Some Fresh Tips for Those New To Online Marketing

So, the cocktails have been put down and the laptop has been opened up. Time for me to share some fresh knowledge to the world, and today we're talking online marketing.

I thought I'd share a few insights I've collected over the past years as to how to market more effectively online as a brand, a business, or just a fame-seeking individual.

First up, I want to talk about blogging. This self-preaching technology has been around for a decade now, but some people are still unsure how to utilise it. The key rule, like all marketing, is to know your audience! Forget how cool your video embedding is, or how funny the animated cat GIF at the bottom of the page is, or how insightful and well-structured your writing is... If you don't know who you're talking to, then you've missed the point.

Always think about what your readers are interested in. This will rarely be your new company coffee machine or your amazing summer holiday to Dubbo. If you're selling shoes, then talk about shoes, and from every angle. Talk about style, design, materials, stores, innovations, opportunities, etc. Don't talk about your weekly sales range. Keep it on topic and interesting.

If you give your audience information about what interests them, you can't lose!

Secondly, I want to talk about reward. It's something a lot of marketeers overlook, but you need to analyse who your biggest fans are and reward them. What that reward is (free stuff, a phone call, a discount coupon) is irrelevant; the point is you need to keep an ear to the digital floor and listen to who is talking about you.

Those 5% of your fans/customers that bring in new business, that re-tweet your stuff, that blog about your products... They are the people you need to reward. Always thank a fan, and always monitor social media conversations. There's plenty of free applications that do this (like Social Mention and Google Alerts). Keep an eye out for your brand in social forums, and take note of who the talkers are.

Finally, know that people engage with people, not brands. If the holiday season has taught you anything, it's that David Jones the brand (quiet, elegant, sophisticated, supportive) is very different to David Jones the people (loud, rushed, overworked, high-school kids/retirees). The people who make the sale at the end of the day are the tangible representatives of your brand. Make sure you don't overlook people as part of your marketing experience, even if it's in the form of Twitter voices or Facebook contributors.

Also, as a side note, make sure your online marketing is consistent with your overall marketing strategy. Online and heritage marketing platforms should be crafted to create synergies, not resistance.

So welcome to 2011, the year when Radical Love takes over the world*.


Well, we'll start with Sydney...