Business Strategy, Marketing, Sarasota, WordPress & More…
Now here’s a young lady who understands marketing. She’s found a medium that will evidently reach her father with her request.
Check it out on Seth Godin’s blog.
Now, my daughter’s only 2. But, since I’ve already caught her playing with a Rubik’s cube, I’m guessing that by the time she’s old enough to want new furniture in her room, I have something like this to look forward to.
Wow.
Give them something valuable. Now THAT’s marketing.
If you’re in business, or if you work in marketing, you need to be getting Alen Rosenspan’s e-mail newsletter. This month, you could’ve learned:
Sold yet? I am. And I’m not even a customer of his (yet). I got some valuable stuff.
Oh, and one more trick: turn your marketing campaign into something valuable. Staples has taken in close to $6 Million selling “Easy” buttons…
(If you’re still wondering, the word is “you”)
How easy is it for your future customers to locate you and do business with you?
Evidently, this is a big question on the minds of business people, if Google’s ad revenue for this year is any indication. They are, incidentally, on track to earn over $2 Billion this year from their ‘sponsored links’ business, which is becoming increasingly popular as companies struggle to promote their websites.
Forbes.com reported yesterday on the “Search Industrial Complex” and the (relatively) new flock of businesses which are built entirely around “search engine optimization” and other forms of internet business promotion, quoting Google CEO Eric Schmidt who said, “People are not aware of how big the opportunity is.”
Why does this matter to you?
In today’s digital society, it has become increasingly important for businesses to not only have a web presence, but to ensure that their websites are being found by the people who are searching. This means that your website must rank highly on the search engines – particularly for those search terms or keywords that are most likely to bring you business.
Gone are the days when it was good enough to simply have a website. Businesses are wising up to the fact that investing in an online presence without having it optimized for searchability is much like building a large retail store in the middle of a 100-acre cow pasture. If no traffic is going by, you’ve wasted your money. No one will know your store even exists . . . you can forget having them come in and spend money.
So, from a strategic marketing standpoint, how is your website performing for you? When was your site last reviewed for relevant content? Is it showing up on the search engines when people are looking for businesses like yours? How are you measuring your traffic to understand the return on your online investment?
If it could use some improvement (as most sites could) . . . is a company specializing in SEO (search engine optimization) the right move for you? Perhaps. But I challenge you to answer this question from a strategic vantage point. A better question might be: when was the last time your company evaluated all of its marketing initiatives to strategically determine where and how to invest?
The answer to that question might just determine how tomorrow’s revenue searches you out.
One question I get asked a lot is: where did the name (Epiphany Marketing) come from?
What’s somewhat humorous about it is that I broke some of my own rules. Ironically, this consultancy started out as a marketing practice. One of my big pieces of advice for clients that are starting out or are considering a name change: keep it short, easy to spell, and easy to remember.
Who knew that “Epiphany” would be so hard to spell?
So, difficult spelling aside (it wasn’t hard for me to spell!), Epiphany is a name that reflects some of the fundamental, philosophical aspects of why I’m in this business to begin with.
Epiphany – (from definition number 3)
a. A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something.
b. A comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization: “I experienced an epiphany, a spiritual flash that would change the way I viewed myself” (Frank Maier).
epiphany. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=epiphany (accessed: September 11, 2006).
This expresses the heart and soul of what this business is all about. We are interested in creating those situations for our clients where suddenly everything becomes clear — as if the challenges they faced were out of focus and we’re able to help bring them into focus. We live to help others gain perspectives that will facilitate success!
Now that we are focused on strategic work, we see this occurring with our clients even more frequently! The work we enjoy doing most now is something like what a chiropractor does — we focus on alignment. Most functioning businesses already have everything they need to get to the next level, but what they lack is proper alignment. Having a strategic consultant come in will help find the leverage points that need to be adjusted – much like putting a finger or an elbow or a shoulder back in its joint would empower your golf swing.
Do you need an epiphany?