by Jim Hughes on August 12, 2009
Directing marketing strategies in today’s information evolution takes a focused effort. It’s a full time job understanding digital and social media trends. The same goes for anticipating media consumption, audience behaviors and market shifts. However, there is one constant to keep in mind that can actually simplify the process regardless of the medium. It’s not about the platform, it’s about the content.
Your content marketing strategy will determine your ability to attract and retain a target audience. Sure the communication platform or media channel will formulate the dynamics of your conversation and the tone of your message. It will also dictate the expectations of the audience. However in the end, it’s what you say and how you say it that will determine your ability to engage your target market. It’s the information that you provide that will resonate with your potential customers.
Content marketing is becoming the difference maker today. Emerging technologies and changing media landscapes will continue to challenge business owners and marketers with reaching their target customers. However, if you focus on delivering compelling information to your target market, you will become relevant to them.
Do you have a content marketing strategy in place?
by Jim Hughes on July 16, 2009
Developing client relationships online is much like doing so in person. Of course there are a few obvious differences, yet the similarities are many. For the purpose of this post, I will focus on one of the common threads – credibility.
Regardless if you are communicating in person, online or through other mediums, building credibility with clients takes time and effort. When communicating with a potential client in person, the objective should be to discover and understand that client’s specific needs. Once understood, your goal is to provide information or advice on solutions that best meet those needs. Depending on the business, product and service this process can take several days, weeks or even months. It’s a consultative approach which I believe works best.
The online approach should be the same. I recently wrote that sharing expertise, exchanging ideas, providing solutions and answering questions allows for building lasting client relationships. Brands and companies that provide useful, transparent information become relevant and credible. Again this takes time and some commitment.
Providing compelling content to your prospects via your website, blog, eNewsletters and other communications increases the ability to influence the perception of your company, and ultimately the behavior of your target customers.
How are you developing creditility with your clients online?
by Jim Hughes on June 30, 2009
Small businesses today have tremendous opportunities to gain ground on their larger competitors. The question remains however, how many will step to the plate? The information evolution, driven mainly by the Internet and social media networks have created a level playing field for those who choose to participate. Sharing expertise, exchanging ideas, providing solutions and answering questions allows for building customer relationships – one of the key ingredients to small business success.
Digital and social media’s level playing field does not however ensure victory – they simply allow you to compete. Those of us who participate in or follow competitive sports know that talent, decision making, execution, and desire to win all make the difference once the game is on.
In today’s information age, relevant and compelling content is the key to engaging target customers and thus becomes the talent in our sports metaphor. Creating original content on your website and increasing online visibility via inbound marketing strategies all contribute to establishing your company’s digital presence.
Choosing media channels and topics of conversations to connect with your target customers are significant components in the decision making process. Writing blogs and e-Newsletters, using Twitter, Facebook or other social media networks all can be effective tools for small businesses to compete if used in proper context.
Frequency of producing content becomes the execution piece to the equation. How often you update content on your company’s website and chosen media vehicles is essential to managing your online presence, maintaining the interest of your customers and maximizing SEO.
Small businesses that provide useful, transparent information become relevant and credible. This increases their ability to influence perception, and ultimately the behavior of target customers – the obvious desire to win reference.
Many small businesses possess the expertise of their products and services as well as the passion for providing solutions to their customers. This is the beauty of doing business with these organizations. The small business challenge however, is how to participate competitively on this newly created level playing field of connecting with target customers.
Is the talent within your company to communicate effectively? Can you afford to assign someone the time to focus on the marketing strategy? Can you afford not to?
The game is on – is your company participating?
