1.) Optimize what? Everyone is talking about "Search Engine Optimization" (SEO) but the more people we spoke with, the more we realized that as large as the SEO industry has become, it is increasingly apparent how many people are still in the dark about it. Plain and simple, 90%+ of the B2B world does all of their research online through search engines (Google, Yahoo, AOL, etc.). When you "optimize" your site, your company will most likely be one of the first links that show up under specific key term searches. With a statistic as high as 90% +, businesses really can't afford to not be investing in SEO unless all of your business comes from current customers or referrals. So take our advice, Optimize!
2.) Subject Matters! A recent study found by Jupiter Research indicates that 35% of emails are opened based on what is read in the subject line. Here are a few tips:
- Be Short (if you put too much information in the subject line, the reader no longer needs to open the email to see what is inside)
- Be Mysterious (add in something that entices the reader to want to learn more)
- Be Direct (Don't sugar coat what you are selling, nothing turns off a reader more than a false claim in the subject line)
Another study showed that including your company name (not personal name) in the subject line increases open rates anywhere from 32 - 60% based on company branding. Therefore, as much as it may seem that sending a "personal" email blast to your customers makes sense, listen to the statistics and send it from your company.
3.) Webinar vs. Seminar. By the name of this subject line you have probably already figured out this trend. That's right, the traditional road-show or seminar that B2B companies once saw great numbers and results from are diminishing fast with the rise of online marketing. While attendance rates for seminars are dropping, the rates for webinars are growing at a somewhat unbelievably increasing rate. Companies such as Gotomeeting or Webex have enabled marketers across the world to spread their message globally at minimal costs. One webinar hosted by TSL Marketing last year gained 900+ registrations and over 600+ actual attendees with less than 1 months notice! That's ROI in it's glory!
4.) When business becomes a social event. If you're thinking "how can online marketing become a social event?" you're not alone. The recent hype around social media has left many marketers wondering how you can be social without one-on-one interaction. The answer is easy: Social networking. Just like online dating, business professionals are now connecting through online sites to introduce themselves and share insight through websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Plaxo. These websites give B2B (and sometimes B2C) professionals the opportunity to introduce themselves through the world wide web and join groups of professionals like themselves. While the younger generations are spending countless hours on websites such as Myspace, we are now seeing those same hours being put into online socialization through business networks. Most of these sites are completely free and you will have the opportunity to add contacts that you may have never met in person.
5.) Blog it up! Marketing has become increasingly more difficult to differentiate oneself from the competition. So what more than to position yourself as a thought leader within your industry by incorporating a company blog. Recent trends point to online blogs as another form of social networking, however because it is not a community, the blog itself becomes more of a secondary source to effective marketing through online discussion. Blogs will also give your company a personality and your readers an opportunity to respond with questions/additional insight/etc. The cost for incorporating a blog is extremely lucrative as most blog services are free. Your competition is most likely already blogging themselves, so why not you?
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