New blog, new address, upcoming podcast

The tools of online marketing can be so powerful, allowing you to get your message to a large but targeted audience. For this reason, they can be dangerous and damaging for your brand if you stuff them up. Like many things, they are value neutral, neither good nor bad, just tools to be used.

For this reason I'm starting a new podcast, with real life examples of good, bad and really ugly online marketing tactics - For Your Own Safety.

I have just finished moving the blog over to the new address which can be found at www.4yourownsafety.com

So watch out for new podcast episodes coming soon...

"The thing about free"

Seth Godin did an interesting post (nothing unusual about that) called "the thing about free". It discusses the value of using 'free' in marketing. A summary could be that giving something away for free will win you the attention of your audience briefly, but that we value those things that we pay for, even though the fee may be nominal.

This is extremely relevant to the field of online marketing as almost every decent website you see is offering something for free, whether its information on a blog (such as this one), or free newsletters, free evaluations, reports, the list goes on. This is a standard tactic, one which I use myself and encourage clients to utilise.

I've often heard people from various walks of life discuss the value of free things. The conclusion usually ends up placing the same value on that which is not paid for, as advice unasked for. It is about respect, if something costs you nothing, then you most probably won't value it, "easy come, easy go" style.

The difficulty that I find in the current marketplace is that everyone else is giving something away for free, and clients and customers expect it.

This is certainly not some kind of absolute truth, but marketers and sales people always need to take care in their generosity. I like to be generous, and give of myself and my time, but I know that I need to keep in mind that if there isn't some kind of cost to my time, advice or services, then they are probably going to be wasted on the recipient anyway through inaction.

Show me the money...

So, you have gotten yourself an awesome looking, gasp producing, beautiful flash animated site. A splash page, intro video, music all of the bells and whistles, and you just paid a small fortune for it.

The all important question is, 'does it produce revenue for your business?' For all the looks, can you check your stats and produce reports instantly. Can you track if its working or not? Do you know what your conversion rate is? Do you have a plan for website success and are you implementing it?

Sometimes, the most flashy looking websites are not actually the most effective when it comes to search engine optimisation and ranking. Sometimes the coolest multimedia features can actually be harmful to your marketing objectives.

Ultimately, if your website doesn't 'show you the money', then its not worth anything.

To find out how to make the most effective use of your online communications email to consultant@thompsonmarketing.com.au and stop wondering.

Your Targeted Marketing Communication Plan (TMCP)

What is a Targeted Marketing Communications Plan (TMCP)? This is a term we use for the online marketing strategies we put together for our clients.

In any of our attempts to communcate with a market or segment, we need to be targeted about it. Not every communication we make is going to appeal to everyone, everytime. That's why we plan it; we plan who, when, where, why, how, analysing market segments and working out specific, measurable strategies to reach each one.

This is so important in the current advertising environment where all of us are constantly bombarded by marketing and advertising message, demanding our attention, shouting at us from radios, blaring at us on tv screens, distracting us on highways, filling up our mailboxes.

Our philosophy follows the concept of permission marketing, that there is always a certain segment of the market, ready, willing, searching for your product or service. The aim is to be found by this group, not necessarily to find them and yell at them as often and as much as possible. Our philosophy is to idenitify target audiences, and then gear all marketing strategies from then on into appealing to them, being found by them, and addressing their needs.

Interested? Find out more at http://www.thompsonmarketing.com.au/

The Integrated Website Success Program (IWSP)

What is the Integrated Website Success Program (IWSP)?

This is a process developed by the legends at websitegurus, of whom I am a franchisee. They've been in the website design and online marketing game for years so they know what they are talking about. The IWSP is a comprehensive system for planning and implementing the necessary strategies and content that will make your website work for your business. This program is exclusive to websitegurus clients, you won't find it anywhere else, and will definitely give you a competitive advantage with your online marketing strategy.

There are 10 steps, and I'm not going to give them all away now, but the first consultation and assessment is absolutely obligation free. Getting a website, is literally just the first step. To find out more click here

Online Marketing

I have been listening to a lot of great podcasts lately (which I intend to link to by the way) and have been getting really enthused about the opportunities available to businesses at this time. There are so many great resources, and new horizons available to businesses when it comes to the online universe, and so much is available for next to nothing. "You get what you pay for" does not necessarily apply. Web 2.0 is creating new ways for companies to interact with their markets in real and effective
ways that can be beneficial for both sides. I am looking forward to helping navigate through this time of change in the way businesses is done and information is communicated.
Links coming soon... promise