Emerging online marketing trends

Seriously, are you still using your website as an online brochure? If you are, you are missing the boat. And that boat is a Party Boat hosted by your competitor’s with all your customers on board . . .

 
Emerging online marketing trends


Source: IMGBranding

Published: Friday, September 25, 2009
 

• Increased adoption of multi-channel distribution models - Regardless of wherever else you sell, you need to be selling online. Consumers and even brick and mortar retailers have come to expect it and accept it. Marketers are collectively seeking new, profitable revenue streams for their goods and services, and online is the most efficient option with the lowest barriers to entry.
• Continued migration of allocated marketing dollars into online from traditional media - The shift will accelerate, with money flowing into online promotion from traditional vehicles such as television, radio and print. It’s hard to compete with efficiency, flexibility, customization and interactivity.
• Continued evolution of social media - Social media is all about conversation and engagement. Get comfortable with this new technology and get past the misconceptions. Less than 5% of Twitter users are teens and twenty-somethings. And the fastest growing group on Facebook is Women 55+. Your customer is online. Are you?
• Changing role of the Web site - It’s not just an online brochure anymore. Your site should be a dynamic and interactive extension of your brand that captivates, motivates and facilitates customer loyalty. Keep content fresh. Facilitate social networking. Encourage dialogue. Measure results.

Social networking sites - what works for you?

We asked, here’s what you told us –

• LinkedIn is my preferred professional networking site, followed by xing.com and then by Twitter and Plaxo. Facebook is only used for private networking to stay in touch with family and friends. Oliver Schmid
• I don't like Twitter at all! LinkedIn works for me - just have to sift through the spam which can be frustrating and time consuming. Laura Beken
• I use Facebook, Linkedin, Plaxo and Twitter. I use ping.fm to post to all of them at the same time. I find Linkedin and Twitter very useful for biz and Facebook so far has been a great social network for me. Diane Helbig
• Obviously, I use LinkedIn given we're all here and I think it works well for business and I'm starting to use Facebook for business too as there's often related groups that I can contact regarding campaigns we're working on.
  
  
  
  The last show I produced for SmallBusinessAdvice.tv just before Christmas was on this exact topic - have a look at http://www.smallbusinessadvice.tv/chat/using_social_networking_for_small_businesses
  
  
  Be good to get your comments on the show too - Russell Goldsmith