This week in #MaristSM16, our readings focused on search
engine marketing and optimization as a means to reaching buyers directly. Over
the course of the semester, we’ve learned about the new rules of marketing and
public relations. According to Scott (2015), if you’re following the rules, you
have already built an effective search engine marketing program: starting with
buyer personas, building content especially for those buyers, and delivering
the content in the online forms they prefer (p. 396).
In reflecting on the lessons, tips and rules we’ve discussed
in class, it is easy to think about how they can be applied to my own personal
and professional social media habits. One of Scott’s new marketing & PR
rules that resonated the most with me is “You are what you publish” (p. 37).
For a business, success stems from considering organizational goals and
focusing on buyers first – showing that the business understands their
customers and has the solutions to fit their needs. Content is the main driver behind this.
Above: Scott summarizes his new
rule of marketing & PR: “If you’re publishing great content on the web,
you’re great. If you’re publishing nothing on the web, you’re nothing. And if
you’re publishing bad content on the web, you’re bad.” (Retrieved from YouTube)
I will implement this
rule by carefully considering the content I publish in both personal and
professional social media contexts. To make the most impact, the content should
make sense for the target audience, be easy to understand, and reflect the
specific goals of the situation/context. Whether posting a simple update to
friends on my own Facebook page or sharing a link to an article about my
company, it all comes down to the right content at the right moment.
One tip/tool that may
be more challenging to adopt is the development of a presence in the world of
blogging. As Scott (2015) mentions, “blogging is not for everyone,” as
businesses may question the return on investment behind blogging given some
difficulties to quantify (p. 79). Especially for smaller businesses, there are
resource limitations that may prevent the creation of a blog – particularly the
amount of time required to maintain it. On a personal level, I also have some
reservations about the practicality and overall usefulness of maintaining a
personal blog. Creating great content takes time, and that is a consideration
both businesses and individuals need to take into account.
 |
| (Image: Nielsen) |
But for organizations that have the resources to maintain a blog, it can
be an extremely powerful tool. Take my employer, Nielsen, for example. The business
maintains an insights-driven blog called “Uncommon Sense”, a vibrant
hub of all things Nielsen: recent reports, insights from senior executives, and
dynamic infographics about viewing and consumption habits. The blog is just one
“spoke of the wheel” intended to drive prospects to Nielsen’s landing page –
which in turn leads to customer conversion (Turner,
2013).
We see through this example and many others that everything is
connected: every social media component must be well planned and executed for maximum impact.
References:
Scott,
D. M. (2015). The new rules of marketing and
PR (5th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
Turner,
J. (2013). An in-depth guide on how to calculate the ROI of a social media
campaign. Retrieved from http://60secondmarketer.com/blog/2013/11/17/in-depth-guide-calculating-social-media-roi/.
Thanks, Nicole, for these great examples! Scott’s video is very poignant and makes me want to rethink my personal philosophies and habits surrounding my presence on the web. As I have communicated in this class previously, I struggle with being on the web but it seems like something I am going to have to work harder to move beyond so that I am more connected to my world.
ReplyDeleteUsing the new rules of marketing and PR to determine when to publish the right content for your audiences is an important tool and one that I am happy to hear you will implement beyond this class. I imagine it will be of immense use to you at Nielsen and I look forward to learning about what great results you have in the future.
Yes to all things you have mentioned about blogging! A 2013 study showed that “70% of consumers learn about a company through its blog versus ads (Patel, para. 3). Further, 70% of companies across 104 industries saw their organic reach on Facebook decline more than 30% between 2014 and 2015 so experts agree that blogging is an increasingly important tactic if companies want to reach consumers (Armitage, 2015).
These stats still don’t make it easy as blogging requires the time and resources that you have already pointed out. Not to mention what Scott (2015) stated - the content has to be good or don’t bother.
Do you think blogging in this class has helped warm you up to the idea of doing so more regularly or is it still far off for you?
References
Armitage, P. (14, April 2015). Why blogging is more important than ever. Retrieved from http://blog.act-on.com/2015/04/why-blogging-is-more-important-than-ever/
Patel, N. (13, December 2013). Why every business should blog. Retrieved from https://www.quicksprout.com/2013/12/13/why-every-business-should-blog/
Scott, D.M. (2015). The new rules of marketing & PR (5th ed.) Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Hi Jamie,
DeleteWhile I don't think I will continue blogging regularly after this class, I do feel more comfortable with blogging as a whole and I think that will prove to be valuable in the future - whether for personal use or at a future job, etc. I think much of the "mystery" around blogging stems from people or businesses just not knowing how to jump in and get started. Just last night I had a friend tell me she wanted to start a travel blog, but that she didn't know the first place to start (how to build it, how to gain followers, etc.) - I was really happy to be able to share some tips and best practices with her!
That's awesome! Let me know if/when your friend gets her blog up because I'm a total travel junkie. I would love to learn some new tips.
DeleteI feel the same way about blogging. I don't know that I will keep it up but the idea is much less daunting.
Hi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteGreat video! I loved how you incorporated this clip into your blog highlighting key aspects of discussions during this course. In particular, the importance for a company to understand the consumer and communicate with them over appropriate channels.
Forbes published a great article about how mobile devices have become the primary way millennials shop online. Mobile devices are introducing this demographic to new brands, products, services, deals and are influencing in-store purchases (Newman, 2015). “Millennials are incredibly fast in their shopping journey thanks to all of the information they can quickly access and scan. To keep up, companies must understand the needs of this demographic and how to efficiently communicate with them.
References:
Newman, D. (2015, August 4). What Brands Need To Understand About the Millennial Shopping Journey. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2015/08/04/what-brands-need-to-understand-about-the-millennial-shopping-journey/#637700c94c54
Hi Jannelle,
DeleteYou make a great point about understanding the connection between consumers and the type of content they want to consume. Mobile device usage shows no sign of slowing down - in fact, more and more devices are created as time goes on - so businesses have to adapt in order to keep up with the competition and maintain their customer base. Thanks for sharing that article - a really interesting read!
I agree with everyone who has commented so far, great video! It's good to know that he is not only an interesting writer but he is a good speaker as well. And it does make a lot of sense what he is saying.
ReplyDeleteThe blog thing is definitely not for everyone. Though I've had my blog for over a year now, I do not think I have ever been as active on it over the course of 6-8 weeks as I have for this class, using it as a way to respond to questions. My average page views have also gone up since this class started, partially because I know at least a few people reading it have to read it. But I know the other part may be because of what I am writing about. For my own blog, I hope I can mix a bit of the personal writings with my thoughts on things going on in social media. It will likely never be a completely professional blog, but I hope to make it more of a mix.
(And you are all welcome to continue to read it if you'd like!)
Hi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteYou are what you publish certainly resonates with me as well. Scott (2015) discussed several ways to carve out our own “search engine real estate. (p. 400). For start-up companies, there are many rules where they would be wise to heed such as choosing names that will be unique and easy to find on the web through search engines. Established companies have opportunities to choose new product names that will attract customers and do well with SEO. I appreciate how he explained why he uses his middle name Meerman. Many people may think he’s arrogant, but he is only using his full name to be unique among other David Scotts who include an Ironman triathlete, an Apollo 15 commander, and a U.S. Congressman.
Blogging is certainly not for everyone. Not only is it time consuming, there’s a fear that your blog could face criticism from others and possibly weaken your brand or your personally. Even if you’re the best blogger in the world, by posting publically on the Internet, you expose yourself to negativity and even hate. You also could end up on a list like this one of the worst bloggers in the world.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of advice out there on how to write a good blog and how not to write a blog. Bucholz (2011) writes in The 8 Worst Types of Blogs on the Internet that blogs can be misused such as by simply writing a few sentences and nothing more, creating a corporate blog that is nothing more than a company brochure, or presenting a parrot blog where everything is just copied from or links to other people’s content. Blogging is hard. It’s time consuming, and it’s not for everyone.
Scott, D. M. (2015). The new rules of marketing and PR (5th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Bucholz, C. (2011, July 26). The 8 Worst Types of Blog on the Internet. Retrieved March 04, 2016, from http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-8-worst-types-blog-internet/