Integration is the key

How do I get the most bang for my advertising dollars?
The answer is no longer as simple as it used to be.
In years past placing an ad in the newspaper or the phone book would be all a business needed to do to ensure that its phone would ring. No longer is that the case.
As consumers have migrated to other vehicles to find the products and services that they want, so to have the savvy marketers. That, however, doesn't mean that marketers should completely abandon products like newspapers. It just means that they should use more of them and that all the efforts should work together.
There are more options and more strategy involved in marketing nowadays. The challenge is to optimize your efforts and your dollars.
Just because somebody tells you they have a new digital marketing idea, doesn't mean that it is necessarily the best thing for your business. You need to ask questions.
How does it fit with your existing and future marketing campaigns?
Can a new marketing platform help an existing one?
Can an existing platform be modified to help a new one?
For example, if you have the bulk of your advertising dollars in newspaper advertising and are considering some digital options, then you have to make sure the print is helping your online and vice versa.
It's more important than ever to make sure any new marketing efforts build on each other. This is how the sum of your dollars will add up to more than just the literal numbers.
The more marketing strategies you take advantage of - the more you need to make sure they are integrated.
That's how we will get the most bang from our advertising dollars.

Marty Valania has been involved in digital marketing for over 10 years. For questions, ideas or suggestions, please email martyvalania@gmail.com.

Multiple digital offerings a must

You don't need to read a highly priced White Paper to figure out that digital advertising is growing rapidly.
We had the opportunity to talk to multiple businesses this week and many of them are spending much, if not most, of their advertising dollars online.
One general manager of a high end car dealership told us that he hadn't ran any print ads in over 80 days and he has not seen a drop off in his sales. He went on to say that he will only do digital advertising as he moves forward.
I happen to believe there is still a significant place for print advertising - but the point here is that if you're involved in giving marketing advice to businesses, you better have solid and multiple digital offerings.
Years ago it was often difficult to talk to businesses about digital marketing. Many didn't want anything to do with digital and only wanted print.
Now, the pendulum is swinging. There are businesses, like the car dealer example I mentioned, that don't want to hear anything about print. They only want to talk about digital.
If you want to continue to be relevant in today's marketing, you need to be able to provide effective digital platforms.
In addition, you need to be able to tailor those offerings to the business. Just jamming some digital offering down the throat of a client to prove that you have one is not the answer. As has always been done in print, there needs to be different options and flexibility on the digital side to help the business best reach its marketing needs.

Marty Valania has been involved in digital marketing for over 10 years and holds an MBA. To send questions, ideas or suggestions, please email martyvalania@gmail.com.

The importance of SEO

How important is SEO?
Just check out this well researched article in the New York Times and you begin to understand what companies will go through to make sure there search rankings are near the top.
The article details what is referred to as "Black Hat SEO." It's not illegal from a law perspective. It is, however, illegal from a Google perspective.
The object of this writing isn't to talk about the rights and wrongs of SEO and what Google considers as right and wrong. This, as well as the example in the Times, just stresses the importance of SEO to your business.
SEO isn't just for big businesses like J.C. Penney. SEO is important for small businesses in any community.
If your pipes burst at you house and you need plumber - how are you going to look for one?
Sure, if you know somebody that is a plumber - you call him. However, most people are going to do a Google search to find a plumber and, with water flowing everywhere, are going to call the first local business that comes up.
If you're a business owner and you're looking to gain new customers, search and SEO are major ways to accomplish that.
Sure, many businesses count on word of mouth and repeat business. But how do they attract customers that don't know the name of their business? How do they attract customers that don't know they have a certain product?
SEO is the way to do that.
And you don't have to pay a fortune to do it. There are organizations out there that can help with you the fundamentals of SEO for a reasonable price. In fact, you may be surprised by who can help with your SEO. Your local newspaper is a familiar advertising source and many, now, can help you with SEO.
If you're not doing anything to help your SEO, it's time to get started.

Here is an example of product that could help your business with SEO. For information on this or any other digital marketing products, call 610-642-4300.

Marty Valania has been involved with digital marketing for over 10 years and also has an MBA. For questions, comments or suggestions, please send an email to martyvalania@gmail.com.

Market on sites with quality content

What’s the key to Digital Marketing?

Well, there really is no one key, as there is no “one size fits all” strategy that works for everybody. One thing that is constant though, is making sure your message gets seen.

That was never more evident than in the past week when AOL purchased the The Huffington Post.

Why did AOL make the purchase? They are looking for content that is valuable to people. Whether you agree with the political slant of The Huffington Post or not, there is no disagreeing with the fact that it has readership and traffic on its website.

AOL  has made the bulk of its money over the years on its dial up service. Obviously, the proliferation of broadband capabilities, this segment of its business is shrinking. AOL has now turned its attention to gaining ad revenue. But to do that, they have to give people a reason to use its platforms. Quality content is the route it’s looking to take.

There is a lesson there for all of us.

If you’re trying to get your marketing message in front of the most people, it has to be placed on sites that have traffic. To get traffic, those sites must have a reason for people to go there. That reason is content.

Sites that have quality content have steady and improving traffic. News sites – although not the only segment by any means – are a leader in this.

Whether it be the New York Times, USA Today or your community newspaper site. Sites that have content that is important to people are a good place to get your message across.

Marty Valania has more than 10 years experience in online marketing and publishing and can be reached at martyvalania@gmail.com. Please email any questions or suggestions.

Super Bowl Sunday a Digital Marketing Bonanza

Click Here to Order!
Today is Super Bowl Sunday and if you need food for your party, it's not hard to find a place that can help you.
Perusing many websites this morning, there are all kinds of restaurants, bars, pizza places and more advertising their food, drinks and specials available for today.
Some sites, such as www.mainlinemedianews.com, have one advertiser dominating the site. Some others have the floating post-it note on the home page with a restaurant advertising its special.
Super Bowl Sunday, and other holidays or special days, provide unique opportunities for digital marketers. Obviously, businesses in and around Green Bay and Pittsburgh stand to gain the most from weekends like this. But the Super Bowl is such a national event these days that there is hardly a place in the country that isn't touched economically by the hoopla.
One thing that can be learned from all this excitement is that both businesses and media outlets alike can take advantage of local events that galvanize the community. These could be professional teams, college teams or even high school teams. It's not confined to just sports either - events could include fairs, concerts, parades or festivals. Whatever is big your community provides an opportunity to be advertised online.
Social media has helped marketers on days like this as well. People can be out and get information on specials or great deals right on their phones.
So while the Super Bowl may be just day that you want to sit back and enjoy your party, remember that there are a number of other days during the year when a big marketing event will be in your community. Take a look around and see what major marketers are doing and see if you can apply them to your business when the opportunity arises.

Marty Valania has an MBA and has been involved in digital marketing for over 10 years. Send an email to martyvalania@gmail.com to discuss or suggest any digital marketing topic.