The Digital Marketing Road: 12 Trends for 2012
Written by Martin Wong on January 31, 2012
It’s the start of a new year, so we’re looking down the digital marketing road to see what lies ahead for 2012. Last year we saw marketing departments begin to integrate online campaigns into marketing operations. This year, we expect to see a shift in marketing budgets, with significant investments in digital marketing skills and infrastructure that will allow teams to respond in a more agile manner to the real world, in real time.
Climb Off the Digital Slush Pile: Content Marketing That Works
Written by Martin Wong on January 20, 2012
Literary agents have a name for the thousands of manuscripts that come through their door each day from hopeful authors. It’s called the “slush pile”. The agent’s job is to read through that slush pile and pick out the few that are worth taking to market. Thus, when we read a book, we trust there has been some quality control. Similarly, when a reputable newspaper prints an article, we trust the editor has checked facts and news sources; furthermore, he has curated the information by giving prominence to the article based on his assessment of its newsworthiness.
On the Internet, anyone can blog, tweet, and YouTube. As a result, the content out there is the digital equivalent of a huge slush pile, all of it competing for attention from your target audience. What can you do to increase the success of your content marketing efforts?
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Social Media: Dial It Up in 2012
Written by Martin Wong on January 15, 2012
When every major brand has a Facebook page and a community manager who monitors tweets, it’s time to recognize that social media has become mainstream. Marketing departments who want to attract and retain followers must dial up the volume to get noticed by social media users.
Remember the days when a website was just an online version of your print brochures? Now websites must capture attention, deliver a constant supply of useful content to their customers, and work hard behind-the-scenes to collect data. Good online campaigns drive visitors to a website for proof and measurement of a campaign’s success.
The same goes for social media. A simple Facebook page is old hat. Your campaigns must engage, amuse, and assist your customers before they’re willing to share their social network with you. Many companies with Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook already know that in order to make a difference to their businesses, they need to take the next leap and treat social media as a communications channel, not just an advertising spot. Here’s what we’re seeing:
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