Tag Archive for 'Social Networking'

How Online Marketers Adjust in Tough Economic Times

Published
by
Eric Dudley
on October 13, 2008
in Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, Email Marketing, Online Marketing, Paid Search, SEO, Search Marketing and Social Media
. 0 Comments
The plunge of the stock market last week is certainly a reflection of the weakening economy and dare I finally say recession.  Few of us are unaffected that have investments in the market, however, it was encouraging to see the Dow’s 11% rebound today!  Frankly, I am still in shock over Wachovia’s failure and acquisition by Wells Fargo in a week’s time.

With the market turmoil and economic factors that we don’t control placing pressure on marketing, what are smart marketers doing? I recall a Bain study, that said in a downturn:

Savvy management teams look beyond cost cutting and seek out opportunities to grow the top line and improve their strategic position

As strategic online marketers, we are helping our client focus on driving measurable results that can be monetized and scaled for the upturn.  Equally important is strengthening the bonds of loyalty with your team, customers, and key partners.

Interestingly, in the first quarter of this year, Forrester and MarketingProfs survey of Online Markters found that in a recession the top 5 marketing channels that they would increase in investment include:

  1. Social Networking
  2. User Generated Content
  3. Email Marketing
  4. Blogging
  5. Search Marketing

Online Marketing Adjustments in a Recession

In a very recent less scientific poll from Top Rank Online Marketing when asked of online marketers ”what top 3 internet tactics will you emphasize most in the next 6 month“, the top 5 online marketing tactis were:

  1. Search engine optimization
  2. Blogging
  3. Pay per click
  4. Email marketing
  5. Social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn)

What marketing channels are you increasing or shifting in this economy?  And does it surprise you to see search engine optimization, Social Networking and Blogging as high on the list?  Let me know your thoughts.

B2B Marketers: Tune in to YouTube Channels!

Published
by
Kyle Bumgardner
on September 19, 2008
in Social Media
. 1 Comment

When B2B business buyers are looking for resources to help guide their purchases, they’re not just looking on Google and informational websites. They’re also going to sites like YouTube, which is home to an increasing amount of B2B content. For instance, nearly one-third of IT managers visit YouTube each month according to a survey from MRI in 2007.

How do B2B marketers reach these potential customers while they’re looking for information?

Well, a good place to start is with a YouTube channel, which is a customizable place where users can access your videos, post comments, and engage with your brand and company.

According to eMarketer, More than one-half of the US population now watches online video, and eMarketer predicts there will be 190 million online video viewers in the US in 2012.

At that point nearly nine out of 10 Internet users will be watching online video!

Why all this growth? Videos capture users’ attention and make your message stick.
In fact, MarketingSherpa reported over 98% of business technology decision makers found viral videos more memorable than other forms of marketing.

Below are five ways to get started uploading videos that are relevant to your products or company, such as:

  • Recorded webinars
  • Product demos
  • Video case studies
  • TV or video ads
  • Company presence at industry events

To see examples of YouTube channels, visit the Google Business Channel and the Official Google Channel.

Social Networking in “Plain English”

Published
by
Kyle Bumgardner
on April 8, 2008
in Online Marketing and Social Media
. 2 Comments

I was recently invited to speak in “Plain English” on the topic of online Social Networking for Businesses as part of a quarterly program hosted by Womble Carlyle, one of the nation’s largest and most innovative law firms.

Our discussion outlined best practices in social networking and marketing options available to businesses in as well as an analysis of the potential legal risks facing companies in this space. As expected, the interesting pairing of marketing innovation and legal perspective…drew a diverse crowd of bankers (event held in uptown Charlotte, NC), entrepreneurs and even a few innovative small business owners. Our panel discussed and shared a collection of definitions, case studies, and a few humorous examples of social networking gone bad (Second Life banking crisis). Overall, the event seemed to satisfy the expectations and curiosity of the audience…there were plenty of “head nods” and notes-taken on social networking. Following the event, I eagerly awaited the anticipated growth of my social network from the 120 attendees…through LinkedIn and Facebook requests…which was the final call-to-action from our panel discussion. While, I’m still waiting for the wave of “Friend” requests, I have received a steady stream of feedback (mostly positive) and more importantly, a common theme continues to arise:

How can I explain social networking in 2 minutes or less?

While this question indicates that our panel may have missed the mark of defining social networking in ‘Plain English’… I’ll take the feedback as an opportunity for improvement. In reality, explaining online marketing concepts can be a challenge for busy executives and marketers who need to create vision within their organizations in an ever-changing industry. So, in posing the question to my social network, I stumbled upon an interesting group called Common Craft, which takes visual explanation of difficult marketing concepts to a whole new level… Check out the video below, entitled “Social Networking in Plain English.” By the way, The full video of our panel discussion will be available at WCSR.com/WombleTech soon. Enjoy!