Online Marketing

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:07:44 +1000

The rise of the Online Strategic Agency has been in full swing for a few years now and there are several good ones about in Australia. But as former head of Tourism NSW and now Chairman of a Melbourne based online agency John O’Neil put it, there is a “Opaqueness” to the industry. Clients (particularly SME’s) still have a great deal of frustration comparing “apples with apples” as different agencies will offer not only different ideas but many will have their own software, preferred coding languages and hosting deals.

Businesses are forced make decisions about possible future problems, platform versatility and contract implications when they choose an online marketing supplier and this creates a minefield of invisible potholes.

Nimbler is a an Online Strategic Marketing firm that offers not only down-to-earth Online Strategy advice as well as the latest execution and creative services. When it comes to Online Marketing, we believe that it is now almost impossible to separate online strategy from the overall strategic planning of a business.

In fact, we hold a philosophy that all Strategic Planning and Marketing Plans that do not immediately utilise online opportunities face massive challenges to remaining relevant into the future. Beware the business that uses the internet for promotions and e-commerce alone however. Marketing plans today should have a balanced approach (including an execution plan) that includes the examination of all the following within a marketing mix:

Website Design and Implementation
Search Engine Optimisation and Marketing
Social Media Marketing
E-Commerce planning and execution
Email marketing
Mobile Marketing

Perhaps the most important strategic component however is the issue of “Content”. It sits behind all online executions and is often overlooked in the initial heady stages of online marketing planning. While attractive websites, social media set-ups and Search Engine Optimisation plans might feel like the critical factors in getting online marketing right, within 6-12 months, the only activity left worth focussing on – reinforcing all of the above components, is the regular and efficient development of “Content”.

Developing relevant, deep and attractive content on an ongoing basis is perhaps the greatest opportunity for your brand online.

Of course nothing will ever replace the value of a Great idea. It’s why advertising agencies around the planet continue to represent value for companies with the budgets to pay for ideas. But a great Online Strategic firm will know how to match the ideas’ value with online execution that maximises ROI.

If your business is not getting the most out of an online presence, feel free to contact Nimbler for an obligation free discussion.

Social Media - A Hearing Aid for Modern Marketers

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:15:39 +1000

But Social Media Marketing may perhaps be the most useful tool for marketers yet. So before you put Learning to Tweet in the "Too hard" basket, think about the benefits both direct and indirect to your business of putting in the effort. The opportunities available utilising the social media landscape (Facebook, Blogs, Twitter etc) lie not in the reaching of your audience (your web presence does that already), but in the ability to listen to your audience.

There are three general steps to take when moving to utilise Social Media as a marketing channel.

Research - Start by identifying social media neighbourhoods, identifying activists and opinion leaders within these groups.
Understand - Listen and monitor the tone of communications online. When you do start to communicate, you then adjust your "tone and style" to fit properly into the conversation.
Be a "Stand" - Make clear what your company or brand "stands for". Social media participants are there to share views and if you share yours they will likely gravitate to the brand.

When your target audience knows why you do what you do (which includes selling what you sell), they are free to align or not with your philosophy. Those that align are likely to begin checking you out. You will be referred and re-tweeted and should do the same with their tweets and posts.

In social media the worst mistake any company/brand can make is to invade the space of your targets with ads, sales and promos unless they have asked specifically for them.

Listening is actually the cornerstone of all good marketing and strategic business planning. Organisations that develop a good habit of doing so are invariably in a stronger strategic position. Social media is one of the most immediate, honest and dynamic mechanisms to Listen.

For more information on how your business can effectively use social media in its marketing mix, contact jonathan.poynter@nimbler.com.au

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Online Marketing

Social Media - A Hearing Aid for Modern Marketers