E-MARKETING BREAKTHROUGH IN A WIRED WORLD: PART 2 OF 2
In the last article, we discussed the necessity for an underlying
business strategy, in order to use the Internet effectively as a
marketing tool. We also shared valuable information on setting up an
effective B2B website. In Part 2, we will turn our attention to driving
traffic to that site.
Driving Traffic to Your Website
Back
to our point about having a strategic marketing plan: can you take the
same announcements, press releases, newsletters and e-mails that are
part of your overall marketing strategy, send them to past, current and
prospective clients, and drive them to your website? Likewise, do you
post press releases, articles and announcements on your website? How
effective are you at generating traffic to your site? How many hits are
you getting? Do you know?
Speaking of generating traffic:
do you know about search engine optimization? Will your firm pop up for
prospects if they launch a search on Google, or another of the top
search engines? Do you even have to be listed with them--after all, it
is costly. Not necessarily. Key words can be very effective tools.
Using key words specific to the clients' industry you are trying to
reach, makes great sense. Ask current and past clients about the key
words they plug into search engines to find creative services. Again,
look at the business language they are using, and utilize it throughout
your website. Your site is them more likely to come up when prospects
initiate a search for design firms that specifically work within their
industry, and they will feel encouraged to contact you.
E-mail Marketing
E-mail
can be a very effective marketing tool. Design firm leaders send past,
current and prospective clients short press releases, news bulletins or
copies of articles they have written, or directed their PR firms to
write. If you haven't got anything that is currently newsworthy, how
about sending a compelling case study with metrics to clients? Or, how
about sending out a brief article about your firm's unique proprietary
process, with clearly demonstrated success stories as to its
efficacious application?
When done on a timetable, once
every few weeks, this can keep your firm top of mind with your key
publics. In our opinion, this should not be overdone. Nor should
insignificant information be sent. Otherwise, your firm's e-mails will
be considered "spam" and deleted, rather than read. Consider the
bombardment of junk mail you get, and be discreet and sensitive to your
clients' needs!
Inviting e-mail inquiries from prospects is
a wonderful idea for your website. Provided you answer these inquiries
promptly and professionally, that is. This can help you create a great
online experience for your prospects. Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) is a topic unto itself. Your firm's e-mail and direct phone
communications are part of that scenario. Make certain your firm mines
the most it can from these contact opportunities.
Building Your Brand--Online
There
is real opportunity in effectively marketing your design firm online.
It isn't only in the sale of its services to its targeted audience,
either. Firms who think about their brand promise and enhance the
delivery of that brand can then boost the premium that their brand
commands. Of course, going back to the first statements we made in this
article: you can't have a brand identity, or properly convey it,
without a strategic marketing plan. "Without such a plan, you cannot
define the mission and position of your firm. You haven't got a clear,
concise brand message." Remember those words?
Why the Internet for Building Brand Equity?
1. Deals with increased business pressures due to the commoditization of products and services.
2. Deals with increased competition--on a global scale.
3. Understands the shift away from traditional advertising to website development and investment.
4. Acknowledges the emergence of the Internet as a key factor in building brand equity for business.
5. Focuses on opportunities to improve your clients' economics. Remember to under promise and over deliver. Always.
6. Allows your design firm to affirm its value proposition and build a brand-consistent client experience.
7. Reinforces your status as the "service supplier" of choice to a specific industry, or specific industries.
Harness
the mighty power of the Internet, and design E-marketing into your
website to build your brand awareness, your brand equity and your brand
as the Brand in a crowded, global marketplace!
For more information, contact:
Design Management Resources
Post Office Box 423
Thompson, CT 06277
USA
T: +1 800 230 3603
F: +1 860 923 3800
E:
W: www.DesignManagementResources.com
About the article
This article was written with the assistance of Claire Ratushny
About Linda Fisher
Linda Fisher is founder and president of Design Management Resources, Inc. She forms strategic partnerships with her clients by consulting with design firm principals to define their mission, position and business goals. Ms. Fisher is a regular on the speaking circuit and conducts intensive workshops to educate design firms about sound business tenets. She has written numerous articles for internationally recognized publications, including How Magazine and Communication Arts. She also writes an international newsletter, "Marketing + PR Exclusively for Design Firms", which is read in over 40 countries.
About Design Management Resources, Inc.
Design Management Resources provides strategic consulting for design
firms who are global leaders - or aim to be. The company specializes
in:
- Living Marketing Plans
- Public Relations
- Positioning: Differentiating Strategies to Compete in the Global Marketplace
*Visit the website to sign up for free "Marketing & PR Tips Exclusively for Design Firms."