Too many business owners get stuck not doing anything with online marketing because they are focused on the immediate, the ROI, the what-does-this-do-for-me-now battle. Yes, there are immediate results you can and should see. But is there another way of thinking about all this?
I believe yes.
Imagine what you want your business to look like in 3 years. Start there. How dominant do you want to be in your industry? Do you only think about that in terms of head count? What about online? Do you want people to search and find you, but when they find you be so motivated and so trusting that they are begging for what you have?
The online discussion has to go beyond the hear and now. It is baffling to me to see companies throw away money month after month on tradeshows and direct mail pieces and quick wins (that do have some value, don’t get me wrong,) but then balk at any cost or effort to grow their online presence which could be a game-changer for the future of their business!
The game has changed and so the discussion has to change as well.
Here are a few different ways of thinking about your online marketing efforts:
- Is there a series you could create either as a set of articles or some videos or even webinars that are so specific to your industry and so valuable that people will find what you are serving up and it will change their impression of your company?
- Are there partners you could align with to have guest-post or guest-speak that will not only drive your audience to your site, but their’s as well?
- Without giving away “the secret sauce” of what you do, can you give away information on your website or Facebook page or through Twitter that will start to build trust and value to your industry, thus setting you apart from the competition in a unique way?
- Can you break down the next 12 months into bite-sized topics that then fuel all kinds of great activity online which then attracts tons of new visitors?
What are some others?
Photo credit Ben Husmann
