Marketing Thought-Bites | Issue 2
marketing
interactive
public relations
publishing
Online elements to use today (or not) We recently returned from back-to-back conferences on internet marketing and wrote ten pages of notes, mostly lists of sites to visit and explore. It’s clear that something big is happening online, but it’s less clear who’s involved and what you should do about it now.
Logoland. It’s where we live. Juliet Schor, author of Born to Buy, found that 10 year-olds recognize about 400 logos. More than any
Search engines are likely the biggest feeder for links to your site.
RSS FEEDS BRING THE WORLD
WHAT ABOUT OLDER ONLINE
TO YOU.
USERS?
The idea is simple – whenever something
Some of the just-retired and nearly retired are
you want to know is posted, you get an
surprisingly well connected online, especially in high
alert and a link to the posting. Set RSS feeds with
interest areas like travel, finances and retirement
care to avoid being overwhelmed, and monitor the
housing. They also have the largest concentration
postings regularly. The reward is getting a heads-
of net worth and the most disposable income. This
up on the breaking news that matters most to you.
is definitely not a group to write off, whether your
other single image, your logo
Do it yourself, or ask your PR team to set up and
marketing is online, traditional or an integrated blend.
matters. Timeliness, differentiation,
monitor appropriate feeds.
color and shape psychology,
NEW RESIDENTS OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES
audience fit, memorability, and
Almost 50% of those aged 18-29 (GenY) have MySpace pages and visit their pages once or more a day.
usability are strategic concerns
In the same age group, 14% visit FaceBook every day. This level of involvement drops off drastically with
that go into crafting a custom logo.
age. Gen X (30-49) has only about a third as many people actively involved in any virtual community. Things are still playing out, but it appears that people take their preference for online activity with them as they age. Virtual communities are being recast into online networking for business at sites like LinkedIn and ExpertZoo. Some businesses and organizations are exploring ways to reduce costs by forming online communities based on industry, location or special needs – think buying groups.
IS ROI POSSIBLE? Many of us have struggled to link marketing investment to corporate goals in measurable ways. A new study
In a world tired of sizzle, sell the steak.
by The Conference Board concludes that many of marketing’s benefits are intangible or long-term, such as enhanced brand reputation, customer loyalty and improved market penetration. This doesn’t mean we will stop thinking in terms of ROI, but that qualifiers need to be in place. Many valuable forms of outreach enhance your important relationships, even without an identifiable ROI. Online communication is one example. Another is professional activities (which for Kleidon includes award competitions: see p. 2).
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