Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our post by Dave Chaffey. It covers 10 key issues to consider when developing a digital strategy in your organisation.
Implication: Ensure that you're covering all of the bases in the creation of your strategy - get it right first time.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our post by Richard Sedley - get access to his cScape guide, created by several contributors including Dave Chaffey, Dan Barker and Richard Sedley.
Implication: Irrespective of what you think about it, the iPad is lining up to be another game changer - anyone in doubt should look at some of the previous Apple products including the iPod/iTunes and of course the iPhone - both created seismic shifts. This guide focuses on what it means on a strategic and tactical level for areas such as analytics, ecommerce, search and of course the implications of iPad specific apps.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our post by Dave Chaffey. We believe that the majority of managers don"€™t give the right business priority to using analytics for improving performance - too many reports and too little actionable information.
Implication: Take a look at the two presentations, they suggest some approaches to make analytics more actionable and build them into business processes in a lightweight, integrated way.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Here is the strategy: Get senior management or spokespeople published in an online editorial context for significantly greater marketing credibility than self-publishing another white paper that just sits on your website.
Implication: Unless your web site gets more traffic than the independent publications read by your target audience, going the route of contributing articles versus self-publishing offers much value to your marketing effort. It stands to reason that getting your story published in a recognized media outlet reaches more eyeballs with higher acceptance than doing it yourself. And, content is in demand - it's never been easier to make it happen and achieve quick results.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our post by Imran Farooq, highlighting the importance of integrating digital marketing into the mix and also reminding that it's not all about You Tube.
Implication: Video engages the end user in an effective way, helping to drive traffic back to your web site at a very low cost. Online video is here and it"€™s only going to get bigger Help customers engage with you web content, video really sells.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Using BHAG thinking can help you think out-of-the-box and think BIG (specifically that's Big Hairy Audacious Goals)!
Implication: Using BHAG thinking can help you think out-of-the-box and think BIG - it's all too easy and tempting to dive into the detail, yet the big picture also provides crucial context by giving perspective on digital marketing from a business perspective.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our review of Get Content, Get Customers by Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett. A must read for anyone who recognises that content is at the heart of today"€™s marketing.
Implication: If you need to push content up the agenda in your organisation, and many need this, then we definitely recommend this book, but with one caveat we give at the end of the review.
Value: [rating=3]
Commentary: Tony Hsieh comments, "€œPeople may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel"€. If this is the essence of how Zappos have achieved their phenomenal success then what can we take from it. Our post looks at 5 themes in Tony Hsieh's presentation.
Implication: Simple advice that is very difficult to ignore. This is senior manager or business owner content - if that's not you then consider sending it upwards with ideas as to how you can implement some of the concepts in your company.
Value: [rating=5]
Commentary: So much of what we do is based around Google, the most important site visitor we'll ever likely get. It's inevitable then that we will plateau in just how much we can optimise search engine marketing (this has happened to me recently with a company I work with). This timely post is a reminder of right-side-up marketing that is Google friendly, not Google centric.
Implication: This isn't about forgetting Google (how could we!), it is suggesting an alternative to SEO-textbook tactics would be to develop a strategy based around connections and distribution channels that are not search engine centred. This creates new sources of relevant web traffic that are independent of search engines but are executed in a search friendly way.
Value: [rating=3]
Commentary: John McTigue on Hubspot comments: "Unless you are consistently feeding your inbound marketing machine with good, creative content, chances are you've seen a slow-down in traffic, search engine results and leads. Why? Because getting found online is about competing for peoples' attention and consistently delivering the goods".
Implication: Simple, practical advice. Unshackle your potential in both natural search and social media by remembering who you are creating content for, and why. Read this and the UnGoogle post below - together they highlight why content continues to be King, and how to create a content strategy.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our post - Dave Chaffey talks to Dan Croxen-John, CEO of Applied Web Analytics about the things that online marketers can learn from traditional DM approaches.
Implication: Although it is common to find DM people migrate into digital, it's a natural thing to do, many marketers looking to use the Internet don"€™t have this background, so appreciating the principles direct marketing is useful to prompt different thinking about digital marketing. This interview covers the key things that both digital and direct can learn from each other.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our post - reviewing the insights from an Eloqua ebook by Steve Woods regarding sales and marketing process changes required for modern lead conversion.
Implication: Your sales and marketing processes may well be aligned with out-dated thinking - resulting in poor, leaking sales funnels and wasted marketing resource.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our post from Annmarie Hanlon - the power of LinkedIn to drive new business and build relationships - a big opportunity for companies small and large alike.
Implication: As LinkedIn grows it is the first place many larger businesses check out potential suppliers and new hires. Using LinkedIn makes you more visible to existing and potential clients as well as your peers.
Value: [rating=3]
Commentary: Some useful comments and reminders from Dan Mortimer, of Red Ant on the iab web site.
Implication: The notes around the "four core stages to building and running a digital strategy" are useful and help provide the necessary structure required when delivering an effective campaign.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Advice for leveraging customer service as a major strategic differentiator
Implication: Read our views and check out Joseph Jaffe's Customer Service Manifesto
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Inbound marketing is a term championed by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shag of Hubspot in their book Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs which was published late in 2009. The Inbound marketing concept was introduced in the Hubspot blog in 2009. This video gives an introduction to the company by US-based social media specialist Paul Dunay.
Implication: For us, the main value of the inbound marketing concept is to highlight the importance of developing a strategy to improve content creation to help attract new and existing customers to engage through SEO and social media. Although it's a practice many companies have been practicing for years. If the concept helps companies justify investment in integrating content, seo and social activities, this has to be a good thing.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: It was good to see this new post by my fellow IDM tutor David Hughes on the popular Occam's Razor site since we rarely see LTV discussed online. A spreadsheet is available for download to get you started.
Implication LTV is a very well-established concept within direct marketing which everyone involved in digital marketing should be aware of and apply to help review the appropriate mix for customer acquisition and retention. It can also help review the value of specific tactics such as promoting a company on specific search engine marketing terms. However, as the comments suggest weighted attribution to the referring channel should also be considered in selecting the mix since the model favours last click wins.
Value: [rating=5]
Commentary: This article from Dan Bosomworth, who has lived these principles in his role as marketing director for a travel brand, reminds us that aside from the digital tactics which get so much attention, a clear brand strategy is key to success online.
Implication: Review Dan's summary of the essential brand-building factors against your online brand.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: It's sometime best to learn from failures, and I think that's the main takeaway from this case study on Nestle's Facebook page.
Implication: Review the 5 guidelines from Rohit Bhargava's Influential Marketing as to manage reputation.
Value: [rating=5]
Commentary: Social CRM has been around as a concept for a couple of years now, but this is the best report I have seen which has a definition and outlines the strategy issues which need management.
Implication: Review your approach to social CRM strategy across the 18 business application areas described here
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Interesting summary of how digital is changing comms for B2B marketers by Steve Woods of Eloqua
Implication: The post has five responses to the changes, including appointing an "information concierge" in a company to help connect customers with your most relevant content (and other content outside the company). We call this our "listening post".
Value: [rating=5]
Commentary: This interview with Dan Barker shows the type of approach and analysis needed to improve performance.
Implication: Check the approach to reviewing performance and drilling down to find opportunities to improve traffic since this article contains much detailed advice, which is why I have given it 5 stars.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: An introduction to managing how engage customers online including a graph summarising the main benefits.
Implication: Review how well you are realising these benefits and how are you succeeding in overcoming the main challenges.
Value: [rating=5]
Commentary: Dan B and I worked long and hard to create this 12 page Word document that you can amend to apply to your own organisation.
Implication: Download, review and refine your organisation's digital marketing plan against this framework.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: You can read further commentary on UTalk Marketing
By Danyl Bosomworth
Dan helped to co-found Smart Insights in 2010 and acted as Marketing Director until leaving in November 2014 to focus on his other role as Managing Director of First 10 Digital. His experience spans brand development and digital marketing, with roles both agency and client side for nearly 20 years. Creative, passionate and focussed, his goal is on commercial success whilst increasing brand equity through effective integration and remembering that marketing is about real people. Dan's interests and recent experience span digital strategy, social media, and eCRM. You can learn more about Dan's background here Linked In.
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