Everybody talks about how quickly Internet marketing changes. But some things haven’t changed, and when companies lose sight of the constants, they can get themselves into trouble very, very quickly. Here are five things that every serious lead generation marketer must take into account.
1. Google Still Rules the Roost
You can talk all you want about Bing, Facebook and other social media sites, but Google needs to be front and center in your marketing campaigns if you want to attract qualified traffic to your website. Google's market share is 80 percent.
2. Web Content Still Needs to Incorporate Sales 101
Content is not and never has been just about keywords. If you want traffic to convert, your web content must be informative, relevant, persuasive, engaging and authoritative. (And, incidentally, these are qualities Google crawlers look for in content.)
3. It Still Takes Money to Move the Dial
Doing lead generation marketing on the cheap has never worked, and probably never will. The adage of getting out what you put into it applies to SEO, PPC and all other types of campaigns, including ones that appear to be free on the surface, such as social media.
4. It Still Needs to Sell to Be Creative
One of the greatest nuggets of wisdom in all of marketing came from advertising genius David Ogilvy. He said, “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.” If your lead generation marketing is focused on appealing ideas instead of profitable selling, you’re wasting your money. Great marketing combines creativity with a laser-focus sales strategy.
5. Talented Testing Still Determines the Outcome
No marketing campaign ever hit full stride right out of the gate, and never will. The best marketing campaigns get that way by virtue of methodical testing using sophisticated techniques. A one-and-done, autopilot mentality toward website development and marketing is fatal.
If you’re looking for ways to combine the best of the old and the best of the new in your marketing campaign, let's talk!