A few weeks ago, while searching through material written but not yet published I came across six missives addressing issues that are surely critical to effective online communication. I am, therefore, enumerating them here in some detail as they might be helpful!!
A 2019 study in the US found that 84.5% of businesses with more than 100 employees have a content marketing strategy.
The Ohio-based Content Marketing Institute (CMI) defines marketing as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action”.
The strengths of content marketing include:
The challenges of content marketing include:
Maximising the effectiveness of content marketing requires:
If you want your content marketing to work optimally:
Content is a fantastic communication medium, but as there is far too much of it available these days, it often fails to achieve its desired objectives. Content is NOT king but high quality, well-targeted content imbued with the right messaging can get very close to that. And at a moderate cost!
A recent study suggests that native advertising is growing at a rate of 34% per annum. This is not surprising given another study that found that native advertising received 53% more views than traditional display advertising.
The Native Advertising Institute in Copenhagen defines advertising as “paid advertising where the ad matches the form, feel and function of the content of the media on which it appears”.
Product placement (as in movies and TV programmes) is an interesting form of native advertising.
Native advertising differs from traditional display advertising in that, despite being paid or sponsored, it looks like standard editorial. In this way, it is more attractive to many readers and gets past ad-blockers, which are becoming increasingly common throughout the world.
The strengths of native advertising include:
The limitations of native advertising include:
To maximise the efficacy of native advertising:
This mode of communication is growing because it works. It is destroying many publications but offers a great deal to marketers. Native adverting can be cost-effective and has a lot to offer when used well.
The statistics relating to search engine optimisation (SEO) are astounding. One study found that 93% of online experiences start with SEO and another study found that 81% of people perform a search before making a purchase. Another study found that 65% of people did not go past the first three listings.
MOZ.com defines SEO as “the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results”. In simple terms, it involves the implementation of strategies designed to ensure that your brand or product (through words or phrases associated with it) ranks highly on a search engine.
The strengths of SEO include:
The limitations of SEO include:
Maximising the effectiveness of SEO involves, among other things:
You will almost certainly need to use a consultant. In my experience, however, most consultants don’t always make sense and contribute too little for far too much. Most SEO consultants are actually experts in smoke and mirrors. To find the right consultant:
Research suggests that by 2022 there will be some 333 billion emails sent each day. The number sent already exceeds 280 billion. This possibly explains why the opening rate on emails is so low in 2019.
The Data & Marketing Association (DMA), formerly known as Direct Marketing Association, defines Electronic Direct Marketing (EDM) as “a strategic process of building and refining a centralised marketing database to communicate directly to subscribers using any form of electronic messaging in a targeted and personalised manner.
The strengths of EDM include:
The limitations of EDM include:
Maximising the effectiveness of EDM involves, among other things:
EDM is easy to do, but much more difficult to do well. Most businesses use email poorly and, as a result, get an equally poor response. Get advice on how to do it well and the results can be outstanding. It is also essential to monitor and fine-tune your strategy closely.
There is an increasing body of evidence pointing to the growing popularity of influencer marketing. One study found that 63% of brands are now engaged in or intend to engage in influencer marketing. By 2020 end this will be a $10 billion a year industry.
San Francisco headquartered technology company, Pixlee defines influencer marketing as “a form of marketing that focuses on targeting key industry leaders to drive brand message and awareness to a specific market of consumers”. In essence, influencer marketing involves leveraging the databases of social media players to communicate with their growing audiences.
On one level, influencer marketing is not new. TV personalities and sporting celebrities have been recommending products since marketing began. In 2019, however, influencer marketing has proceeded to a new and far more targeted level.
The strengths of influencer marketing include:
The limitations of influencer marketing include:
Maximising the effectiveness of influencer marketing involves, among other things:
There is much hype around influencer marketing. Where there is hype, there tends to be an overstatement of value. While good in some product categories, it is questionable in others.
Recent research found that some 80% of businesses will be using chatbots by 2020. Other research found that live chat software has a 73% satisfaction rate as a way for customers to interact with businesses. Chatbots work!
Wikipedia defines chatbots as “Short for chat robot, a computer program that simulates human conversation, or chat, through artificial intelligence. Typically, a chat bot will communicate with a real person, but applications are being developed in which two chatbots can communicate with each other”.
Websites are often too static, telling the audience stuff rather than engaging. Engagement leads to relationships. Such relationships can be encouraged through the use of chatbots.
The strengths of chatbots include:
The limitations of chatbots include:
Maximising the effectiveness of influencer marketing involves, among other things:
Chatbots have a long way to go in terms of optimising the technology, and they require a human resource to make them effective, but they are a powerful communication tool.
These are just six of hundreds of insights into online or digital marketing that you can gain from talking to the team at DQ Australia.
Online or digital marketing is a science. Approach it scientifically and the results will almost certainly follow. Approach it haphazardly and you could end up wasting your money!
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