A new article in the Financial Times related to the economic depression has said that marketing exec’s are tightening their belts for the forthcoming year. They are reducing their advertising costs on traditional media particularly newspapers and instead investing in search engine marketing and web advertising. Social media is another area that many companies will be keen to invest in for 2012.
The report concluded that those companies who cut back dramatically on advertising lost out in the fourth economic quarter of 2011. But going ahead many companies will also invest more in social media and search engine marketing because it works out more effective than traditional marketing.
It’s not hard to see why as online marketing can be laser targeted to the demographics companies are interested in. People spend the majority of their leisure and work time online so it makes sense to put your marketing message in front of them.
Search Engine Optimization Marketing
As Google takes up over 80% of the UK search market it’s also wise to invest your marketing budget on search engine optimization. Most people start out looking for products and services using Google, so if you want to compete in a local market it makes more sense if your website appears at the top of the search results.
You can advertise your website on a directory, but your customers can also see your competition there, and there’s no guarantee the directory will make it to the top of the local listings. A well focused domain and website can always outrank a big directory in a local rankings fight.
You have more control over proceedings once you optimise your website. By signing up with a web directory you have no control or can’t do anything to push your website, or albeit the directory up the Google serp’s.
According to Credit Suisse and Liberum Capital the interactivity of the online world has created opportunity for companies to engage their customer base in a new way. There is they say a myriad of opportunities in the online social media world if media agencies and companies know how to step in and set up effective marketing campaigns.
Less Marketing More Communication
The first thing companies and media outlets in general have to realise about social media marketing is that it’s all about the communication. It is less about the “marketing” and more about the communication. It’s about providing the customers needs without treating them as a sales commodity.
It’s not about listening to them and waiting for your opportunity to hit them with the benefits of product X, it’s about engaging with them, letting them know what you have to offer when they ask, dealing with their complaints and issues, and letting them know you have expertise in your area.
After that they will trust you, they will join your Facebook page, they will join your forum or group. You can offer them gift vouchers or incentives, if you’re on Facebook you can offer them this 24/7 – just change the offer every week or so. But you have to engage with your audience. Don’t try to sell them in an over the top manner.
This is news to so many companies getting into web marketing. They just don’t understand it, or infact want to change. Unless they do, these are the companies that could be filing for bankruptcy next year.
Subscribe to our blog for regular search engine optimization tips.
