Online Marketing Summit – THE event for marketers
The event is called “Online Marketing Summit” but as I attended the sessions and networked with fellow marketing professionals, it was clear that an “Online” focused event is really a “Marketing Best Practices” conference because I challenge to find a strong marketing strategy today that doesn’t wisely incorporate online elements.
The attendees range from savvy online marketers who are pushing their company to think outside the box, to the marketer held back by the conservative company afraid of damaging their brand or even better loosing employee productivity by letting them engage in social media.
Regardless of where you fall in the spectrum and I suggest most fit somewhere in between, many of the questions revolved around “Buy In” and how to convince the CEO to spend dollars in this fast growing area. Here’s my approach:
Be Tangible
Presenting ROI from your marketing efforts is no different today than years ago. However, now you have the ability to present who’s visiting your site, where are they coming from, what are they doing, and who’s buying. Start tracking these trends now to have data to look back on months down the road and show value.
Teach Them to Listen
Whether you have started to engage socially or not, most likely the conversation has already started. I heard in several sessions this week on social media to “Listen First” so help your CEO listen and make them aware of the conversation that is happening around them. A similar perspective can be seen in a presentation we recently delivered on “Taking the Next Step”.
“Me Too” Can Actually Work
When we were younger and you wanted to get something you often said “well EVERYONE has it” and this “me too” attitude was not rewarded. Take this approach to your CEO and show them what the competition is doing. Different than the argument you may have lost as a child, if the competition is doing it, you won’t want to miss out.
Baby Steps
Remember that not everything has to be done all at once. Present a plan that gets you from where you are today to where you want to be and set milestones and metrics along the way.
Online Marketing and Marketing are now synonymous. Taking your company on this journey is part of the job but making it successful is where the rewards are found.
*Photo courtesy of Online Marketing Mavens
Posted by: Stefanie Lightman, 03/01/2010