Nomad Marketing Blog

In preparation for a talk I’m giving this weekend titled, “Communicating in the 21st Century”, I’ve been tuning my antennae to tech talk, social media and other permutations of the interwebz.  As surprising as it may seem, there exist some strange tribes that don’t embrace all of these technological marvels.These tribes of which I speak are many and varied.  One might be interested to learn that high school and college kids don’t use Twitter.  They’re too busy texting.  Older adults don’t text much (but they’re learning).  Younger professionals shy away from e-newsletters.Communicating in the 21st century is far from a simple challenge.  The diversification of audiences and the exponential growth in communication options create a complexity never seen before.  The key to success is knowing the desired audience(s) and their preferred communication modes.  One size fits all communication campaigns are doomed to failure.Here are some critical questions to ask as you’re designing a campaign:

1. Who is the target audience?
2. What are their demographics (age, etc)?
3. What communication vehicles do they use?
4. What type of response or action am I hoping for?
5. How can I track the success of the campaign?

To have the best chance of success, a communication campaign must match the message, the medium and the audience.  What works for one group may not work for another.  Choose wisely.

marketing,communication,Nomad Marketing,social media,advertising,internet,twitter,demographics,psychographics

I’ve been thinking about web strategy a lot lately.  The current economy has made many businesses re-evaluate their marketing plans.  Companies justifiably see the web as a great “free” resource for marketing.  So many tools exist today - many of which were covered in recent posts here - that getting the word out online is quick, easy and effective.At the same time, a disjointed web strategy can send confusing messages to the market.  Web marketers must take care to integrate all of the elements of their web presence.  Whether a company uses blogs, Twitter, Facebook or all of the above, the tone and content of messages sent should be consistent across these media.  A snarky, abrasive tone in Tweets can reduce the effectiveness of thoughtful blog posts, etc.  The brand must be consistently represented in all marketing vehicles.Policy questions aside, Barack Obama’s campaign (and now administration) offer one of the best examples of consistent, connected web strategy ever seen.  His tweets link to YouTube videos of his speeches which refer to his website where people can find blogs and chat rooms to discuss his ideas.  The tone, message and style of each of these elements is consistent and drives interest and engagement from followers.He has taken it a step further with www.change.gov - his transition team’s website. By bringing the campaign’s web savvy to his administration, more people than ever before will become wired to the inner workings of government.  The potential for an engaged citizenry is enormous.The web offers tremendous opportunities for low cost, highly effective marketing.  The key to success is a holistic strategy with the brand at the center.

marketing,nomad marketing,web,internet,twitter,facebook,barack obama,blog,youtube

Step 3.  Use social networking toolsImproving search results and generating site traffic relies on links and connections from around the web.  One of the best ways of spreading the word is through online social networking.  Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook can connect you with thousands of prospective contacts and referrers.  Messaging tools like Twitter provide a forum for sending quick updates and sharing links with thousands of “followers”.The instantaneous nature of these online tools makes it easy for website owners to draw visitors and keep them coming back.  Each new blog post or site update can be communicated quickly to thousands of fans with a few keystrokes.  In fact, several Facebook apps, like My Blogs will automatically post new blog entries to a Facebook profile.  With millions using these tools, they are critical for improving search results and web traffic.Twitter can be another valuable asset. Twitter messages - called Tweets - support live hyperlinks.  That gives website owners the opportunity to quickly alert followers to updated site content and new blog posts and drive them directly to the new content.  Not surprisingly, multiple Facebook apps allow Tweets to be posted on a profile page – almost instantaneously.Social networking tools create an interconnected alert system that is fast, easy and inexpensive (free).  Website owners can use this system to communicate new content and expand their reach.   By cross-pollinating messages among the various tools, website owners can create a robust mechanism for generating new and loyal traffic.

Nomad Marketing,Internet,marketing,social networking,facebook,twitter,linkedin,blog,website,web

Step 2.  Take advantage of blogsIn the last post, I discussed the ways small businesses can utilize Google’s web tools to increase traffic on their site.  A second way to attract visitors is to create a blog strategy.  Blogs give visitors a reason to return to a website.  Leaving comments on other blogs can help increase traffic on your site, too.  A new breed of “aggregator” sites can also help extend the reach of a website featuring a blog.  A good blog strategy will incorporate all three elements.Build a business blog Not all blogs are created equal.  Everyone has heard of the “blogosphere” - that tempest in a teapot filled with ranting crazies.  Business blogs are very different.  When well-crafted, they can offer an insider’s view of a company and extend a brand persona beyond advertising and media efforts.A blog must be supported by an underlying strategy.  Without a mission, the blog will wander and readers will lose interest.  Aspiring business bloggers should ask themselves questions like:

• “What are my recurring messages and themes?”
• “What personality should my blog adopt?”
• “How open should my blog be in discussing my company or products?”
• “How can I keep my posts relevant to my readers?”

Business bloggers should be prepared to deal with negative or inappropriate comments posted to their blogs.  Eliminating the negative feedback universally can backfire, but all comments should be moderated to eliminate inappropriate or unnecessarily harsh commentary.Blog entries must be frequent and relevant enough to keep readers interested.  If posts appear less than once a week, readers will stop returning.  Understanding readers’ interests is also critical.  Blogs should address issues readers care about.  If business bloggers understand their customers and their market, they should be able to comment on relevant topics easily.Comment on other blogsThe blogosphere is full of blogs discussing business issues.  There are many people commenting on topics relevant to your business.  The keys to making this work for you are:

1. Find the appropriate blogs to connect with.
2. Leave relevant, insightful comments.
3. Include your blog address in the comment so readers can find your blog.
4. Be active.  One comment once in a while is not enough to make this work.

Connect with aggregatorsMany websites aggregate blog posts into categories.  These sites are popular because they filter the millions of blog posts and return those that are of interest to readers.  Business blogs should be connected to these aggregators.  Some examples include:

• Digg
• Stumbleupon
• Del.icio.us

Each post should be tagged to match the key words in the post as well as the key search for your company.  Those tags will allow readers to find your posts more easily.Blogs can drive significant traffic to a website.  They add visibility and provide a forum for extending a company’s brand.   They also give visitors a reason to return to a site frequently, giving brand owners more opportunities to connect with their audiences.

Nomad Marketing,marketing,web,blog,search engine optimization,internet

Small businesses often can’t afford expensive Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services.  The good news is, they don’t really need to.  Three simple activities can provide more bang for the buck than many SEO services.I’m not suggesting that paying for SEO wouldn’t be valuable for some businesses.  In highly competitive markets, SEO can mean the difference between showing up first and showing up last.  But for many small businesses, appearing in the top 5-10 search results is sufficient to drive more traffic to their sites.  I suggest three simple steps for all of my clients.  I’ll review each step in separate posts.Step 1.  Focus on GoogleLike it or not, Google controls 60% of worldwide web searches.  And considering Google’s partnership with Yahoo, they will control even more of the paid search results market.  Google should get most of a small business’s SEO attention.First, webmasters should focus on their “snippet”.  This is the little blurb that appears under the link in any Google search result.  Google has created a valuable video explaining the mechanics of a Snippet. .  The key to snippet success is making sure that the opening paragraph of a site’s home page text succinctly captures the business’s message.  It should include as many key search terms as possible in the first couple of lines.  The best part of this effort is that it’s free!  (Note:  Yahoo and MSN snippets function similarly, but Google is the most scientific about theirs.)Here’s Nomad Marketing’s Google snippet.Companies that advertise on the web, should emphasize Google AdWords in their campaigns.   This simple “pay per click” service reaches the majority of web searchers and allows advertisers to budget any amount per click and any amount per month for search results.  More competitive searches will cost more, but this can be a very affordable advertising solution for many businesses.  Note:  it’s not always necessary to appear in the “Top 3” results – the most expensive category.  Often, showing up in the top 5-10 is enough.  Frequency is important, so businesses should consider buying more frequent results in the lower range for the same monthly budget.One important element to a successful AdWords campaign is search term optimization.  That’s where the 3rd leg of the Google stool – Google Analytics – comes in.  Google Analytics allows webmasters to monitor the search terms that lead people to their sites – and integrates directly with AdWords.  Google Analytics is free and only requires a simple code snippet addition to web pages.  This tool offers a variety of valuable data in simple, clear reports.  By closely monitoring the most common search terms in Google Analytics, web advertisers can optimize their search terms in AdWords – dropping ineffective search terms and adding more effective terms.  Webmasters should review their Google Analytics data at least weekly to most effectively optimize their AdWords campaigns.Google dominates the web search world.  Embracing the giant can make life easier for small businesses.  Webmasters can optimize their web search results by spiffing up their snippets, advertising with AdWords and monitoring results with Analytics.  These are some simple, affordable ways to start an SEO effort. Check back for Step 2:  Taking advantage of blogs.

Web traffic,internet,marketing,Nomad Marketing,Google,snippet,adwords,Google analytics,search engine optimization

This year’s crop of Superbowl commercials was a mixed bag (as usual).  I looked closely for ads that combined memorable humor, strong branding/messaging and a clear call to action.  A few jumped out as more effective than others.E-trade Baby

This was my favorite commercial.  The ease of use message was obvious, the branding was clear throughout and talking babies are almost always funny.  Whoa.Sales Genie.com

These ads were 2-edged swords.  On the one hand they all featured stereotypes bordering on offensiveness.  On the other hand, their painfully obvious call to action probably generated as much if not more traffic to their website than any other ad, with the possible exception of the GoDaddy.com ad.Tide

It’s speaking Swedish!  This is funny because the stain’s gibberish includes some Swedish words.  Message is very clear and well integrated with the humor.Minnesota Twins

Not having seen all the regional advertising nationwide, I can’t say that this was the BEST regional ad, but it’s a good one.  The homerun derby takes place in the new Twins stadium construction site and includes many notable landmarks in Minneapolis.Gatorade

Being a NY Yankees fan, I can’t help but share this ad featuring My Captain, Derek Jeter.This year’s Superbowl ads were not bad as a class – with a few notable standouts.  I’m already looking forward to next year’s ads.

Nomad Marketing,marketing,Superbowl,advertising,commercials,E-trade,Salesgenie.com,GoDaddy.com,Tide,Minnesota Twins,NY Yankees,Derek Jeter,Gatorade

For many years, I held firmly to the belief that salespeople should report to marketing people.  I don’t believe that anymore.  I’ll probably lose my membership in the American Marketing Association for saying so.  Regardless, it’s clear to me that marketing and sales groups share a symbiotic – maybe even mutually-parasitic relationship.While marketers may develop product, branding or promotional strategies, the success of those strategies depends heavily on good execution from salespeople.  At the same time, salespeople are often able to identify market trends before marketers.  Salespeople depend on marketers to create sound strategies.  Marketers depend on salespeople to make them work.Since bloggers love lists – especially this time of year – let’s list the ways marketers and salespeople work together (or not).

1. Branding.  Marketers create a brand personality and brand promise.  Salespeople give elevator pitches.  If the brand can’t (or won’t) be communicated by the salespeople, it won’t stick.
2. Product strategy.  Marketers determine new products and launch them.  Salespeople generate orders for them.  If the salespeople don’t believe in the products, they won’t push them.  The products will fail.
3. Product strategy (2).  Salespeople demand product variations to fit a client’s request.  Marketers determine the broader viability and strategic importance of these variations.  If the marketer doesn’t do his or her homework, a costly, ineffective line extension can be created.  Or equally bad, the marketer may miss an opportunity to satisfy an important client.
4. Promotional campaigns.  Marketers like clean, orderly, linear sales promotions.  Salespeople make the phone calls and deliver the presentations.  If marketers don’t provide the necessary tools – or secure the buy-in of the sales force, the promotions are doomed.
5. Customer interaction.  Salespeople thrive on customer contact.  They are usually not afraid of cold calling.  Marketers love to be experts, but are often unwilling to initiate customer contact.  Unless marketers work closely with salespeople, they will miss the intimate understanding of a customer’s daily life.  That leads to missed product and revenue opportunities.
6. Compensation.  Marketers and salespeople are paid differently.  No news there.  The challenge is making sure marketers consider sales compensation when creating marketing strategies, and vice versa.  No marketing strategy that conflicts with (or runs outside of) a company’s sales compensation plan will be successful.  I have seen this play out in numerous companies.  It seems elementary, but too often, marketers are unaware of the sales compensation plan or don’t consider it an important element of a strategy.  Scary, but true.

Forging a strong, cohesive relationship between marketing teams and sales teams is critical to business success.  Without a hand and glove connection between them, businesses risk missing market opportunities, spending excessively on ineffective campaigns and alienating customers.Marketers, hug a salesperson today.

Nomad Marketing,marketing,sales,blog

Well, the tennis gods STILL don’t get it.Davydenko was questioned again by a chair umpire because of his poor serving. The umpire told Davydenko, “You should serve like me.  I get it in.”  The guy is ranked #4 in the world. His lack of effort is really hurting the sport’s reputation.So, the Association of Tennis Professionals (the tennis gods) decided that they needed to make a statement.  They will now ban any match-fixers from tennis for life.But tennis players found using drugs can return to the sport after serving their suspensions.  Drugs are killing sports.  Just ask the UCI (International Cycling Union).  And now that Martina Hingis quit, rather than face punishment for a positive cocaine test at Wimbledon, tennis needs to face facts.Tennis needs to resurrect their brand.  The sport needs strict standards for behavior and fair competition.  Without those, the sport will ultimately lose its marketability.  TV revenues will go away, sponsors will leave and the sport will be relegated to the bottom of the sports heap.Any small business that allowed its employees to behave so recklessly and arrogantly would lose its customers in a hurry.  Tennis needs to get serious about its own brand.

tennis,sports,marketing,brand

The international tennis leadership doesn’t get it. 

Nikolay Davydenko, one of the top players in the world, has been investigated for fixing matches.  Last week, he rolled over in a match against an unknown, low-ranked player.   For that, he was fined a whopping $2000 - for “not trying”.  Really?  $2000?  For a player earning millions in prize money and endorsements, that’s not even a slap on the wrist.

What they don’t get is the impact of this behavior on their brand.  Every aspect of these players’ lives impacts the brand that is tennis. The athletes’ integrity directly affects the popularity and marketability of the sport.  By avoiding conflict with Davydenko, tennis is reinforcing his behavior - and eroding the value of their product.

Businesses face the same challenge.  Every employee, including the owners and management, represents the brand. Every interaction with clients and prospects is a reflection of the brand - even if they occur outside the “work” environment. ”Not trying” is just as harmful to your client relationships as it is on the tennis court.

Some potential stumbling blocks for your brand:

• Social networking sites and blogs.  Great tools, but can be too casual.
• Trade shows & events.  Important, but can be risky - especially after hours!
• “Customer entertainment.”  Enough said.
• Customer service.  May be the most common connection for your customers.

The bottom line is that a company’s brand presence doesn’t stop with its formal marketing activities.  Every time customers interact with a company and its employees, their perceptions are affected.I’m the brand.  You’re the brand.

brand,client interactions,brand perception,marketing