Constructing a truly integrated online marketing plan can seem daunting. The web is a place where knowledge, fact and opinion are easily blurred together while your prospects and clients are relentlessly bombarded with information. How can any business overcome these challenges to harness the powerful tools of the internet and reach out to prospects where and when they're searching? Is it even possible?
The short answer is yes, it is possible. But if we went with the short answer, we wouldn't have much of an article. The longer answer starts with the fact that businesses, specifically franchise businesses, are complex and intricate, with unique online marketing opportunities and challenges. Taking advantage of opportunities and harnessing the clutter-cutting power of search are the keys to turning a good business into a great one. This is evidenced by a study Oneupweb recently completed based on Entrepreneur's 2008 Franchise 500 list.
The base of a solid digital marketing campaign is rooted strongly in search marketing. Some brands are taking advantage of search and integrated digital marketing strategies and using them to further bolster their businesses. Unfortunately, there are also many brands -- oftentimes more-established ones -- that are neglecting search despite the fact that it has the potential to catapult their bottom lines out of maintenance mode and back into full-speed growth mode. Relying on brand recognition alone is not enough.
What follows is a list of eight strategies that can be incorporated into your digital marketing campaigns and initiatives, whether you're a goliath in the franchise industry or an up-and-coming competitor. Successful, well-executed digital marketing can be the great equalizer among brands, as it pays no mind to revenue or incorporation date. It's about being found online, where and when your prospects are looking.
1. Capitalize on consistency. Our industry has spent the last eight months of this year reading and writing about the ROI-delivering powers of online marketing during times of budget massacre and recession. What we're missing is the fact that those return-delivering powers exist regardless of our economic state. Something that dependable has to be leveraged. Creative and engaging online marketing, combined with higher search engine rankings, can lure prospects in and quickly transform them into brand advocates. Why wait for a recession?
2. Establish now, laugh later. Digital marketing is no longer a relevant initiative; it's a necessity. Utilizing effective SEO and PPC strategies enables new brands to compete online with bigger, better-known competitors and potentially move ahead in the marketplace -- quickly surpassing those larger competitors. Establish great digital practices and strategies now, and you'll be positioned for steadfast success.
3. Start a conversation with customers and prospects. Online marketing has an unparalleled ability to start direct conversations with your target audience -- even if it's made up of more than one distinct segment. Franchisors face the unique challenge of trying to market to potential franchisees and direct to customers at the same time -- and often with the same dollar. Add to that the need to show franchisees an adequate return on their marketing investment, and you have what appears to be a complex challenge. With effective digital marketing strategies in place, including SEO, PPC and local search, you can efficiently accomplish business development goals, drive sales and deliver substantial and measurable returns to franchisees. Digital marketing delivers an added bonus as well: the ability to garner direct feedback. Listen to what your audience is saying, tailor your approach accordingly and reap the rewards.
4. Advertise affordably. Investing in a solid local search strategy often costs much less than print, television or radio advertising. This is critical not only for franchisors and their franchisees, but to any business owner who has multiple units spread across the country. With local search, no matter where your prospects are searching, you can ensure that your business is getting maximum share of voice and return without costing you your firstborn.
5. Augment your search engine rank. Whether scanning the web for a new pair of running shoes or business opportunities in the athletic footwear industry, prospects are most likely to search on keywords pertaining to product or business type rather than branded terms alone. Thus, you need to employ a well-executed integrated search campaign that includes a comprehensive mix of pertinent search terms, both branded and non -- or risk watching that lesser known but more efficiently optimized brand start chipping away at market share.
6. Avoid a Flash-exclusive site. Even though Flash can help you stand out online, it's the HTML that holds the distinct advantage of having index capabilities and further aiding SEO -- for now. Search engine spiders rely heavily on text to index websites, and when Flash is implemented exclusively, the website becomes nearly invisible during a search. Boring sites need not apply. Incorporate cutting-edge Flash design into your site without neglecting appropriate text descriptions for the perfect balance of style and search friendliness.
7. Make consuming easy. When advertising online, the product or desired action should never be more than a few clicks away. Audit and optimize your website, online ads and landing pages to make navigation easier and more intuitive. Be sure to look at the little things that matter. A change as simple as the location of the checkout button or a simplified lead generation form can increase the odds of success. More purchases or form fills equal greater returns.
8. Do the little things. Although numerous, the little things to be done during optimization are integral for success. Make certain you have keywords, indexable content, title tags, meta tags, alt tags, link data, great site architecture and local search content. Although there are many pieces to include, the outcome of a fully and well-optimized website far outweighs the triviality of a site your clients and prospects can't find.
Well-integrated and executed digital marketing strategies can make the difference between maintaining sales and growing your business -- regardless of whether your brand is 1 or 100 years old.
Lisa Wehr is CEO and founder of Oneupweb.
