will
dismiss your webpage with their “duplicate content filter”, preventing it from ranking.
13. SEO do & don’ts :: the basics
DON’T try to squeeze your entire website onto a handful of pages. The more pages on
your website, the more opportunity for your to keyword optimize and rank.
DON’T over-optimize your content, turning your site into mucky keyword spam. This will
increase your bounce rate and reduce your lead generation capability.
DO write professional copy with the goal of converting website visitors into prospects.
DO write a professional, keyword rich META-DESCRIPTION for each of your pages.
DO use your keyword statements in the header tags on each webpage. (H1,H2,H3,H4,H5
and H6)
DO add image “ALT” attributes to all of your images. Write what the image is about and
include a keyword or two.
14. SEO do & don’ts :: the basics
DO use keywords in the ANCHOR TEXT of links within your website.
DO submit your website to industry specific, quality directories.
DO submit your blog & RSS feed to blog directories.
DO write articles for authoritative websites within your industry in exchange for a link
back to your website.
DO submit your press releases to PRWEB.
DO make use of the viral effects from social news and networking sites by submitting and
voting for your content.
DON’T point all of your links to your homepage. Request they point to particular pages &
sections within your website to boost the ranking ability of those particular pages as
well as increase your “deep link ratio”.
15. the marketing pyramid :: interactive
• Purpose(s)
Leverage core online presence
Generate high quality leads and/or strong revenue stream
Build brand recognition with two-way communication with target audiences
• Information: interactive
• Resources: moderate to high
• Components
Basic social media (twitter, Facebook, myspace, Linkedin)*
Custom websites (mobile, micro-site)
Smart phone applications (iPhone, Blackberry, Android Google)
eCommerce
Advanced online advertising
Advanced SEO
16. blogs :: the stats
• 55% more website
visitors for companies
that blog
• 97% more inbound
links for companies
that blog
• 434% more indexed
pages for companies
that blog
17. blog :: bia san diego
• Builds a two-way communication channel between BIA staff and members
• (+ website) Blog is most cost
effective way to communicate to
members; ‘green’; solved problem
of discontinued print publications
• Exponential growth since April
• Currently main communication
• BIA is building on eNewsletter
and blog success; launching
integrated 360 initiative
early 2010 to complete migration
to online-only communications
18. blog :: parallel insight
• Builds two-way communication channel with current and potential clients
• Goal is to distill avalanche
of online marketing articles
(blogs, tweets, seminars, etc.)
into digestible, valuable
information for clients
• Soft launch 9.1.09;
official launch 01.01.10
• Blog will be centerpiece of
thought leadership campaign
(Linkedin, twitter, Facebook);
tightly integrated into
cohesive 360 marketing initiative
20. facebook :: the numbers
• 5,000,000,000 :: The number of minutes spent on Facebook each
day
• 1,000,000,000 :: The amount of content (web links, news stories,
blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) - shared each week on Facebook
• If Facebook were a country, it would be the 8th most populated in
the world, just ahead of Japan
21. facebook :: honda usa
• Innovative campaign leveraging social media
as leading tool
• Commercials direct consumer straight to
Facebook page
• Corporate site flash also does
• Interactive video used to create movement +
real life testimonials; creates fun ‘game-like’
iphone app; very effective
• Huge response; using advocates of the
product ‘proven’ to sell their high quality
product
• Could easily translate to home building
community
22. facebook :: audi usa
• Audi keeps marketing and social
websites entirely separate from one
another
• Corporate site :: sells cars
• Facebook ::
Shows video for ‘feel’
Asks fans market data questions
via poll and survey
Contains forums for two way
communication
23. facebook :: resources
• “How to use Facebook for Business” by Hubspot
Step-by-step setup instructions
How to promote your Facebook page
Facebook groups vs. Facebook pages
Advertising on Facebook
• All resources posted on blog.parallelic.com
24. twitter :: the stats
• 1382% :: The monthly growth rate of twitter users from January -
February 2009
• 3,000,000 :: The average number of tweets per day on
twitter.com
• Visiting social sites is now the 4th most popular online activity –
ahead of personal email
25. twitter :: how do you compare
Name Rating Ranking Followers Following Updates
Target 98.1/100 103,282/ 1,440 19 0
5,460,974
Oprah 99.2/100 41.019/ 2,488,189 17 74
5,460,974
26. twitter :: how do you compare
Name Rating Ranking Followers Following Updates
Todd Gloria 95.3/100 194/ 429 272 246
5,460,974
Tipton Honda 90/100 530/ 577 1,172 17
5,460,974
27. twitter :: resources
• “How to use twitter for Business : A Beginner’s Guide” by Hubspot
How to set up an account
How to follow/be followed
twitter for marketing
twitter for public relations
• http://bit.ly (browser tool to shorten your tweet urls)
• http://twitter.grader.com (how you are doing? re: everyone else)
• All resources posted on blog.parallelic.com
28. linkedin :: the stats
• 50,000,000 :: The number of LinkedIn members
• 200 :: The number of countries and territories in which LinkedIn
members are found
• 66% :: The percentage of Linkedin members who are decision
makers or have influence in the purchase decisions at their
companies
• Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are Linkedin members
29. linkedin :: wealth management marketing
• Great example of layered use of
Linkedin
Blog
Corporate website
Facebook page
twitter
Webinar
• True thought leadership:
social media for financial industry
• Shows knowledge by implementation
of best practices
30. linkedin :: resources
• “Create an Effective Marketing Plan: The 3 Minute Marketing Association”
by Kristen Luke
http://www.viddler.com/explore/kristenluke/videos/7/24.991/
• “Linkedin: 22 Ways to Dominate”
http://www.slideshare.net/jaybaer/linkedin-22-ways-to-dominate
• “Communication in the Digital Age: It’s All About Socializing, Sharing and
Creating” by Marco Derksen
http://www.slideshare.net/marketingfacts/linked-1146960
• All resources posted on blog.parallelic.com
31. namechk :: social media tip
• www.namechk.com
• Check most social media sites
for your preferred name
• Get a brief description about
the participating social media
sites
• Go directly to the site and
register to protect your name
• All resources posted on
blog.parallelic.com
32. the marketing pyramid :: dynamic
• Purpose(s)
Leverage core online presence and interactive initiatives
Establish brand and/or company executives as thought leaders
Leverage thought leadership achievements to enrich and solidify two-
way communication with customers
• Information: dynamic and interactive
• Resources: high
• Components
Innovative content highlighting unique research, industry surveys, new
technology (eBooks, webinars, podcasts)*
Advanced social media (twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube)
Fully integrated, multi-channel 360 marketing initiatives*
33. thought leadership :: definition
Thought leader is a buzzword or article of jargon used to describe a futurist
or person recognized among peers and mentors for innovative ideas
who demonstrates the confidence to promote or share those ideas as
actionable distilled insights (thinklets).
Thought leadership is an increasingly vital driver of business success.
The term was first coined in 1994, by Joel Kurtzman, editor-in-chief
of the magazine, Strategy & Business. The term was used
to designate interview subjects for that magazine
who had contributed new thoughts to business.
34. why thought leadership?
Excerpt from “Why Thought Leadership Is Your Most Valuable Asset”, by Jon MIller
Full article available on blog.parallelic.com
• Thought leadership is one of the most valuable assets your brand can attain
• Thought leadership can help develop deeper relationships with your
customers by engaging them in non-sales, industry-relevant conversations
• Thought leadership can establish you and your firm as the ‘go-to’ source for
research, insight and interpretation of the latest news and trends
• Thought leadership can build trust among prospective customers so when
they do buy, they will want to purchase from the ‘leader’ in the industry
35. thought leadership :: how to make it work
• Have a plan that integrates all three levels of the marketing pyramid
– core, interactive and dynamic
• Be committed and consistent in your efforts
• Develop unique content
Create original research on emerging industry topics
Provide valuable insight and analysis on topical industry topics
Be a solution to specific problems
• Maximize the impact of your work by utilizing the power of online
tools (blogs, eBooks, webinars, eNewsletters, twitter, Linkedin, etc.)
38. additional resources
• “22 Tools for Social Media” (with examples) by Pet Kim
• “10 WordPress Blog Plug-ins to Promote Your Social Media Profiles”
by Selena M Bowlby
• “5 Advanced Social Media Strategies for Small Businesses” by Samir
Balwani
• All articles are available on blog.parallelic.com
New articles posted each week
Sign up for twitter to be notified – parallelic
Blog Editorial Calendar
• November 2009 – Social Media :: Tips & Tricks
• December 2009 – eNewsletters :: What Works
• January 2010 – Thought Leadership :: eBooks
39. contact parallel interactive
Parallel Interactive Communications
Corporate site :: www.parallelic.com
Blog :: Parallel Insight :: http://blog.parallelic.com
Steve Saars
Partner, Chief Marketing Strategist
619.507.8278
ssaars@parallelic.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesaars
Lisa Marie Shaul
Partner, Client Services
619.894.2333
lshaul@parallelic.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lmshaul
Notas do Editor
Site Analysis :: You vs. Top 5 Competitors Homepage (dynamic with movement?, clear directives to audiences on what to do to drill down, does it focus the user on top level call to actions?) Navigation (in order of importance, defined by audiences if significantly different) Content (clear – no-corporate speak, concise – bullets not paragraphs, current, tiered – core content with sidebars and callouts, SEO friendly – content contains core search phrases yet still understandable, prominent call to action --- tell them in ‘bold’ what you want them to do on every page) Design (in keeping with branding guidelines – go for bigger/mom & pop look is a huge no-no, present value added visuals for content (complicated processes or boring content need visuals to keep your audience interested, reinforce core messages – most people don’t read paragraphs of content… use video or animations to create an alternate learning path for key messages but don’t over do it) (all information could be in notes… if we want to clean up slide)
Soft launch is meant to ensure consistency of implementation, quality of content, and orderly internal ramp up as resources. Goal is to distill avalanche of online marketing articles (blogs, tweets, seminars, etc.) into digestible, valuable information to assist our clients to stay on top of the ever-changing online marketing environment.
Innovative industry leading campaign leveraging social media as the leading tool Commercials direct consumer straight to the face book page Corporate site homepage flash piece does the same Interactive video is used to create movement and use real life testimonials; as well as create some fun ‘game-like’ iphone app play with the hearts--- very effective Notice the ‘huge’ response already for fans for such a new campiagn… using advocates of the product ‘proven’ to sell their high quality product Could easily translate to the home building community
Innovative industry leading campaign leveraging social media as the leading tool Commercials direct consumer straight to the face book page Corporate site homepage flash piece does the same Interactive video is used to create movement and use real life testimonials; as well as create some fun ‘game-like’ iphone app play with the hearts--- very effective Notice the ‘huge’ response already for fans for such a new campiagn… using advocates of the product ‘proven’ to sell their high quality product Could easily translate to the home building community
Innovative industry leading campaign leveraging social media as the leading tool Commercials direct consumer straight to the face book page Corporate site homepage flash piece does the same Interactive video is used to create movement and use real life testimonials; as well as create some fun ‘game-like’ iphone app play with the hearts--- very effective Notice the ‘huge’ response already for fans for such a new campiagn… using advocates of the product ‘proven’ to sell their high quality product Could easily translate to the home building community