Multi-Dimensional Marketing: Part II

Additional Marketing Dimensions to Ensure You’re Found Online

By Pam Houser, Director of Marketing and Product Development

The importance of relevant key words in your organic (non-paid) ranking

Since research has proven that over 30% of online purchases are driven by print, we know it’s an important outbound marketing component in driving customers to your online presence. In Multi-Dimensional Marketing Part I, we discussed the importance of identifying key words and search words for your print ads for a direct tie in with what potential customers will be searching for online.

We know today’s consumers begin their purchasing process online regardless of whether they purchase online. So, in order to be competitive we must also engage in search engine marketing (an inbound marketing strategy) to ensure that we’re found online.

There are two kinds of search results, organic and paid. Your organic ranking is based on the relevance of your search terms. Google, for example, calculates the relevance of these search terms in relation to the content on your site and off-page factors such as inbound links to your site. 

Let’s focus now on your organic on-page search engine optimization, beginning with the placement of your key words and phrases. 

1. Ensure your key search terms are ones that draw the largest number of searches.
2. Ensure that they’re relevant terms that your target audience uses to search for your products and services.
3. Consider your competition. Evaluate the first 10 business listings on page 1 of your search. Pay close attention to the terms they are using. Your goal is to also secure a spot on the first page.
4. Place your key words and phrases in your Web page title and page description, URL, headings and content.
5. Place keywords in meta-keyword tags and alt-text on images. These are invisible to your viewers, but sought after by Web crawlers. 

Everybody’s got a Web site these days, but is it making you money?

There’s a new book on the market you might want to check out. It’s called Website Optimization: Speed, Search Engine & Conversion Rate Secrets, by Andrew Stevens. www.WebsiteOptimizationSecrets.com

Note: If you’re not up for readiing about search engines, or just have questions about how to boost your organic Web site ranking, call 800-741-6308 to request your complimentary one-hour consultation and analysis, or email us here.

EasyChair Media is a full-service marketing firm and custom publisher with a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach to marketing. We offer internet marketing strategies, SEO Copywriting and Web design services. Learn more about us at www.easychairmedia.com; www.easylivingfrontrange.com; www.ecmpub.com;and www.biggerthanbiz.com.

We invite you to ask questions here or share your advice on organic search engine optimization strategies.

Stay tuned here for our continuing E-series:

Multi-Dimensional Marketing Part III

The Importance of Inbound Links in Organic Search Engine Ranking

Multi-Dimensional Marketing: Part I

Successful Businesses Employ a Multi-Dimensional Marketing Approach: Part I

EasyChair Media’s Philosophy on Online Marketing; Offline Marketing; Outbound vs. Inbound Marketing

Optimum Print Marketing: An outbound approach to drive customers to you online.

Recent research by iProspect and Jupiter Research indicated that over 65% of online searches were driven to search by offline channels, reports Peter Koeppel, Founder and President of Koeppel Direct, a world-class direct response media buying agency specializing in direct response television, online, print and radio media buying at www.koeppeldirect.com.

Print advertising topped the list of offline mediums that drove consumers to the online purchase. Over 30% of online purchases were made by buyers driven there by a print source. Koeppel contends that “while many advertisers are already aware of the power of television advertising to drive sales and online traffic, few realize the potential of print advertising and how it impacts a company’s bottom line.” Further, he says, if you’re not spending on print media, then you’re not only missing out on sales revenue, but you’re also missing out on Web traffic. It takes a combination of offline and online marketing to reach today’s consumers. 

We both contend that optimizing your print campaign is essential to optimizing your online marketing effort.

Here are 7 key ingredients to optimizing your print campaign, a long-term outbound marketing approach:

1. Include key search terms, like product names and taglines in your print ad. Readers may remember one of these key items and search that word or phrase rather than type in your Web address. Create a list of key words and phrases your customers may search for when they’re looking for your product or service. This will reinforce your message in the readers mind, and position you for optimum Web exposure.
2. Include satisfied customer testimonials and plan to enhance them online.
3. Place context on par with content! Timing, context and relevance. Relevant placement is tantamount in the distribution of your print marketing messages.
4. Choose the largest size ad you can afford for a long-term print campaign. Print advertising is about consistent long-term exposure.
5. Clearly define your target audience and be sure that your print media source captures your target audience. Direct mail (a direct-targeted approach) is your best option for guaranteed delivery and long-term exposure.
6. Choose a branded print medium that has digital components attached to enhance the buying experience with your brand and establish an immediate and direct connection with your online audience.
7. Use your print ad as a preview to your product. Entice buyers and create interest with your print ad. Then, use interactive digital technology, like video, to engage your audience online. Create an interactive experience for your prospective buyers by demonstrating your products, providing technical or educational information about your products, or highlight longer videos of satisfied customer testimonials. Video puts a face and a voice to the words, creating a more believable and emotional experience for your potential new customers.

Successful marketing today is multi-dimensional and experience-based. Relevance, interactivity and accountability are required in order to respond to the on-demand lifestyle of contemporary buyers. 

To be competitive, businesses must also engage in “inbound” marketing techniques, like search engine marketing (SEO & PPC), blogging and social media. Inbound marketing is permission-based and experience driven.

Now, that you’ve identified key words and search terms for your products and services, you’re well-positioned for engaging in inbound marketing.

How do consumers find your business online?

Tell us how print marketing has impacted your bottom line, both short-term and long-term. Tell us about your experiences in combining print with online mediums to boost revenue. How long did it take you to see measurable results?

Feel free to ask questions about any dimension of your marketing approach. We’d love to hear from you!

Stay tuned here for our continuing E-series:

Successful Businesses Employ a Multi-Dimensional Marketing Approach

Coming next: Part II

Additional marketing dimensions to ensure you’re found online

EasyChair Media is a full-service marketing firm and custom publisher with a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach to marketing. Learn more about us at www.easychairmedia.com; www.easylivingfrontrange.com; www.ecmpub.com; and www.biggerthanbiz.com.

If you’d like help with your multi-dimensional marketing efforts, call us direct at 800-741-6308. Ask for your complimentary one-hour marketing and public relations consultation and analysis. 

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Is PPC Advertising Right for You?

Pay-per-click advertising is a paid search marketing strategy that offers smart marketers an immediate way to capture attention and generate leads from qualified prospects who are specifically looking for your products and services, by linking your PPC listing direct to your special offering.

We believe that to be competitive, you must act competitively. PPC advertising is based upon competitive bidding for top placement in PPC listings and is completely trackable. PPC marketing gives you tight control over the content of titles and descriptions and where the listing appears on the results page.

PPC campaigns can be designed to target only qualified prospects within certain geographic areas, or can be designed for national and global reach, depending upon your specific business needs.

Once your pay-per-click account is established and your key word campaign is launched, you only pay for the clicks you receive, you can stop it at any time and you determine your daily budget. You simply pay via credit card as you go.

When is a PPC campaign ideal?

• When you need quick results
• When you need to run short, seasonal promotions and need to be able to turn campaigns on and off quickly
• When you cannot make the necessary SEO changes to your Web site or it’s more timely and cost-effective to do it in other marketing venues outside your Web site.
• When you launch a new product or service line

A helpful reminder of internet marketing definitions relating to your PPC campaign, according to Google:

Impressions: The number of times searchers see your ad.

Impressions are based on how many times people search for your keywords, how large your budget is, and how high your bids are.

Clicks: The number of times searchers click on your ad.

People click on your ad when they think it matches what they are looking for.

CTR (Clickthrough-Rate) The percentage of time that people click on your ads (CTR = Clicks/Impressions)

PPC Campaign and Bid Management Services

We offer a complete PPC campaign management program including campaign strategy, keyword research, developing/testing of text ads, optimized digital or Web landing pages, campaign set-up, bid management and ROI tracking and reporting throughout the term of your campaign. We’ll send you monthly ROI reports via email for monitoring of campaign activity and results, including cost per click (CPC), number of visitors, leads and sales.

Share with us your successes with PPC campaigns. Give examples of how it’s best served your business needs. Or, ask questions about how PPC can serve your individual business needs.

Learn more about us at http://easychairmedia.com; www.easylivingfrontrange.com; ecmpub.com; www.biggerthanbiz.com

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5 "Touch Points" to Establish a Competitive Edge Online

The media’s continuing reflection on Michael Jackson’s life,the MJ Brand and his hit song, “Man in the Mirror,” has become a constant broken record in my mind. But, I think it’s a relevant reminder for us all to take a look at ourselves and make the necessary change. So, I thought this would be a very timely opportunity to encourage you to assess your online brand.

What do you see when you look at your business image online? What does the buying community perceive about your company? Does your online image reflect your success or failure?

Here are 5 strategies you can use to elevate your brand online and gain a competitive edge.

1) Create a unique, fun and engaging customer experience that appeals to the customers’ needs and values. Include video, digital photography, digital ads, blogs, social networking, reviews, ratings, and valuable links to additional resources. All these “touch points” influence your buying community’s perception of your brand. Think beyond Web pages. DigitalBrochures and Emagazines are well suited, cost-effective and superior to Web pages for creating a tantalizing reader experience.

2) Move customers towards action – to purchase, repurchase, or recommend to others. General information about your company is valuable, but the goal is to get the prospective customer to buy, buy, buy and refer, refer, refer. Invest in landing pages for specific products and services. Be sure to include calls to action on every page as well as Web forms to make it easy for the buyer to request more information.

3) Give your customers a voice. Provide a way for them to share their experience with your company. Give them an opportunity to Tweet it, Link it, Email it, and Face it. Pick one and get going. Your customers may be more influential on your brand than you are. Potential buyers want to hear about your customers’ experiences.

4) Interact with your online buying community in a meaningful way. Tailor your conversations to your potential buyers’ immediate needs. According to Jonathon Baskin, author of the book, Branding Only Works on Cattle, and chief blogger at Dim Bulb, the “community defines the brand.” Web marketing gives companies the flexibility to create unique customer experiences that are relevant. Offer fresh resourceful content from your expert perspective, and blog, blog, and blog some more.

5) Employ SEO Web copy and pay-per-click campaigns to advance you in the search. You have to act in a competitive way if you want to gain a competitive edge.

Your buying community’s impression of your brand comes from every part of their experience with your company. And, every prospect will have a different perception, depending upon what they personally relate to in your message. From your relevant information, expertise on the subject, customer service, search results, advertising, other clients’ experiences, and blog posts to your desire to be competitive about the company’s products and services, all these “touch points” influence the community’s perception of your brand.

Is the message clear that you need to make a change? Do you need to enhance your online brand?

Call 800-741-6308, or email me now to schedule your complimentary marketing analysis and consultation.

EasyChair Media is a full-service marketing firm and custom publishing company offering SEO Web Copywriting, Web articles, Blog copy, Social Networking and Blog strategies, PPC campaigns and a complete line of additional Smart Marketing solutions. We can make a difference!

Learn more about EasyChair Media.

What steps have you taken recently to enhance your online image? What impact have these steps had on your competitive edge online?