Most Web sites have a page with outbound links. In theory, they serve as a resource for your customers, but Shavkat Karimov argues that, in practice, links pages rarely add value. "They just list sites," he says in a post at the Digital Marketing Blog. "That's it. It's a very long list, and the sites listed are sometimes irrelevant and useless." If this sounds like your links page, Karimov has some advice:
* When naming the page, don't use the word
"Links." It's toxic from Google's perspective. Instead, Karimov
suggests adding a word like "Sites" or, if you're a marketing company,
"Digital Marketing Sites."
* Write descriptions for people, not
spiders. "[T]ell a 'story' about your subject," says Karimov, "and add
the external links … where expected." Natural link placement within a
narrative will appeal to human visitors and Google.
* Categorize your links. Customers won't see the maximum benefit from
50 links presented without context, and neither will your various link
partners.
* Pretend you're still in college. Karimov sometimes links from
citations placed at the bottom of an article. This technique lends the
credible appearance of an academic paper.
When we say "viral marketing" you know exactly what we mean. The question isn't whether to integrate viral elements into your marketing mix, but rather how—and to what degree. But when a profession-specific concept becomes so commonplace so quickly, it's easy to forget that your colleagues and clients might not fully understand how it works.
If decision-makers don't get what you're trying to do, you'll probably encounter obstacles on the path to buy-in. But tools like this video from VM People might ease the process by framing viral marketing in an easily accessible context: word of mouth.
"Let's assume you make your living selling soap," reads the text as playful classical music plays in the background. "How would you tell people to buy your soap?" It then presents the option of going door-to-door, ringing doorbells and attempting to convince people that they need your soap. "Disadvantage: The more you want to sell, the more you have to walk."
The narrative focus then turns to other methods like billboards, television ads and direct mail—each of which, the video argues, is pricey and doesn't carry the same weight as a personal recommendation. "Suggestion," it continues. "What if you'd mainly concentrate on the advocates you already have and let them do the talking?" When this happens, it argues, your customers are doing your walking for you.
The lighthearted video provides you with a great platform from which to explain how viral components gives these advocates the tools they need to spread the word most effectively—and that's Marketing Inspiration.
Is it more effective to tell customers your brand name right away in advertising? Or is it better to create a little mystery, and reveal the brand name only at the end of the ad, once you've intrigued them?
One might think that it's better to create some mystery. (After all, who doesn't love a Mystery Man?) Holding off the brand-name reveal might sustain customer attention, and make people focus on the ad for a longer period of time. Right? Well, wait just a minute, there, folks.
Research is showing that a customer's memory for ads and brands is actually better when the brand name is presented early in the ad. (Think: "Nike's newest cross-trainer" vs "A great new athletic shoe!")
The reason? Researchers suggest that an early statement of the brand name helps customers more easily recognize what brand and product category is being advertised. And if they have a positive image of it, they'll read, view, or listen further. Subsequent information can then be encoded with this frame of reference in mind—giving you a better chance of making your message stick.
So even though creating an air of mystery in an ad is fun, and it might draw customers in, it's best to make sure you work your brand name into the mix right at the start as well.
The Po!nt: Be upfront. Stating your name early in an ad encourages better brand recognition and message retention by customers.
Modern B2B Marketing blog. Here are seven of Miller's smart tips.
1. Use lead management to maximize the value of each lead. When prospects are fearful, Miller says, "you need lead scoring to identify which leads are highly engaged, and lead nurturing to develop relationships."
2. Focus on your house list. Spend more time marketing to (and building relationships with) the people you already know.
3. Build and optimize landing pages. Jon Miller wisely informs us that "a dedicated landing page is the single most effective way to turn a click into a prospect."
4. Develop content for later in the buying cycle. Stick to the surer thing: "focus your offers on content that will appeal to someone who's actually looking for a solution."
5. Appeal to the nervous buyer. Says Miller: "[Include] customer references, reviews, expert opinions, awards, and other validation as part of your marketing."
6. Align sales and marketing. Both teams should work together to create a single revenue pipeline.
7. Don't be a cost center. "[M]arketing investments must be justified with a rigorous business case and should be amortized over the entire 'useful life' of the investment," says Miller.
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