Last updated August 28, 2007

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Be Aware of your Web Site Presence

Most likely your business has built a Web site, but are you aware of your company’s presence on the Internet? Have you searched for your company on the primary search engines?

There are things you can learn from paying attention to the type of impact your Web site is making. Notice who and when visitors click on your Web site. Are visitors clicking through your homepage or landing pages? What is driving visitors to your Web site?

Being aware of traffic (or lack thereof), on your Web site and overall Web presence will provide you with the information to build better two-way communication which, in turn, will help you develop a better site—an important marketing tool. Be aware of what is happening on the Internet, if your site is being seen, if your business is being discussed on the Net (and if so, positively or negatively), and one major element of your proactive Internet marketing plan will improve.

The first step in the becoming more aware of your company’s Web site presence is to seek feedback. Ask colleagues if they have visited your Web site and if so, what did they like or dislike? Have your customers visited your site? Do all marketing materials include the company’s Web site address?

Next, search the Web for your Web presence on various search engines. Search by your company name, key employee names (or officers), brand names, company tagline, the company URL or key words utilized in marketing materials.

Review traffic reports either from your ISP or from one of a number of programs available to track that type of information. How many visitors have you had on your site? When and from where did they visit? Did anyone ask for more information? Did anyone download information? Does traffic correlate to marketing efforts?

Who has links to your Web site? Check if anyone is linking to your Web site or content by entering link: www.YourUrl.com (or .net, etc), in the search box.

Create watch lists: Be aware of what is being said about your business on the Internet via blogs and articles. Blog monitoring is becoming just as important as monitoring your Web site. Various search engines can help you find blogs that pertain to your business, in addition to alerting you when your business is showing up on the Web in articles and news items. You can create a free account on blog search engines (Technorati, Feedster or Google), enter key watch terms, such as your company name or key marketing words. Via email you will be notified if any of your watch terms are found on a blog.

No matter what experience you have with Internet marketing, being aware of your company’s Web presence is the first step in growth.

With all of these basic resources for information about your Web presence, your Internet marketing efforts will be leveraged to the utmost. It is essential.

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“Send” Your Message

E-mail marketing is considered a leading direct marketing strategy that can effectively communicate an organization’s message to a specific audience. As marketers know, this strategy can be utilized to solidify and build relationships with current customers, in addition to gaining the attention of new customers. The ultimate goal with e-mail marketing is to increase contact with customers to build sales.

According to researchers, it is estimated that in 2006, US businesses spent $400 million on e-mail marketing. Why is e-mail marketing such a popular marketing strategy for so many companies? The following are a few key benefits of this strategy:

It is a low-cost vehicle used to inform clients and potential customers; this yields a strong return on investment if performed correctly.

It offers proactive marketing messaging that pushes a message and encourages customers to action, rather than a stagnant marketing vehicle—such a Web site—which requires that customers seek out a particular business.

E-mailing offers fast delivery, so it can provide customers up-to-the-minute information.

Automation is available, which can allow for consistent and timely e-mail message delivery.

Marketing efforts are targeted to your ideal clients.

E-mailing is environmentally friendly; saving on paper usage.

Hints to improve e-mail strategies:

Keep e-mail marketing messages relevant and targeted toward the recipient(s).

Limit the number of e-mail messages sent to each of your targets. An overabundance of e-mails can create e-mail fatigue.

Encourage e-mail recipients to add their company e-mail addresses to contacts. A most effective tactic is to simplify the process by offering a “click here to add this address to your contact list” button during the opting-in process.

Be very specific and methodical when writing effective e-mail subject lines; they can make or break a recipient’s decision to pass by an e-mail.

Become a trusted, credible e-mail sender with both recipients and major ISP’s.

Resist the temptation to use e-mails for customer surveys. Customers do not want to spend too much time filling out forms, or providing companies endless amounts of information.

Success is at your fingertips…just click “send.”

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Getting The Most Out of Your Agency
Hints, Tips and Tricks of Working with An Agency

Looking to bring new life to your marketing and/or public relations programs? Hiring a marketing and/or public relations agency can be an effective strategy to help take your efforts to the next level.

An agency can help marketing and public relations directors enhance their department(s) by providing many benefits.

The degree of agency participation is set by the marketing director, and can grow as needed or negotiated; that is one benefit of working with an agency (it can become a marketing or public relations director’s department whenever needed).

The following are some hints to help navigate through the relationship to ensure success:

What you can expect from an agency:

Experienced professionals. When looking for an agency, consider the experience and size of an agency to get a good fit.

Objective perspective is a benefit of working with professionals that can step away from your department and/or company and give valuable insight on your company’s product or service.

Clear communications regarding “scope of work”

Up-to-date cost estimates

Time lines (especially for larger projects)

What an agency will expect of you:

An open mind -Enter the process and relationship with openness to new ideas and strategies.

Clear goals, budgets and expectations.

Company marketing information, including company history, projections, products/services and details regarding target markets

Current marketing materials, including marketing, advertising and collateral samples, a current marketing plan –if available, media releases

The following are additional tips to help manage a healthy and result-oriented relationship with your agency of choice:

Give an opportunity for the relationship to get established. Many times it takes more than just one project for the agency/client relationship to reach its full potential.

Expect to spend a bit more time with your new agency up front so they can get to know your style and you can understand the most efficient way to work with them.

Keep demands reasonable. If a project is changed in the middle of the process, it increases the cost of the project and either a change order or new estimate needs to be provided by the agency.

Trust and confidence in your agency are integral for a successful client/agency relationship. If there is a lack of trust and confidence in your agency of choice, the work products for your business will suffer.

Two-way communication must be open and clear. Without consistent and clear communications the highest quality of work cannot be achieved.

An open mind is important (for both parties), in order to achieve the greatest degree of success. Agencies should be encouraged to understand and learn all areas of your business so they can better provide additional ideas, points of view and suggestions. Agency input needs to be accepted without negative results, and vice versa.

Treat your agency as part of your team and keep them in the loop on events and changes in your company; many times they can provide important information.

Expect timelines and due dates from your agency.

Determine a mutually beneficial compensation package at the onset and review as needed. Request that the agency keep current on determined billing periods, and be sure to keep current on payments.

Not sure what is included in a project or estimate? Ask…it may be difficult for agencies to communicate all the items that must be included in the cost of each project.

Be sure to review, approve, sign and return estimates to your agency in a timely manner in order for projects to move forward.

There are various items that must be included in every project:

Research and maintaining research results, communications, analyzing and comparing data, creative process, time for copy approvals and proofreading/editing, details and tracking a program or project and additional items such as contacts with the media and contacts for public relations efforts.