This post shares paraphrased summaries of 5 signs/tips from Richard von Weber Hahnsberg’s October 2014 post intertwined with data which I source as well as my own insights.
Whether you are the chief marketing officer for a multimillion dollar company or a startup it is important that time crunches and the demands of juggling multiple projects and responsibilities does not lead to you talking yourself into a place of complacency…. Meaning convincing yourself that all is well because you feel too overwhelmed to deal with the mandated pro-activity required for ongoing marketing success.
Hopefully these tips/signs will be a reality check and give you the extra push you need.
- You haven’t gotten around to a mobile ready website. According to the January 2014 Pew Internet Research Project. 90% of Americans have a cellphone, 58% have a smartphone and 42% own a tablet. What are you waiting on?
- You think things are great because your web traffic is stable. According to InternetWorldStatistics.com, Internet users increased 676% from 2000 to 2014 from 361 million to 2.8 billion. Your traffic needs to be growing not holding steady.
- On social media platforms you get views/likes but no comments or retweets. Engagement and brand/product loyalty translate as retweets, shares and comments –which are also viral marketing and product/brand testimonials. If these are lacking you need to address becoming more in tune to meeting needs and solving problems for your audience. You need to assure you are providing products/services, content and resources that are valuable and relevant to your audience.
- You fired your customer service representatives. The inference, according to Richard von Weber-Hahnsberg is that you fired them thinking you didn’t need them because website visits and customer conversions are down. In fact if visits and conversions are down this implies a failing online marketing strategy and a need to reinvent your online strategy thus assuring your customer representatives have a purpose.
- You receive web traffic from only one channel. This points to synergies and linkages between channels you are not taking advantage of. This means both traditional and digital channels. For example educational messages or promotions can be transformed and adapted for Facebook and blog posts. They can be adapted and re-purposed for Twitter, YouTube, traditional mailings, email campaigns and physical events. You can leverage in strategic partnerships, radio or streaming interviews/mentions or through being quoted, sited or endorsed. And these can be positioned as digital and print articles, press releases and digital and print ads. Your audiences consume, communicate and interact in multiple environments. It is incumbent upon you to reach them where they are –not build it and assume they will come.
