Posts Tagged ‘online marketing’

CAMA talks about inbound marketing

By Warren Fick, March 22, 2011

The world of online, inbound marketing is not a crazy place. It’s a world of facts, planned options and organized, analyzed data. And at a recent CAMA lunch hosted in our Calgary office, Woodruff Schweitzer’s Sam Hudson was its perfect pitchman.

New ways to pitch and connect

Through his work on the client side of our industry, Hudson became a discerning consumer of great client service. Now, as a Woodruff account manager, Sam supports both ag and non-ag clients with what he learned – which currently includes encouraging them to use online marketing to solve problems. Specifically, he talked to the CAMA audience about attracting traffic, converting traffic, converting leads and analyzing data – the process of online, inbound marketing.

It’s perfectly suited, explains Hudson, to a marketing world where “serving is the new selling” and where marketers and communicators act as “Brand Butlers.”And while it’s true that the mechanics of “Brand Butlership” are new, the theory would have been no surprise to ad pioneers like Leo Burnett who famously stated, “Advertising says to people, ‘Here’s what we’ve got. Here’s what it will do for you. Here’s how to get it.’ “

Woodruff Schweitzer's Sam Hudson

Woodruff Schweitzer's Sam Hudson

Following through and following up, online

In the process of attracting people to a client’s product or service, Hudson spoke at length about the “online lead machine.” The language is a great analogy, with its implications of a great churning, mechanical beast that consumes raw materials at one end and delivers a fine, finished product at the other. Online, he explained, it’s a process divided by landing pages, contagious content and lead management – a process that uses software to score leads, nurture leads and finally to integrate them using the CRM tool of choice.

And how does inbound marketing for business-to-grower (B2G) companies work for his clients? It’s something that has been very functional for a long time, says Hudson. Unfortunately, “…we don’t always see lead generation as a process. We think instead in terms of a seasonal cycle and campaign.” But he has faith that will change, slowly.

At the end of the day, Hudson acknowledges that finding and working with leads is still faithful to the “Kenny Rogers Principle”:

Knowing when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, and when to walk away.

Any lead generation secrets or Kenny Rogers stories you’d like to share?

Warren Fick adores Facebook. His big picture thinking gives our clients a unique face in agribusiness. And he writes. Contact him directly at warren.fick@adfarmonline.com

Posted in Ag Events, Digital/Online, Events | 1 Comment »

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The Freshman Years — is technology more important than an idea?

By shaun crockett, March 1, 2010

I am an art director. I went to school and learned all the cool programs — the ones that are now obsolete. I did all the faddish type treatments of the day -- the ones that are now outdated. But the thing I did in school that is still relevant was learning.

 

Even though I’ve finished my years of classrooms and homework assignments, The learning never stops. Technology is passing everyone by, you can’t keep up, you are lucky to hang on. The tools we use today didn’t exist 3 years ago. Knowing what’s out there is only half the battle.

 

The other half, or dare i say larger portion is the idea behind it.

 brainstorm

New software, new tools, new filters in photoshop, are only a click away, but the one thing you can’t click a button to get – is an idea.

 

An idea, a concept – a good one, will be relevant for years to come. Don’t believe me? Take a look through an old Communication Arts sometime, and revel in the genius of those who have walked before you. Those ideas are the result of constantly looking at the word, taking in all you can, and distilling it to that idea – that nugget of connection – that makes it great.

 

I take refuge knowing that the great designers such as Goodby, Bogusky and Sullivan didn’t always have the stellar idea, they started out in the trenches learning long after the bell rang.

 

Here is a blog that shows you virgin ads done by designers. Some are better than others, but they are always learning, and I bet their next ad will be even better. I challenge everyone to always be curious and never stop learning.

And, you can check it out on facebook, too.

I’m not saying that the tools aren’t important.

But they are a small cog in the machine of advertising. A bad idea sent across the cosmos through your twitterbookblog account isn’t going to help you. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Good ideas will elevate you – bad ideas will cripple you. Our culture is quick to point out a wrong move and hang you for it. Those tools you were so excited about using are now the ones hammering your coffin shut.

Without an idea worth sharing, the tools don’t matter.

How are you making sure that the technology doesn’t overshadow the idea?

 

With his passion for learning and smart design sense, Shaun Crockett is finding the right solutions for Adfarm clients every day. He can be reached directly at Shaun.Crockett@adfarmonline.com

Posted in Digital/Online, Marketing, Social media | No Comments »

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Automation vs. Humanization in Social Media — Do You Have the Personal Touch?

By josh lysne, February 24, 2010

automation_humanization

Automation can make all of our lives easier, and it does play a role in social media. HootSuite allows you to enter in tweets and set the time you want them to be sent out.  Blogging software can allow you to create blog posts for the entire week and publish them on a schedule.  Marketing Automation software allows you to send email based on consumer action.

If you have regularly scheduled announcements/posts/etc. then it makes perfect sense to automate.  You can’t always be at your computer when it is time for the push, so this can keep you on schedule.

All of those examples have one main thing in common.  They all center around publishing content, not engaging in conversation.  This distinction gets lost far too often.

Nothing bugs me more than automated responses from companies, or an automated Direct Message on Twitter after I have followed someone.  I recently sent an email to Northwest Airlines asking a question about my account.  It was clear that the reply was either automated, or a canned response since they asked me to try things that I had already told them I have tried.

Automation in the form of a Direct Message has become a standard after you follow someone on twitter, and it is a lazy response.  Here are a few examples of DMs I have received after following someone on Twitter:

Thanks for following me, I’m excited about knowing you! Please join me on FB too! (link to their FB page)

Thanks for following. Keep me posted on any marketing insights or groundbreaking ideas you may come across.

Thanks for following, Hope you are having a nice day!

And my personal favorite:

I just gave you “peace and happiness! Check it out: (Link from them) You should send me a gift back ;)

On a very rare occasion does a DM response to my follow even have my name.  Very lazy, very automated.  On the other hand, responses that address me, and who I am get my attention every time.  This is key in social media and building relationships.

A great example of this happened to me a few weeks back.  David Armano (@armano) who writes the blog Logic + Emotion, (a must read) replied to my Direct Message after he followed me.  Here is how it went.

My Direct Message:

Thanks for the follow David. I’ve been following you since the Twitter 20 with @jaybaer.  Have a great day!

His Response:

Cool, I appreciate you reaching out. always nice to hear from a real live person. :-)

This is from a guy that has almost 20,000 followers on Twitter.  Just to prove my point, I talked to David and asked if he responds to all of the Direct Messages he gets.  His response was that not only does he not reply to the automated responses, he sometimes blocks them.  Adding a personal touch made me stand out.

Another example of good customer service and listening courtesy of  Boingo.

My Tweet:

@Boingo Your connection keeps cutting out in the Mpls airport. Great when it is working, but getting frustrating.

Within minutes I had this back from them:

@jlysne What part of the airport are you in?

That response immediately told me that someone was listening and was ready to help troubleshoot my problem.  Even though I had some trouble with the connection, I know that customer support is ready and listening if I have problems in the future.

Farming is a social business built on relationships and communication.  Your digital/social solutions don’t need to change that.  It is imperative that your communications remain personal and relevant to each consumer.  Don’t use a canned response and a one size fits all approach to your social strategy.

Think about this next time you want to add more automation to your process.  Yes, it plays a big role in making us more efficient, but if you are trying to build relationships or enhance customer service, it can be your downfall.

How does automation help you be more human in your social media campaigns?

Josh Lysne leads the AdFarm Digital team with razor sharp strategy and innovative online and social media solutions. Follow him @jlysne or contact him directly at Josh.Lysne@adfarmonline.com.

Posted in Digital/Online, Social media | 1 Comment »

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Microsite or parasite? Top 3 mistakes when going viral.

By lexie bexson, February 10, 2010

We’ve all been in the room when someone pipes up with the “let’s do a microsite!” idea. Let’s face it…we all say we want it, but do we really?

Going viral is one thing, but when your great online idea turns from a microsite into a parasite, it can evolve into a tactical dead space leaving you thinking “what are we going to do with this thing”?

Hosts of these now-dead sites float around the online world. Once upon a time they lived a glamorous life as a flashy contest, fun interactive game, or a brand alter-ego.

So how can you recognize the signs that your great microsite might transform into a wasted domain, cluttering up google search results? Here’s how.

Problem: One-time use

Your microsite is a side-dish designed to compliment a larger, more robust marketing campaign. This is a classic, so before rushing into a one-time tactic, think about if it can serve a future purpose. Can it still function later? Is this site part of your brand identity, or just an idea to add zing to an overall plan?  Often these “zingers” have a shelf life and once they expire, they sit untouched until someone gets a domain renewal email.

Problem: No link home

Does your microsite link to back to your corporate website? Can people follow a natural trail back home? Giving visitors a path home can be a great way to add shelf life to your site.  Microsites usually have a visual appeal that’s different than your corporate mega-site, they have interactive content, and often less rules about their functionality. So they are great spaces to keep alive, if you can keep their content fresh, relevant and part of your brand identity.

Problem:  The 5 second rule

Is that how long it takes for someone to soak up the content of your microsite and leave? Because if it is – you need more content.  Think more along the lines of a satisfying “all you can eat buffet” and not a “drive-thru window”.  Give your customers an experience and some options – like playing a game, downloading an app, printing off a coupon – and drive them somewhere after they visit.  Afterall, people don’t admit it, but they love wasting time online.

 

What microsites do you visit for great content?

Lexie Bexson is an Account Manager at AdFarm. You can reach her directly at Lexie.Bexson@adfarmonline.com

Links: http://www.squidoo.com/bestmicrosites

Posted in Digital/Online, Marketing | No Comments »

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