Why It s Time to Say Goodbye to Outdated Marketing Strategies and Start Getting Results

Transcription

1 Why It s Time to Say Goodbye to Outdated Marketing Strategies and Start Getting Results KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. PLEASE SHARE (Always Attribute)

2 Online marketing is a moving target, and that can be a good thing. New ideas and techniques mean more opportunities are created every day. But, it also means that paradigms are constantly shifting, and strategies that worked in the past can become irrelevant almost overnight. In fact, the approach a lot of online agencies and their clients use has gotten old and stale. What made things change so suddenly? Some of it has to do with the fact that search engines, social media sites, and other major sources of customers are evolving and meshing. Just as important, though, is the trend towards a focus on actual results not just activities within the best online agencies. That s where we ll focus our attention in this ebook. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 2

3 Here Come the Clones Most online firms today follow the same pre-set, unimaginative approach fashioned by old school traditional advertising agencies. It s an outdated strategy that simply doesn t work today. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 3

4 A New Way to Envision Business Online If you have met with a web design studio, ad agency, or SEO firm in the past few years, you might have noticed two things: first, that the services being offered tend to sound vague and overlapping, and secondly, that most follow the same set unimaginative process, supposedly-designed to get you a killer website. In general, the traditional (old school) approach looks something like this!!!!? Client brings a complaint or wish list for the team to solve Agency, in turn, develops a proposal with project-based options Client approves these activities (or at least some of them) Agency goes away to complete the work Client pays a hefty bill The true results of the project aren t certain Client seeks out a new agency The process starts all over again This way of doing business certainly makes sure a few things get checked off a list (maybe so you can be billed for them later?), but does it really put the focus and attention where it belongs? Wouldn t it be better to pay more attention to the results that are needed, instead of a to do list of things to try? Here is something you already know about marketing: checking items off a list doesn t constitute a plan, and just doing a few things doesn t always mean more qualified leads. In fact, the only thing it guarantees is an invoice in your mailbox a few weeks later. That s the old ad agency approach to business, adapted to the digital world. It values image over substance, and lunch meetings over ROI. It s been around for a long time, but that doesn t make it the right answer for your company. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 4

5 For businesses that need online marketing help, writing a cheque (check for our US friends) and hoping for the best is probably better than doing nothing. However, at Kayak we have embraced a new way of doing things one that is based on shared goals, increased communication, and the idea that clients and their marketing teams can work together. Most importantly, it s built upon the notion that we should be looking for lead generation results that are bigger. Instead of a few more search engine visitors or a slight increase in phone calls to the company, we want to see our clients enjoy profitable systems that can be used again and again to attract qualified potential customers each and every week. We know this system works because we ve executed it, for ourselves and for our clients, countless times. And, we are living proof it can do dramatic things for your business... At Kayak we ve embraced a new bigger way of doing things based on empower- ment and collaboration. think BIGGER [ empower & collaborate ] KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 5

6 In order to help new clients understand what we do, and why it might be a little bit different than the online marketing solutions they re used to, we explain it as a three-point system that we call EMA. Introducing EMA We pronounce it like the name Emma, even though it s an acronym, and we think she s someone you re going to want to get very familiar with. That s because EMA combines three goals that most of our peers overlook: EDUCATION MARKETING AUTOMATION A philosophical change towards a more collaborative service delivery model. In the following short sections, we will explain a bit about each how they constitute a new way of thinking about online marketing, and why you need each of them if you re going to avoid doing the exact same things as your competitors. What s important to remember at this stage is that EMA is a philosophy and a process; it isn t about building a website, or even getting a lead from the Internet. Instead, it s about growing a stronger company, engaging prospects on several levels, and automating your future success. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 6

7 Education Partnering With Your Internet Marketing Team, Not Being Dependent on Them Most companies would agree they spend somewhere between a lot and too much on their websites. And, you can bet that most of them don t know exactly what it is they are paying for a lot of the time. Certainly, they pick up some knowledge of the web marketing process in general here and there, but in most cases they order services like they would lunch at a restaurant they are given a menu with a few things that sound better than they are, get some version of what they asked for, and then pay the bill with varying degrees of satisfaction. That menu approach makes it easier for the online agency to cook up something they can bill for, and to keep the client coming back every time they re hungry (since they re dependent on their marketing partner for everything they do online). In some respects, it might even make things easier on the client, as their input of time and effort is limited to explaining what it is they hope to have happen. After that, they can just sit back and be served. But, this kind of arrangement also turns the online agency into a lazy chef, giving clients a form of marketing indigestion. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 7

8 Let us explain why. At Kayak, we embrace an educational approach. When clients come to us, they get the very best in online marketing leadership, and they also get ongoing mentoring in the fundamentals of search, social media engagement, content creation, and other marketing related topics. And, an online marketing training program, to boot. As a result, they come out of our process much wiser than they went into it. Does that mean they will need us less in the future? Possibly, but it also means that they have a much better understanding of the value we are actually providing. The more they know and understand, the more they appreciate that not everyone can (or will) pay attention to the details the way our team does. Plus, they become skilled enough to handle many of the routine tasks on their own, which saves them on billable hours. It also allows us to put our attention where it s most useful: on devising future strategies and taking on high-level challenges. Going beyond the surface benefits, having clients who are educated and empowered allows us to treat them as partners, rather than customers. They can assist us in developing creative marketing solutions, rather than having to choose from a set menu of options that we give them. Because they grasp the ideas behind search marketing and social profiles, they can help us to devise campaigns that make for a greater return on investment and more efficiency by combining their knowledge of the market with our experience. Everybody wins. The old agency model says a client who needs you is one you can keep. Our new philosophy is that a smarter, more informed and more engaged client can help us get better results for their organization, so that we become more valuable to each other over time. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 8

9 Marketing Putting Familiar Tools to Better Use Who would you rather trust with the future of your company: a mechanic, or an engineer? A composer, or a misfit strumming notes on the sidewalk with a beat up guitar? There are a lot of people in the web design and online marketing industry who understand the pieces, but not necessarily the puzzle. They see value in things like keywords, downloadable content, or social media updates. What they don t quite envision, though, is how to put them together or how they can work in concert to create a lead-generation system that goes beyond small percentage increases in a few tightly measured areas. Doing things like optimizing page headings or generating blog posts is a step in the right direction, but as standalone techniques, one off activities and short campaigns are limited in what they can accomplish. To put it another way, we don t want our clients to look for a 5% rise in visitors we want them thinking about ways to generate new opportunities every day from their website. Making that kind of jump requires a different level of execution, to be sure, but it also requires a different set of planning skills. Rather than seeing the menu of online marketing activities that we mentioned before, it takes a vision for the future that involves finding qualified sales opportunities through different channels, reinforcing key sales points, and maintaining many different levels of contact. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 9

10 it s time for a broader view In other words, at Kayak we don t go about reinventing the wheel, we re just rolling it downhill, instead of up. We still use many of the same tools that our peers do, but we package and deploy them differently. That s because we build all our marketing activities with a few key perspectives in mind: What we do should bring measurable results A successful marketing plan requires commitment; and collaboration there are no one-off's Extensive interviews, research, and benchmarking are needed at the start of any new client relationship Creativity, flexibility, and a willingness to respond to feedback and new marketing conditions has to play a large role in the marketing process. For years, pretty well all web firms have been giving their clients a list of marketing tactics they needed to implement. But, not all of them are utilizing the puzzle pieces to the same degree, and many don t seem interested in the big picture at all. For clients who want to see real improvement over the coming months and years, a different perspective is necessary. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 10

11 Automation Turning Lead Generation into a Self-Feeding Cycle Would you rather be a leader in your industry, or just another company hoping for leads? Which is more profitable for your business: the occasional sales opportunity, or a stream of qualified leads who ask you to engage with them for years to come? The answers to these questions are easy, and they both point to automation as the real key to building a profitable business through Internet marketing. That s because automation, or lead nurturing, represents the point where education, savvy campaigns, and creative marketing all come nicely together. Rather than trying to catch a prospect s interest at one particular point in time, with one specific message, you can target an entire category of customers through multiple channels (and over a long period of time), building trusted relationships with them one touch point at a time. To see how this works, it s helpful to envision a sales funnel. The beauty of the automated system is that, once it s in place, new sales opportunities keep forming at the top, while existing prospects are nurtured and developed all without any significant active input on the part of your company. TOFU MOFU BOFU Researching (top of the funnel) Qualifying (middle of the funnel) Engaging (bottom of the funnel) KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 11

12 Automation isn t quite as simple as it sounds, though. In order for it to work, and keep working, you have to have a few different elements in place: A strong understanding of your market, so you can know what types of offers your prospects are going to respond to. An ongoing marketing effort that s focused on monitoring and working towards results, not just stacking one activity on top of the next. Great lead capturing and automated follow-up systems that bring new contacts into your sales funnel and move them along at their own pace. Once the plan has been created and implemented, however, you are well on your way to reaching critical mass. At that point, you have lots of leads coming to you through multiple contact points (blogs, social media, search engines, advertising, etc.) and opting-in to receive information. They begin receiving welcomed offers from you, moving onto more detailed and advanced guides. By the time they actually reach out to you or a member of your sales team, they understand what you can do for them, already have trust in you and your products or services, and feel ready to take the next step. All put together, this can create a very powerful lead generation engine that only gets stronger over time. Better yet, the more you use it and test it, the more efficient it becomes and the less it costs to implement. That s why taking our clients to critical mass is a core strategy and a big reason that so many engage us for the long term. A philosophical change towards a more collaborative service delivery model. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 12

13 Are You Ready to Try a New Approach to Online Marketing? The old way of envisioning business web design and online marketing gets things done, but never takes you where you really want to go. Thankfully, with the new online agency model shifting the focus to profitability and long-term systems of high ROI, the landscape of our industry is changing along with it. Which approach do you prefer? If you want to sit back while someone else decides the future of your company for you, there are plenty of firms who will take your money and give you a menu of marketing activities to order from. But, if you re ready to become an active partner in your company s success, to start using familiar online marketing tools in a uniquely different way, and to look for an automated source of qualified leads, we hope to speak with you soon. Now, let s get serious and start talking about generating leads! Randy Milanovic Principal main toll-free US/Canada Kayak Creative Online Marketing Let s KayakCreative360 Kayak Creative Online Marketing KayakOnline think BIGGER [ empower & collaborate ] kayakonlinemarketing.com/our-online-marketing-approach/ kayakonlinemarketing.com/blog Companion materials available. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer. kayakonlinemarketing.com 13

14 PLEASE SHARE (Always Attribute) Copyright 2013 Kayak Creative Services Inc. Content may be referenced provided original source is clearly stated. NEVER STEAL That s terrible Karma. KAYAK is your internet marketing game changer.