To Facebook or not to Facebook. While this proposition may not be Shakespeare, it is an inevitable question for virtually any company engaged in strategic marketing today. Too often, CEO’s respond with a rapid “NO” for one reason only – the fear of negative comments or reviews.
That’s understandable. Way back when (say ten years ago or so) before Facebook, blogging and other social mediums became integral marketing tools, marketing communications were, for the most part, unidirectional – from the company to the customer. Little risk. Little feedback. A customer’s dissatisfaction was often more an irritant than a significant concern. It was something for customer service to deal with – certainly not marketing.
Like it or not, that was then. Today’s social customers can (and do) express their opinions quickly and easily through a variety of Internet platforms. The fact is, whether your company has a Facebook page or not, your customers do. By providing a forum for them to express negative (and positive) comments, you at least have the opportunity to view these comments and to react. The good news is that, with the right strategy, you can actually turn these negative reviews into real positives for the company and use them to GROW your business.
Respond. A complaint should actually be seen as a great opportunity. It allows you to prove to everyone that your company is listening and responsive to customer input. And that is HUGE. Think about it. What is the most frustrating thing about dealing with your credit card company or the phone company? It’s not the mistakes they make as much as it is the powerlessness you feel when dealing with them. It’s that they just don’t seem to care. However, if you finally find a customer service representative that is understanding and helpful, that same business can turn into the greatest company in the world.
When you respond to complaints via social media, you become a wonderful company, not only to the person with the original complaint, but to everyone following the conversation. Examples of companies that gained strong customer loyalty with the help of complaints : Apple: response to complaints about iPhone antenna issues. Amazon.com: fast response to complaints about shipping delays. Starbucks – response to higher pricing complaints.
Learn. A customer complaint should be seen as an opportunity to improve your product or service. Some companies pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in focus group research for this type of input and you’re getting it for free. Don’t waste the information. On-line retailer eBags.com began to receive negative reviews on their website from a disgruntled customer. An open dialogue with the customer resulted in several suggestions for an improved design. eBags made these adjustments and the bag is now one of their best sellers.
Make friends. No one today expects 100% glowing reviews. It’s how you deal with the negatives that make the difference. Facebook, Yelp, Twitter and other social media forums provide businesses with the opportunity to engage potential customers in a non-pressure dialogue that can build a professional friendship and turn lookers into buyers and one time customers into loyalists.
The bottom line is that today’s customers ARE social customers and it’s much better to address complaints on your own terms than on those that you have absolutely no control over. And if there is any doubt in your mind that social networks need to play a critical role in your overall marketing strategy I leave you with the following statistics:
- 25% of social network users are between 35-44 years old.
- Facebook has about 150 million users in the U.S.; 30 million are between 35-54 years old.
- The average LinkedIn user is 44 years old.
- There are about 26.9 active Twitter users in the U.S.; average age is 39 years old.
Facebook sucks. There, I said it. And if there is anything more troubling than the platform itself, it’s the fact that no one seems to want to talk about how bad it really is. So let me be the first.
It is difficult to use, it has severely limited capabilities, it is visually ugly, user options are highly restrictive, its menus are counterintuitive, its structure ignores basic GUI rules of best practices, the terms they use for different components (page, applications etc.) are nonsensical, it has security issues and it smells. Ok, maybe that’s my monitor. But come on!
Why doesn’t anyone say anything about it? I must regularly follow a couple dozen online forums about social network marketing and when it comes to Facebook’s adversities, mums the word. I only seem to find cheery posts about one workaround app or another that allows you to do basic stuff without having a coronary.
So what’s the big attraction? Social networks like Facebook do offer a sexy proposition – the promise of connecting and actually friending customers. But if you look at how companies are adapting this patchwork platform to fit basic marketing objectives, you’ll see that the results are clumsy at best. I understand that Facebook was originally intended to be a social networking site not a marketing tool (dating and staying in touch with Uncle Ernie rather than selling Fritos) but that was yesterday. Both businesses and Facebook itself have come to realize that there is money in them there “likes”. Now it’s up to Facebook to step up to the plate and create a platform that actually does the job.
Or perhaps not. Google + is right around the corner. Perhaps they will do it better and Facebook will just become another MySpace or Netscape or AOL or Lycos or ….
In the meantime, let’s be honest about it and admit that today’s Facebook is awful. The more we talk about it, the greater the chance Mark Z. will feel the pressure and actually make some badly overdue changes. In the meantime, click “Like” before you go.
I recently sat down with the CEO of a medical company that was concerned about the dramatic changes taking place in his industry. It quickly became clear that time was quickly passing his company by. It wasn’t that his services are no longer needed – they are. But they are being done differently, called something different, referred to with different terminology, and address different customer needs. In Short – his company needs an overhaul…fast.
In marketing, we call it (re)branding. Everything from the company logo to its positioning and key messages need revision to reflect a changing marketplace..
Sounds dramatic (it is) and rare (it’s not). In fact, we’re finding a growing number of companies coming to us for similar help. They’ve never used a marketing firm before but they’ve quickly found themselves out of step with the rest of the industry. Most worrisome – the phones aren’t ringing with new business calls like they used to.
And that brings me to the real crux of this post.
I was having a beer with a couple of colleagues over at Bridgeport and we began listing some of the things that have become – or will certainly soon become — obsolete. I thought I would share that list with you here. I’ve put down nearly 20 items. I’ll bet there are many many more that are missing. Can you think of any additions?
Obsolete…or soon to be
- Phone books
- Libraries
- Postal service
- Paper coupons
- Maps (like you’d get at the gas station)
- 1-800 numbers
- CD’s, DVDs, (I won’t even bother listing records, cassettes and VHS)
- Terrestrial radio
- Wrist watches
- Pen pals (email pals?)
- Typewriters
- Phone cords
- Encyclopedia sets
- Using area codes to figure out where someone is calling from
- Books (Amazon now sells more e-books than hardcopy books)
- Cursive handwriting
- Pocket money
- Card catalogs – for that matter, the Dewey Decimal System
- Privacy
- Screaming to someone upstairs, “hang up – I’m on the phone.”
You wouldn’t hire a tire repair expert to make your car run better would you? Then be careful when hiring someone to help you with your medical or technology marketing program.
The Internet has changed the face of marketing forever, providing new ways to reach new customers and build brand loyalty. Along with these new marketing tools have come a host of new experts ready to help. There are website developers that want to create your company website, SEO experts that want to help you get found on Google, SEM pros that want to manage your pay-per-click strategy, and on and on. Unfortunately, this splintered approach to marketing is not only harmful to your results but can be disastrous to your marketing budget as well.
There are two main problems with this splintered approach to marketing. First, it almost always dilutes the power of your marketing efforts. Secondly, it usually puts marketing neophytes into key marketing positions – not good when you’re looking for a measurable return on your investment.
Successful marketing campaigns are usually fought on several fronts at the same time. Perhaps you’re launching a print advertising campaign along with a pay-per-click strategy along with SEO efforts and a new website. Coordinating the messages, themes and objectives of these individual efforts is paramount to maximizing the campaign’s overall effectiveness. By hiring various niche professionals to implement individual components of your marketing campaign you almost certainly risk jeopardizing the impact that an integrated marketing campaign provides. Less Results; more cost.
More importantly, like a tire repair guy, a niche expert may not have the expertise to see the bigger picture. He may possess technical expertise in his niche area but chances are, he doesn’t have the skills to map to your marketing objectives and he probably doesn’t even have a marketing background at all. I can’t tell you how many times my agency has been brought in to fix an ineffective program implemented by one of these niche experts; a web developer that used his technical expertise to make a great looking website with rotating images and flying logos – but a site that didn’t generate leads or draw in new customers; Or an SEO expert that crossed all the technical “T”s and dotted all the technical “I”s but scored a zero in marketing value. What good is getting on the first page of Google results if the link message isn’t compelling enough to get someone to click it?
Bottom line, marketing results still require marketing expertise. New tools such as websites, blogs, social network sites, SEO and pay-per-click are simply tools. It requires marketing expertise and an integrated approach to their implementation to make them effective. You can hire a tire guy to fix a leaky tire but if you want your car to run better, get a professional mechanic.
Perhaps no other industry is more dependent on word-of-mouth marketing than the medical and healthcare industries. Whether you are an EMR company targeting large healthcare facilities, a small clinic working with parents or a research lab looking to connect with those that can use your breakthrough technologies, word of mouth continues to be one of the most reliable means of generating leads and closing the big deals.
Some speculate that this is due to the industry’s long history of shunning advertising in general. Until recently, doctors were reluctant to overtly advertise their services. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that drug advertising in the U.S. was illegal.
But it only takes a short sit through an episode of Regis & Kelly to see that that has all changed. Still, word-of-mouth and personal relationships continue in the medical community to play a significant role in generating leads and scoring new business.
This means that, despite the marketing industry’s excitement over the latest digital marketing tool of the hour, tried-and-true marketing tactics should still play a major role in most any medical marketing campaign. Do you participate in tradeshows and conferences? There are ways to maximize the effectiveness of your time at these types of events. What about sponsoring your own events? Open houses often create great word-of-mouth opportunities for clinics and doctors. BrenMed has found that for some of our clients, old-fashioned newsletters can get much more reaction (and visibility with target audiences) than RSS feeds and email campaigns. Mentions in the local press or national industry trade magazine are still the most effective means of elevating your visibility and securing you and your company’s reputation as experts in the field.
But this doesn’t mean that you should ignore digital marketing opportunities. In fact, if done properly, these tools can greatly assist your word-of-mouth marketing efforts. When you think of it, isn’t viral marketing – a term directly planted in the digital realm – simply word-of-mouth on steroids?
At the very least, it’s more critical than ever to have a website that is developed with SEO and smart marketing in mind. Studies show that while some may require a face-to-face connection to begin a medical-related relationship, these new connections almost always follow up the personal introduction with Internet-related research. You can easily lose a potential new customer if your company cannot be easily found with a simple Google search or if your website doesn’t reflect the original glowing word-of-mouth impression it was given.
Done correctly, digital tools can also play a critical assisting role in creating the word-of-mouth customer relationships that are so critical in the medical fields. Blogs allow potential new customers to eavesdrop on a prospect and provide them with a risk-free means of getting the information they need before proceeding with a sales call. Social networking sites allow anonymous sharing of sensitive medical information. Once a supportive relationship is created, the drop-in visitor is more willing to take things to the next step.
Word of mouth still rules the medical marketing field. There is nothing quite as effective at securing new customers than a good word from a friend or colleague. But rather than being viewed as mutally exclusive - digital marketing tactics should be employed as an adjunct to traditional campaigns. In today’s increasingly competitive markets, it’s the smart integration of traditional and digital tactics that results in a winning strategy.
The medical industry in Portland Oregon is here and growing. If you hadn’t noticed, it’s probably because a large percentage of these companies are much better at conducting research and developing breakthrough technologies than they are at marketing their products and expertise. But nonetheless, they are here and offer a potential bright spot in a state economy that has suffered job growth rates that are consistently ranked among the lowest in the nation.
There are close to 700 bioscience companies and research institutions in Oregon. This includes medical device companies, world-class diagnostic and imaging facilities, pharmaceutical companies, reagents, medical software companies and research services – some of which are doing some pretty cutting edge stuff.
Some of these companies, like Clinicient Inc. are quickly becoming leaders in hot new industries. Clinicient’s EHR software for physical therapy is helping clinics realize growing profits and providing business infrastructure that these clinics will need for future success. While the EHR industry is flush with competition, the company’s constant focus on strategic marketing has been instrumental in driving them to the front of the pack.
When BrenMed first began working with AcryMed Inc. – a medical device and research company in Beaverton, Oregon, the company was doing amazing work in silver antimicrobial technology. Unfortunately, few knew about it. With help in identifying their positioning and messages, the company set out to spread the word about their wound care and nanotechnology breakthroughs. Several industry cover stories, awards, national business press and radio/TV stories later, the company appeared on the radar of virtually every one of their major target customers…and were recently bought by one of the largest medical supply companies in the world.
But for every AcryMed and Clinicient that understands the importance of smart marketing, there are dozens that haven’t given it much of a thought. It reminds me of the South Bay before it became known as Silicon Valley. There were hundreds of companies started with great ideas from brilliant engineers-come-CEOs. As smart as these new entrepreneurs were about technology, they lacked any idea regarding the value of marketing. Then came the Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Dick Hackborns that understood it wasn’t enough to simply have a great product – you also need industry-savvy marketing expertise to ensure that product rose above the noise to establish industry leadership.
Oregon’s medical device and products industry has over 400 traded sector companies, employing 14,000 people and generating more than $4.1 billion in sales. The state’s biotechnology, life sciences and medical research represents a $7.2 billion industry that has created more than 36,000 jobs. Oregon ranks 2nd among all states in industry R&D as a share of its GSP and is among the top 10 states in terms of medical products exports per gross state product (GSP).
So why doesn’t Oregon have the medical industry-leading reputation it deserves? After all, it is recognition of this sort that attracts other industry leaders, drives venture capital and fuels momentum-building growth. Oregon’s medical industry represents a bright spot of hope for economic recovery and long-term growth but its reputation’s pulse is anemic at best and requires professional attention. I prescribe a large dose of medical marketing as the cure.
You know how important the Internet is in regards to your marketing efforts. And you know that search engines like Google play a critical role in sending customers to your website. But do you spend your marketing dollars on search engine optimization (SEO) or do you sink the majority of your budget on pay-per-click (PPC) ads? Let’s look a bit closer at both.
SEO. Successful search engine optimization campaigns result in your company (or its products) securing a high ranking in the organic search results. This usually means securing one of the (typically) ten links on the first page of results – the higher up the page, the better. Of course, this is only valuable if you rank high for the searches based upon the keywords your customers use to find what you have to offer.
Achieving high organic page ranking involves a variety of (evolving) strategies that turn SEO more into an art form than a science. Still, there are basic components involved:
- Strategic keyword identification
- Behind-the-scenes coding (Meta tags etc.)
- Web page design
- Copy writing
- Website and web page layout and naming strategies
- Linking
PPC. Essential, you pay to have your ad appear on a designated search results page. PPC ads are typically found either on the top or on the right side of the page (this may change sometime in the future). You pay only when someone clicks on your ad. The cost per click depends upon the popularity of the keywords you select for your ad placement. Here, keywords are important but not critical. This is because if your ad appears on a poorly selected keyword, no one will click on the ad (theoretically) and it will cost you nothing (theoretically). That is why PPC may be a great way to test keywords you want to use in your SEO campaign.
Like most everything, there are pros and cons with each option:
- PPC ads appear immediately. SEO may take several months to see results.
- PPC ensures your message will appear on the first page of search results (if you bid high enough). SEO is not a sure thing.
- PPC gives you total control over your ad message. While you have some influence over the words used in your SEO link, the final result may not be exactly what you had hoped. Changing it can take awhile.
- PPC results are easy to analyze using tools specific for that purpose. You can also analyze SEO results but the process can be a bit messier. As mentioned, PPC is also a nice way to test the effectiveness of keywords.
- PPC gives you total control over your budget. It automatically turns itself off when you reach your monthly limit. SEO costs can be a bit more squishy.
On the other hand
- SEO links are viewed as being more credible than PPC ads. It’s like the difference between articles generated by PR (high credibility) and the advertisements placed along side them (low credibility).
- SEO links can remain in effect for a long long time. PPC visibility stops the day you stop paying for it
- SEO links are longer (than PPC message space) – allowing more of your product differentiation message to appear. With a bit of marketing savvy, this added messaging space could be highly effective at drawing in new customers.
- SEO links can include much more than your company web page. Strategic PR efforts can create high page rankings for press releases distributed over the Internet, articles in online publications, industry forums, blogs and a host of other “highly credible” sources.
SEO results: more than website links. Here our client owns first page results with links to blogs, articles and other Internet destinations
But what about ROI?
Considering all the difference, the data that really matters most is conversion rate. Dollar for dollar, which one is more effective at delivering new customers? According to data posted on Triphp.com and other sites, SEO definitely has the edge…and more.
- 95 percent of searchers click on organic (SEO) listings vs 5 percent on PPC ads.
- Organic (SEO) links have a 25% higher conversion rate as compared to PPC ads
- The average cost per click for PPC is .63 as compared to SEO at .07.
While this might be surprising to some, it really only bears out what we’ve found with traditional advertising vs. public relations. People would prefer to look at content (SEO) than advertisements (PPC) and content has much more credibility than advertisements. I know that when I do a Google search, my eyes usually ignore the PPC ads in much the same way as I ignore the advertisement when I’m reading the latest issue of Rolling Stone or Businessweek. And I’m certainly more apt to believe the testimonial found in a feature story than one found in an advertisement.
Does this mean that PPC is useless? Of course not. I think it come down to this:
Both PPC and SEO have their place. Strategically implemented, they can support each other. PPC becomes increasingly viable as the competitiveness of your search term increases (there’s only so many organic spots available on the first page of results).
So if you are looking primarily for immediate, short-term results PPC is definitely what you want. But if you are in it for the long haul – that is you plan on being around for a while and you are looking for steady sales growth and establishing industry leadership, SEO is the way to go.
When it comes to email marketing, few are more hard nosed and jaded as I am. I can delete spam faster than a “Britney Photos Inside” virus attack. So I am always intrigued when I come across unsolicited emails that make me take notice.
It was for this reason that I was particularly impressed when a recent email marketing message I received from Brooke, an AE over at Marketwire, appeared in my IN box. It not only kept me from hitting delete, but also had me hooked and reeled. I’ve included (with permission) a copy of the actual email.
Here is my analysis of what made this such an effective marketing email:
1. The title. The email title is without a doubt, the single most important factor in determining if your email gets read or deleted. This message was entitled “RE: To Tweet Or Not To Tweet.” Using “RE:” was smart. Following “RE:” with the title of my blog post was brilliant. Using “RE:” instantly told me that the info inside was about something I was already interested in. Including the title of one of my blog posts told me “RE” wasn’t simply a common marketing trick (she could have titled the e-mail “RE: Your Blog Post.” and I would have considered it a generic ploy ripe for immediate deletion).
2. The opening was friendly and personable but not overly long or schmaltzy.
3. She quickly provided evidence that she actually read and absorbed the message of my post and provided substantive feedback (so I let my marketing radar guard down and read even further).
4. Her customized intro was followed by her pitch – but by this time, she had my attention and I felt as if she may actually be providing me with something based upon her knowledge of my work.
5. She always assumed the sale. Her offering several options for a meeting was a gentle, yet effective call to action.
The sender’s follow up email was equally effective. She reiterated her “honest” interest in the blog post subject matter. Maybe she was. May she wasn’t. But she did take the time to customize her message.
I realize that most email marketing campaigns are based upon quantity rather than quality. It’s simply a numbers game. Still, I’ve found that taking the time to customize each email will significantly impact your ROI.
I know my agency’s impressive success rate at getting the unsolicited attention of reporters is directly linked in part to careful consideration of each word sent via the introductory email (or phone call). And this requires some prep – ensuring we are familiar with the reporter’s work before we engage. From Oprah’s producers to WSJ columnists, it’s rare when we are unable to connect with our target media.
As I mentioned in my previous post, an estimated 197 billion emails sent each day are unsolicited. Turning a delete into a click to open is often a matter of smart marketing.
That’s the opening line in Edward F. Moltzen’s editorial in the latest issue of CRN. Yeah, it got my attention too. Most striking though is the idea that Ed may be right….sort of.
He points out that there are now a host of options that are encroaching on this “killer app,” from texting to Twitter, Skype and Facebook among others. He also points a finger at the likely assassins – spam and scams.
Still, I think the declaration of e-mail’s demise may be a bit premature. According to Radicati Group, there are about 247 billion e-mails sent each day (2009). That’s about 3 million e-mails every second. And even if you factor in the estimate 80% of emails that are reportedly either spam or viruses, you still have about 50 billion messages a day – a number that the US Postal Service would surely envy.
Still, as we wrap up 2010 and head into a new year, it’s cause for pause to think that we’ll look back on this year as the beginning of the end for e-mail.
Do you think we will?
Six Criteria to Help You Decide If Your Business Should Actively Participant On Twitter, Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites
Nothing can make you feel more out of touch and irrelevant these days than ignoring the call to tweet. Social networking has become so ubiquitous to the marketing conversation that not including a Facebook or tweeting strategy in your marketing plan seems as faulty as forgetting beer at your Super Bowl party. But I’ll contend that as tempting as it is, social networking may not be appropriate for your business.
I think this is particularly true for many B2B businesses. I’ve read hundreds of social networking success stories, participated in dozens of social networking forums and attended a multitude of conferences where the power of social network marketing was the focus of conversation. And rarely have I heard examples of B2B businesses reaping huge benefits through social networking strategies. The big success stories are almost exclusively the domain of consumer-oriented companies.
It makes sense. Social networking is all about sharing and community. So it’s a slam-dunk that a cooking company like Dessert Gallery would find huge success by engaging cooking enthusiasts on their Facebook site. Or that Ford could use twitter, YouTube and customer blogs to create excitement for one of their new models.
But what about a company that sells radar speed signs to local government agencies? Or a medical lab that applies antimicrobial nanotechnology to medical devices? Or a software company that sells ERP solutions to large insurance agencies?
While it may make sense for these B2B companies to have a presence on Facebook or use Twitter to update investors, chances are, the efforts required to facilitate a major social networking campaign are unlikely to provide adequate ROI.
So how do you know when tweeting makes sense for your business or when a Facebook campaign is something worth considering? Here are a few criteria that should help you decide.
1. Is your business B2B or B2C?
As discussed. B2B companies are social networking challenged. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use Twitter or Facebook as an auxiliary communications tool – simply adjust your expectations appropriately.
2. Do your customers already join industry-related groups?
Are your customers enthusiastic enough about your subject matter to discuss it outside of the 9 to 5? A good indicator that a virtual social networking strategy could be worthwhile is by evaluating the “real” social networking strategies that already exist.
3. Are they already tweeting?
Do a search on Twitter or Facebook and see if there are already discussion groups actively participating in subject matters relevant to your business. Perhaps there are already people talking about your company or its products and services. If so, you’ll want to be part of the conversation if nothing more.
4. Do you currently host well-attended speaking events or forums?
A speech therapy clinic we work with regularly holds open house events featuring guest speakers and monthly topics of interest. Each event usually attracts a standing room only crowd –a great indicator that these topics would be ideal to share via social networking and that this client could use Facebook or blogging to extend its customer base.
5. Do your customers have common lifestyle interests?
Even if your target audience has little interest in discussing your company or products, they may have mutual auxiliary interests you can leverage. Mountain Dew drinkers may be interested in snowboards and motocross. Jo-Ann Fabrics customers may enjoy sharing information about family events or fashion.
6. Are you trying to establish expertise?
Being an official industry expert used to mean that you have authored a book on the subject. Now, bloggers and tweeters are popping up on news programs and are being quoted in the press as industry experts. If one of your business goals is to establish market leadership and expert status – social networking may be a vital tactic in your strategy.
Even if your business meets none of these criteria, tweeting, blogging or developing a Facebook page may offer value – from SEO to lead generating. It’s all a matter of degrees of involvement and ROI. In many cases, its’ ok that social networking is not the cornerstone of your marketing strategy.
