Archive for May, 2009

If someone tells you they're an online marketing expert, guru, ace, master, or dab hander (look that last one up, I dare ya), chances are, they're not.

Aaron Kahlow OMS CEO (c) Sean DreilingerThat was one of the key take-aways I got when the Online Marketing Summit (OMS) rolled through Austin last week. It was a refreshingly different professional conference. I plunked down my registration fee, gladly expecting the panelists and speakers to make me me feel like an online marketing dimwit. I mean, that's why I was attending. To learn. But as OMS CEO and founder Aaron Kahlow explained in his welcome greeting, no one can really claim true expertise in this space, because it is changing and evolving — every day.  Kahlow said one thing is certain: that online marketing is here to stay and is quickly gaining status as a marketing must-have over traditional marketing channels.  

Aaron has one of those intense-but-laid back personalities that you instantly like. With a personal mission to educate, he is the driving force behind the friendly vibe of the conference. No trade show booths. No thick conference programs bulging with sponsor ads. Just information. Lots of it. We were even encouraged to boo at panelists if they got too far into their corporate elevator pitch during their talk.

The highlight of the day was the "Big Brands, Big Plans" panel. Aaron rewarded good questions with a free happy hour beverage, (that wasn't the reason it was a highlight, but I was the only one to earn two free Dos Equis beers).  Aaron asked the panelists, "If you had a million dollars to spend on one online strategy, what would it be?

The panelists (who really were bonafide experts) squirmed a little bit at first, reluctant to name one thing.  But they did.  I gleaned four main take-aways:

• Create and maintain a content-rich website with a lead-generation program that will help you build relationships and drive sales via regular, ongoing follow-up email communications.
• Optimize the site to assure high search engine rankings — Google in particular.
• Develop varying, targeted Google Adwords campaigns. Test which ones work best to drive traffic to your web site and use what works best.  Don't worry about why something works, just use it.
• Develop a strong and ongoing analytics program to gauge performance and adjust course as necessary.

There. Now, thanks to the OMS Whistle Stop Tour, I'm an online marketing expert, and so are you. Not.

I think I've reached the point where I need a family intervention. I can't stop attending webinars, reading blogs or clicking on tweets with tiny url's that laud Twitter as the holy grail of marketing. I'm simply fascinated.

But, let's face it. Twitter, or the generic term "micro-blogging," is NOT rocket science. But with the Twitter buzz reaching a fever pitch, you'd think the civilized world had discovered a secret formula to save the planet 140 characters at a time.

If you tweeted your way to this blog, you may have a problem too. Take this little quiz:

• Have you downloaded twitter apps to all your computers and personal electronic devices only to fear that something new will come along at any minute to make Twitter even better?
• Do you worry about whether it's rude not to follow someone who has started following you?
• Has your spouse or significant other given you "the look" when he or she spotted you sneaking a peak at a tweet on your Blackberry or iPhone when they came back from the restroom during a date?
• Have you felt uncomfortable when a certain co-worker, friend or boss started following your tweets? (Oh crap, I don't want HER to follow me!)
• Have you agonized over the decision to unfollow, or worse (nah nah nah) BLOCK that person because it could hurt their feelings?
• Do you wake up in the middle of the night worrying "why the hell is that guy from New Zealand following ME?"
• Have you set up a Twitter account in your infant child's name to be sure they'll be able to use it when they grow up?

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, you may need to join a recovery program. (Please Lord, let me find an app for THAT!)

Okay.  So you're a twitterholic.  Admitting it is your first step.  But, should Twitter be the center of your small business's marketing universe? Unless you're Guy Kawaski, no. (Did you know that Guy hires ghost Twitter writers to tweet for him?) And what about all those other Web 2.0 shiny objects — blogging, search engine marketing, pay-per-click advertising, Facebook, LinkedIn? They're all good. But traditional marketing tools and tactics are not dead. The internet, and it's various by-products did not kill them any more than radio killed newspapers, or television killed motion pictures.

But don't let the hypersonic speed of technology run over your strategic marketing building blocks. I like the way Duct Tape Marketing author John Jantsch defines marketing: "Getting people who have a specific need or problem to know, like, trust, do business with, and refer you to others who have this same need or problem."

To do that, depending on the nature of your business, Twitter can help. But you'll still need a high quality logo, product sheets, brochures, or maybe print or broadcast advertising. Develop and stick to a strategy with effective tools and tactics that help you accomplish your marketing goals. Understanding your audience and how they access information will be a key to success.

Twitter along with other social media, can be one of those tactics, if you know how to use it.  I think small businesses are slowly figuring that out these days. Restaurants are tweeting dinner specials. Chiropractors are tweeting about procedures to help relieve pain. Bars are tweeting about live band performances. Free marketing!  Very cool.  Be sure the information you tweet helps meet a need or solve a problem. Be interesting. Make sure your tweets build up your brand.  Don't mix scary personal tweets (I got sooooo wasted last night) with business tweets. Not every tweet has to be promotional. I follow some Twitters who intersperse inspirational or humorous messages.

Like all marketing tactics, Twitter and other social media are not for everyone. It takes time and attention to do it right, and to be consistent. There's nothing worse than an abandoned blog or dormant Twitter account. It looks like you've locked up your store and gone on a holiday. Hire someone to help write for you if necessary. For local business, Twitter should not be a numbers game. It does not matter how many followers you have if they are not able to help you meet your marketing goals.

You don't HAVE to be everywhere on the Internet. Pick one or two social media approaches and stick with them. If they're not working, make some adjustments. But be sure they fit into an overall marketing mix that makes sense and generates business.

Oh, and stop worrying about that guy who follows you in New Zealand. He's probably wondering why the chick in India is following him.