The speed and complexity of changes in the technology marketing space is indeed overwhelming. Just when you get comfortable with a routine, the rules change or there’s some new hot platform that is delivering better results. With free trials and little commitment required to get started, it seems there is little risk to taking the plunge. Being open to new approaches can help you to reach new prospects, but remember to keep your goal (such as event registration, eBook downloads, contact us messages, etc.) in mind and measure your success.
When working with clients to drive traffic and increase visibility, we utilize a variety of strategies to reach each audience where they spend time. We build bridges between the client website and outposts such as social media sites, content hosting platforms and online communities. The bridges are used as the vehicle to reach the audience; the website is the centerpiece of the client’s online presence.
Regardless of whether your most effective marketing strategy is email marketing, a specific social network, one-on-one event showcasing or something else, all marketing should point toward your website. Why? Read on.
If you don’t own the domain, you’re just renting space
Technology can be a savior or a beast, offering amazing opportunities for exposure — and sadly, ample potential for frustration when there’s no one behind the Oz-like curtain. As loyal users, we can become reliant on a site or platform, losing sight of the fact that we don’t own the property and are essentially at the mercy of those who do.
Facebook, for example, seems to revel in frequent search algorithm changes that reduce visibility for organic (non-promoted) content. Businesses that have utilized Facebook for marketing may become frustrated that their primary marketing channel no longer delivers the reach to which they have become accustomed.
If you’ve been relying on Facebook to promote your message and it’s no longer delivering results, it may be time to consider promoted posts or to try out another marketing channel. Not ideal, but not insurmountable. On the other hand, if Facebook (rather than your website) is the centerpiece of your online presence and your post reach is in the single digits, you have a lot of catching up to do.
LinkedIn’s Slideshare has become the go-to hosting platform for thought leadership presentations. Users upload files — infographics, slide shows, thought leadership reports — which may be viewed on the platform itself or embedded within a website. Content marketing strategies may be used to share and increase visibility for your presentation in a variety of channels. However, directing visitors not to your website but rather exclusively to Slideshare to view your presentation poses the same risks.
Invisible customer support
A recent client engagement reinforced my conviction that your website should always remain the center of your online presence. Their longstanding thought leadership program has built a robust presence on Slideshare.
We published the results of the program’s 10th year study results on Slideshare, and embarked on an aggressive social media campaign, acquiring 10,000 Slideshare views in the first month. A phenomenal result — except that an exact name search for the presentation on Slideshare came up empty. Without the direct link, the presentation was essentially invisible. And so was the customer support. Read the full case study.
Lesson learned? Have the party at your house
While there may be times when you wish for the simplicity before we had so many technology solutions, they do provide functionality which helps us to access more people with greater efficiency. We can and should take advantage of available platforms to engage and transact with clients, partners and prospects. But as you dive into yet another new platform, explore opportunities to utilize it to drive traffic to your website, rather than their platform.
Need help? We work with clients in whichever way works best for you — offering instruction, tools and expertise, enabling you to handle the items that come naturally — or taking on the technology as an outsourced marketing department. Contact us for a free consultation.
