Mike Cichon etc…group, inc. Digital Marketing Primer Getting heard above the noise

“ A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention …

… and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it.”

Professor Herbert Simon Computer Science and Psychology Carnegie Mellon University

The year was 1971.

The Internet today 133,000,000 blogs 186,727,854 distinct websites 210,000,000,000 emails sent per day 31,500,000 websites added in 2008 70% are spam 900,000 new blog posts per day

The Internet today All of this content is chasing the attention of 1.4b Internet users Worldwide (248m+ North America)

Competing in the “attention economy” … it’s about attracting attention of target buyers who are conditioned to tune out distractions. Is not about publishing more information on-line and off-line…

Key Trend: Drop in advertising 28% overall news media ad decline (1Q’09) 1 13% drop in online advertising on newspaper-owned Web sites 1 24% revenue drop in radio advertising (1Q’09) 2 Forecast 20% drop in television revenue (2009) 3 Q4’08 Internet ad revenue growth 2% vs 24% Q4’07 4 2 - Radio Advertising Bureau. 3 -- BIA Advisory Services 1 – Newspaper Association of America 4 – IAB / PwC

28% overall news media ad decline (1Q’09) 1

13% drop in online advertising on newspaper-owned Web sites 1

24% revenue drop in radio advertising (1Q’09) 2

Forecast 20% drop in television revenue (2009) 3

Q4’08 Internet ad revenue growth 2% vs 24% Q4’07 4

Why Internet advertising is failing* *Eric Clemons, 2009 Professor of Operations and Information Management Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Consumers do not trust advertising Consumers do not want to view advertising Consumers do not need advertising There is no shortage of places to put ads

The recession isn’t the only thing pulling down Internet advertising. It’s the canary in the coal mine. Other interruption-based programs are suffering the same fate.

Why interruption-based programs fail Screen phone calls Don’t open emails Ignore advertisements They attempt to re-direct attention rather than engage it at the point of interest Low response rates Poor lead quality High cost per lead Behavior Result

Screen phone calls

Don’t open emails

Ignore advertisements

Low response rates

Poor lead quality

High cost per lead

Contrast: Growth in on-line/social media Facebook: 65.7m monthly visits (200m+ users) Twitter: 4.5m monthly visits Blogs: 346m readers (77% of active Web users) Social Networks: 35-49 age group up +11.3 million (2008)* Mobile: Social network access up 156% (19% overall)* Video: Audience growth up 339% (since 2003)* Search: Up 50% (since 2003)* * – Neilsen On-Line

Facebook: 65.7m monthly visits (200m+ users)

Twitter: 4.5m monthly visits

Blogs: 346m readers (77% of active Web users)

Social Networks: 35-49 age group up +11.3 million (2008)*

Mobile: Social network access up 156% (19% overall)*

Video: Audience growth up 339% (since 2003)*

Search: Up 50% (since 2003)*

How can digital marketing help? Shift strategy from interruption-based tactics to engagement of active shoppers / searchers A set of tools and tactics that leverage the Web to generate inbound traffic to your website Fine-tuning of organic and paid search (SEO / SEM) Rich media content optimized for both the Web and mobile platforms (e.g., ebooks, dynamic flash) Interactive marketing including blogging, micro-blogging and social networking Internet-based programs (e.g., webinars, podcast)

Shift strategy from interruption-based tactics to engagement of active shoppers / searchers

A set of tools and tactics that leverage the Web to generate inbound traffic to your website

Fine-tuning of organic and paid search (SEO / SEM)

Rich media content optimized for both the Web and mobile platforms (e.g., ebooks, dynamic flash)

Interactive marketing including blogging, micro-blogging and social networking

Internet-based programs (e.g., webinars, podcast)

Take control of your on-line presence Associate expertise, authenticity and transparency with your brand Website Web-PR Forums Social Bookmarking Blog / Micro-Blog Wikis / Directories Other Social Media Social Networks

“ Digital marketing sounds great. I’d do more of it if I only knew where to start.” etc … group client

Sharpen the focus of messaging Construct persona-based content targeted at specific buyer types Document their goals and aspirations Empathize with their problems Prioritize the importance of their issues / concerns Understand their on-line and off-line tendencies Identify their preferred interaction channels Communicate using appropriate images / multi-media Speak in familiar language and words Identify your “Joe the Plumber”

Construct persona-based content targeted at specific buyer types

Document their goals and aspirations

Empathize with their problems

Prioritize the importance of their issues / concerns

Understand their on-line and off-line tendencies

Identify their preferred interaction channels

Communicate using appropriate images / multi-media

Speak in familiar language and words

Launch a blog, make it interesting Dynamic, current content trumps static web-copy and paid advertising Great for natural search and link building Entry-level requirement to go social Path to thought leadership Great way to find out what buyers think

Dynamic, current content trumps static web-copy and paid advertising

Great for natural search and link building

Entry-level requirement to go social

Path to thought leadership

Great way to find out what buyers think

Listen and engage in the conversation Join the conversation Actively comment and link to the blogging community Communicate valuable 3 rd party information Advertise your blog and events Monitor “the blogsphere” for product, brand and competitive mentions Listen to experts Identify trending topics Discover breaking news

Join the conversation

Actively comment and link to the blogging community

Communicate valuable 3 rd party information

Advertise your blog and events

Monitor “the blogsphere” for product, brand and competitive mentions

Listen to experts

Identify trending topics

Discover breaking news

Focus: Search marketing 90% of online consumers use the Internet for research 47% of purchasing decisions are made online 1 Most Google users never go further than the first two search engine page results 2 Visual impressions drop to 50% by the 6 th search result, then they fall sharply after that 2 1 -- Enquiro Research Take Away Among all other things, make sure to get found on the Internet 2 -- Google

90% of online consumers use the Internet for research

47% of purchasing decisions are made online 1

Most Google users never go further than the first two search engine page results 2

Visual impressions drop to 50% by the 6 th search result, then they fall sharply after that 2

Build an on-line influencer network Mainstream media no longer owns a monopoly on information Alternative media (bloggers) can spread information fast They do not always represent an accurate or balanced perspective Unfortunately, the Internet does not discriminate good from bad information when it goes viral Identify top bloggers and subscribe to their feeds

Mainstream media no longer owns a monopoly on information

Alternative media (bloggers) can spread information fast

They do not always represent an accurate or balanced perspective

Unfortunately, the Internet does not discriminate good from bad information when it goes viral

Identify top bloggers and subscribe to their feeds

Emerging Trend: Tap into mobile More than 1/3 of high-use smartphone users respond to mobile advertisements 1 53% click on ads 35% request more information 24% make mobile purchases 80% use mobile devices at work and while shopping Local mobile ad revenue will exceed $3.1b in 2013 (up from $160m in 2008) 2 Local search made up 27.8% of all searches in 2008, but are expected to hit 35.1% in 2013 2 1-Universal McCann research study 2-The Kelsey Group

More than 1/3 of high-use smartphone users respond to mobile advertisements 1

53% click on ads

35% request more information

24% make mobile purchases

80% use mobile devices at work and while shopping

Local mobile ad revenue will exceed $3.1b in 2013 (up from $160m in 2008) 2

Local search made up 27.8% of all searches in 2008, but are expected to hit 35.1% in 2013 2

Establish a measurement infrastructure 1) Measure traffic, validate source Unique visitors eMail / RSS subscriptions 2) Correlate to leads 3) Correlate to conversions (closed deals) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 0 1 2 2 5 6 7 5 8 8 7 15

1) Measure traffic, validate source

Unique visitors

eMail / RSS subscriptions

Marketing moves online and gets social Source: CMO Council Marketing Outlook Study, 2009 Minimum 20-30% of budget, more if: Not enough leads Low quality leads Leads cost too much Low program response or participation rates Long sales cycles Digital Marketing

Not enough leads

Low quality leads

Leads cost too much

Low program response or participation rates

Long sales cycles

Moving from strategy to execution Managing on-line brand presence Active blogging and “blogsphere” management Targeted demand generation programs Development of sales and marketing tools On-line influencer network Search engine optimization and marketing Multi-media, persona -based content Blog and building an on-line following Product Launch Program Management and Execution Go to Market Planning Clean sheet story line development Target marketing personas Digital media, advertising and editorial content plan Keyword and link-building strategy

Managing on-line brand presence

Active blogging and “blogsphere” management

Targeted demand generation programs

Development of sales and marketing tools

On-line influencer network

Search engine optimization and marketing

Multi-media, persona -based content

Blog and building an on-line following

Clean sheet story line development

Target marketing personas

Digital media, advertising and editorial content plan

Keyword and link-building strategy

I am a Web2.0 / SaaS marketing specialist with extensive hands-on experience in go to market strategy and execution. Over the course of launching several products to market I have developed a consistent track record and deep hands-on experience in messaging / positioning, go-to-market planning, and crafting effective demand generation programs. Over the past 10 years I have enjoyed working with several technology companies in Silicon Valley. I’ve learned from experience how to use the latest marketing and public relations strategies to help products get noticed in today’s crowded markets. About Mike Cichon Blog: http:// highcliff.wordpress.com Twitter: @mcichon LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecichon Delicious: /mikecichon.com Friendfeed: mcichon

I am a Web2.0 / SaaS marketing specialist with extensive hands-on experience in go to market strategy and execution.

Over the course of launching several products to market I have developed a consistent track record and deep hands-on experience in messaging / positioning, go-to-market planning, and crafting effective demand generation programs.

Over the past 10 years I have enjoyed working with several technology companies in Silicon Valley. I’ve learned from experience how to use the latest marketing and public relations strategies to help products get noticed in today’s crowded markets.

[email_address] Thank You!