Has your Google Been Twittered by FaceBook on LinkedIn?
Category: Hot Marketing TipsBy: Drew Dinkelacker
Two "Must Have" Technology Tools
Back in the day, innovation drove technology. NASA needed to put a man on the moon so they invented rocket technology to do that. Today, that situation has reversed. Technology has outpaced innovation. We have new technologies being launched before we’ve figured out how to effectively use all of the “old” technology. In other words, technology now drives innovation. We are still working on the effective marketing use of 2008 technology, when 2009 brings a slew of new opportunities. What’s a business owner suppose to invest in when new technology options are released every month?
Here is my short list of “Must Have” marketing tactics every business owner should have (and they're free!).
Tracking 101:
Use Technology to Better Understand Your Prospect
The proliferation of technology in marketing today has significantly enhanced the ability to track ROI by tactic. For example, Google Analytics is a detailed website tracking program. It provides valuable information about your prospect’s and customer’s online habits while visiting your website. In the right hands, this information can be leveraged for maximum return for your company. Email marketing programs such as iContact provide you the ability to send marketing emails to a specific list and track how many people opened them, how often they were opened, what links were clicked and much more. Custom phone numbers and texting programs allow you to track the number of responses by tactic whether it is a print ad, billboard or direct mail piece.
If your marketing tactics aren’t set up to deliver meaningful data to you, then consider revamping for better tracking right away.
Must Have Tactic #1: Google Analytics
Make sure that you are getting all the benefits that your website can deliver to you like understanding the interests of your prospect. Set up Google Analytics. It is a free service. Set it up today and let it collect web visitor data for a month or two. You will be surprised at what you learn about your prospects! Then leverage this information to improve your conversion rate from prospect to customer. It is simple and quick to set up Google Analytics, but you will need a web programmer to do it.
Social Networking 101:
Use Technology to Get Connected
All the world is a buzz about social networking, however its profitable opportunities are just starting to be uncovered. Examples of social networking include: Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and many others. These sites provide the opportunity to connect with others that you know, or people you haven’t met yet that share some common interest. Finding profitable ways for businesses to leverage these sites is just beginning. Instead of dabbling in several of these social networking options, pick one and work it.
Must Have Tactic #2: Join LinkedIn.
Its free. Get your sales team involved. Follow the directions to set up your business profiles which will take about 45 minutes. With this step completed, you have significantly raised your ability to be found by others on this networking site. More to come about LinkedIn in a future Hot Marketing Tip.
Marketing 101:
Remember What Has NOT Changed in 2009
Technology brings options, but it doesn’t replace a solid marketing strategy. Make sure that you have these elements functioning effectively before you place too much emphasis on new technology to drive marketing results.
- Know your market: What do they want? How do they feel? What will they pay for? What do they value?
- Craft a brand message that connects with the target market
- Create a campaign which includes a series of tactics that are coordinated to drive the prospect to a specific place
- Execute: You have a plan, now make it happen. If the plan is too complicated to execute effectively, then simplify it or outsource it to Teakwood Marketing's CMO services. Technology can help with automating the execution of campaigns.
- Measure results
- Evaluate results
- Make adjustments
The Marketing AcceleratorTM is a blazingly fast and effective process for creating a customized marketing plan that gets results. Find out more...