I read an article in Inc. magazine about the ways "nimble,
entrepreneurial companies" are changing the way they spend marketing money to
transform their companies. It echoed many of my beliefs about this online “era,”
so I thought I’d share the high points, as well as my two cents on
them.
- Online marketing offers better metrics than any other marketing
method, so use those metrics to drive improvements to your site and for other
marketing vehicles (print, PR, etc.). There are
many analytics software choices, but I personally love Google Analytics. It's
fabulous and free.
- Consider building a Facebook widget to draw more people to
your website. Getting your company into spaces where your target audience
already "hangs out" online is key. (I still believe Facebook will "win" the
social networking "war" against MySpace and others, despite its recent
troubles.)
- Email marketing continues to be so
important - both short, punchy promotions and information-richer newsletters.
Email at least monthly and no more than twice a week.
- Mobile
marketing is coming on strong in the next couple years. I believe the best
practice right now isn't to advertise on cell phones, but to allow our customers
to contact us via text message, vote via text message, etc.
Tomorrow I'll continue this post with ideas on how social networks and blogs are necessary marketing tools that can help in the transformation of your company.
