There is simply no doubt that even in the economy down-turn that Internet Marketing is going to continue to crush it. Brands have to compete even harder for those tight fisted consumer dollars, and presenting brands in these new spaces requires new approaches. What is likely most attractive to marketing directors and CFOs alike is that online marketing performance is very measurable, and the medium enables very fast course corrections – based on performance.
Which course to take? There are the table steaks that you have to focus on first. Your site needs to be first optimized for SEO. No tricks, just good solid keyword development, followed by segmentation and application of those shorter keyword segments in a way that tightly aligns all of the SEO page elements.
Then the options open considerably. Key is to have a partner to guide you. One who knows your business and the internet marketing options.
I think we’re seeing the maturing of networking and social media sites, and marketers are beginning to get their value (even if their bosses don’t yet). They’re responding to marketers needs while balancing the needs of their audiences. They offer brands space to both present content and connect visitors. YouTube offers Channels and Groups, Flikr offers Groups, Facebook and LinkedIn provide Pages. As users join/fan your brand page/group, the “cred juice” of each person flows to the brand and carried virally. On people’s Face profiles, for example, you see the groups and pages they have joined. A key feature of Face is that as members update their profiles and join groups/pages all their friends are flagged with “John joined xyz” on their News Feeds.
To get it, you have to use it. Join Face, LinkedIn (if you haven’t already). You can skip MySpace. Create a group on Flikr and post some photos. Each has all the privacy control you’ll need. Just make sure you’re acquainted and then discover how addictive they are. Then you’ll get it.
