10 Years Ago: “Yes We Have a Web Site”

Today: “Yes We Have a Facebook Page”

 

Ten years ago there were 350 million Internet users worldwide, today there are 350 million users on Facebook

 

…and there are more than 1.7 Billion Internet users worldwide. Ten years ago my company had already been in the digital business more than 7 years. Back then when I would ask some companies about their online or digital strategy they would remark “oh yes, we have a web site”. Obviously I would launch into a whole volume of reasons why that was not enough. I would talk about why an organization needs to leverage their web site and all other digital assets with online advertising, search marketing and customer relationship marketing. Well that was then and here we are today… sometimes when I ask the digital strategy question I get “Yes we have a Facebook page!” and they are very proud of the fact that they have one. Of course just like ten years ago, many organizations don’t do much with it or beyond that.

 

What if you could attract more than 20,000 “qualified” brand fans to your Facebook in 30 days? What if you could start a dialog with those brand fans of yours and start to listen to what they like and dislike about your brand, your service, your products, your everything? All this is very doable and actually is just the tip of the iceberg to a Facebook strategy as part of your overall digital strategy. Remember Facebook today has as many users as worldwide users on the Internet ten years ago, and the amazing fact is they doubled in one year!

 

As I attend Travelcom this week and talk to many amazing colleagues I am already excited about the innovations and the possibilities. Thanks USTA! If you are here catch my discussion on Thursday when we do a wrap of what we have heard this week and how we would take that information and make it actionable!

 

Till next time

Leah

 

 

In the old days of the web we had to be the jack of all trades… there were no subject matter experts. New technologies emerged, eCommerce was refined, search engine marketing became more complex, online media took on multiple avenues, social marketing bloomed and mCommerce emerged. In a very short time it became clear to us that as an agency and media company we had to start developing highly specialized departments and highly skilled subject matter experts within our agency to research, test, innovate and execute on all these specialties.

 

Without these highly specialized experts an agency or in-house marketing department is “skimming the surface” of their integrated marketing and advertising program. In fact, they don’t even recognize the gaps in a plan because they don’t know what to look for from a specialized vertical perspective.

 

Agencies who are telling their clients that online media is all about display, or that SEOM is only about buying Paid Keywords are doing their clients a huge injustice. They may not know how to strategize or execute on other elements that are important, so they just don’t. If you don’t, hire a digital firm or subject matter experts behind you.

 

The case can be made that unless you have a group of subject matter experts on your team you are missing major opportunities and opening yourself up to lackluster results. In the worst case you are not building a sustainable program because competitors are passing you by.

 

Focus on the highly specialized areas of your plan that will make the difference short term and most importantly long term, and make sure that you have the right people making the right decisions for you as an organization. If you are an agency reading this, and I know many of you follow this blog, take a big step and fill in the gap. You will be executing for the client on all those things you do so well and you will be bringing to the table subject matter experts that can fill in the gaps WITH you.

 

Till next time,

Leah

 

 

 

So the blog stayed up way too long, but I did get many responses from DMOs and hotels letting me know that they indeed were revolutionary in their online approaches. The most interesting comments I received were from DMOs and hotels who believe that they are revolutionary by converting their total advertising and marketing budgets to Interactive, then portioning off some of that budget for offline tactics. I admit that this is a change agent that is not often discussed.

 

When an organization follows the research and data it is an important step in breaking old rules. We know that since 911 marketing and advertising plans have been changed forever… it taught us to operate with a marketing strategy and 90 day plans, plans based on research and data. We had to move quickly to lay the path for successful returns and we learned to stay nimble. Now the consumer in an uncertain mindset about spending it is even more important that we all remember to stay nimble and follow the research.

 

Kudos to those of you who are brave enough to lead with interactive and let the consumer behavior guide your strategy.

 

Till next time,

Leah

 

The Importance of the Internet to Destinatoin Marketing Organizations, Hotels, Airlines and others in the travel industry is proven. Current research strongly underscores the impact and importance of the internet as the dominant marketing and sales channel for travel.  The internet, and now combined with today’s mobile technology, has dramatically changed the speed, timing and scope of consumer and planner expectations, information exchange and marketing strategies. It has changed the travel business strategy more than any other single occurrence in the past 50 years.

 

The speed of life in the digital world is accelerating, and in order to remain competitive, and relevant, destination marketing organizations and travel suppliers must continue to adapt. But is adaptation enough? In the last 90 days, speaking at major conferences from New York to Europe, USDM.net has presented key insights for not just adapting, but for DMOs and their destination stakeholders to take the lead online. We are calling these leading organizations Revolutionary DMOs.

 

To varying degrees, DMOs perceive an increasingly noisy, confusing, and evolving marketplace – one in which their roles are less and less uniquely defined and less willingly acknowledged. USDM.net believes there is an opportunity for DMOs to go far beyond the relevancy issue and take the lead using web assets that a Revolutionary DMO has in their arsenal. The Revolutionary DMO takes the lead by:

1. Controlling and monetizing destination content assets: web sites and micro sites, eNewsletters and other eCRM, mobile and SMS assets, online advertising channels and social marketing and media assets
2. Building Consumer Engagement™ with all audiences and using social media and the “new public relations” strategy; realizing that the old way to engage public relations is dead
3. Realizing that advertising as we have known it is dead; developing a new strategy for leading with digital and integrating offline for a comprehensive program

We have some compelling information that we would like to share with you if you are interested. Others in our audiences have given us some great feedback and we feel a groundswell of excitement about 2010. If you want to know more email me.

 

till next time,

warm holiday wishes for you and your families...

 

Leah

lwoolford@usdm.net

 

 

 

Microhoo! Deal Looks Promising and it will be good for the industry. People may get tired of hearing me say that SEOM is the foundation for Internet marketing and that online advertising has paved the way for many innovators to launch their online companies to profitable ventures. But count the numbers of sites where search advertising alone is responsible for their site growth and eCommerce. Now search giants in the industry are trying to make a play for the next dawning of search advertising… I am talking about the Microsoft Yahoo deal. Not controversial like the Google Yahoo deal that was brewing, and in fact, this deal has the blessing of the industry. All of us in the advertising world are hoping for a healthy, competitive marketplace. Competition is good for business, and especially for the search business. If Microsoft and Yahoo! are successful in blending their technology platforms it will be a good thing. All we are waiting for now is the Justice Department approval. Till next time, Leah

Client RESULTS is always the focus… but Recognition ROCKS! We all work hard to get stellar results on every web site we design and build and every online ad campaign we develop. We measure it all so that boards can appreciate the real power of online marketing done correctly. But it is especially sweet when we get recognized by experts in a national peer review for awards. I’m so happy and proud of our teams - - clients and USDM.net - - for winning four prestigious IACs and two Web Awards. IAC Awards Best Regional Online Campaign for Greater Miami and the Beaches Best Travel Online Campaign for Tourism Toronto Holiday Campaign Best Leisure Online Campaign for Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism Best Events Online Campaign for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau Best Leisure eMail Campaign for Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority Web Awards Best Events Web Site for Greater Miami and the Beaches POW WOW Standard of Excellence for Howard Group Marriott Sandestin® Web site Thank you, Clients, for being the most forward-thinking partners an agency can work with. Some of you have been with us 10 years or more and some have just started to work with us, and we all know we are on winning teams. It’s a partnership and a TEAM WIN! Recognition Rocks! Leah Woolford

Client RESULTS is always the focus… but Recognition ROCKS! We all work hard to get stellar results on every web site we design and build and every online ad campaign we develop. We measure it all so that boards can appreciate the real power of online marketing done correctly. But it is especially sweet when we get recognized by experts in a national peer review for awards. I’m so happy and proud of our teams - - clients and USDM.net - - for winning four prestigious IACs and two Web Awards. IAC Awards • Best Regional Online Campaign for Greater Miami and the Beaches • Best Travel Online Campaign for Tourism Toronto Holiday Campaign • Best Leisure Online Campaign for Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism Best Events Online Campaign for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau • Best Leisure eMail Campaign for Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority Web Awards • Best Events Web Site for Greater Miami and the Beaches POW WOW • Standard of Excellence for Howard Group Marriott Sandestin® Web site Thank you, Clients, for being the best, most forward-thinking partners an agency can work with. Some of you have been with us10 years or more and some have just started to work with us, and we all know we are on winning teams. It’s a partnership and a TEAM WIN! Recognition Rocks! Leah Woolford

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How Long is This Current Economy Going to Last and How Do I Prepare a Strategic Plan for 2010? This is the question we hear most these days. Incoming calls from hotels, resorts, DMOs and many others in the travel industry are planning for next year, but not sure what they should be planning, especially online. While DMOs, airlines, hotels and suppliers in the travel industry are trying to develop a 2010 strategic plan for marketing and advertising the economic uncertainty and the upcoming shoulder season are not making it any easier. Economists forecast that lodging will see a bit of an upturn in the Q3 of this year, but occupancy levels and ADR are expected to remain below last year’s levels, maybe as much as a 16 percent decrease in room revenue per available room. DMOs experience this hit as reduced funding for their destination marketing programs, creating a vicious circle of reduced budgets meaning reduced marketing resulting in reduced business for the destination. So what advice are we giving? 1) Examine all parts of your marketing plan, both offline and online for maximum performance. Is your program truly integrated? We have expertise in both offline and online and that becomes critical when it pays to lead with online marketing but offline tactics must be aligned. 2) Be wary of working with any advertising agency or consulting group who is too small or too inexperienced to do the best job in this crisis economy. If your agency is outsourcing to freelancers, or to other companies who are fulfilling separate parts of the contract behind the scenes, you are paying too much and getting too little. 3) Listen to your team. Those people in your organization who are on the front lines know what it’s like out there…. If you are trying to sell meetings pay attention to front line business developers in your organization. Hear their problems and then ask the marketing experts to solve them for you. 4) Don’t cut marketing and advertising budget. We see vast opportunities to steal market share while your competition is afraid to spend and we have hundreds of examples of our clients spending wisely with the right strategy for great return on investment. They outperformed their competition who held back or had no real strategy. We have fine tuned the art of using online/offline advertising to put heads in beds in this economy… realizing a return measured by hotel clients of a 15 to one in terms of profit realized. Yes, it’s a tough time, but things are getting better. This economy has had some positive effects. It has made everyone work smarter. Till next time, Leah

Think about these statistics... 98% of all mobile messages are read today. 15% to 30% of mobile ad messages convert into a response.

If you are a travel marketer and not already developing and launching mobile campaigns you are way behind the curve. Mobile marketing is a cost effective way to capture and convert consumers when used in a multi-channel advertising approach. We use them very effectively for both DMOs and hospitality clients, and now we are ramping up to include them in alignment with eMail marketing. We believe that this two pronged approach to travel advertising will be the next killer ad app in the industry.

But there are some warnings before you jump in head first. The carriers have strict rules of engagement in this space and there are many many companies not playing by the rules. It takes resources and especially capital to get in the game. Many companies today are using "shared short codes" and shared services to deliver ad hoc mobile campaigns because they cannot carry the costs on their own. Dangerous way to play if you are the client, and especially if you are risk adverse.

If you want to know more, and learn how to move into mobile marketing the right way, let me know and I will send you our newest mobile reports.

Till next time,
Leah Woolford
CEO, USDM.net
USDM.net

 

The online marketing landscape has shifted due to economic factors, but also due to consumer behavior. Disruptive technologies and compelling online marketing lures them away and focuses their attention on trying something new. In this economic downturn online marketers must attract prospects with highly targeted and relevant messaging and quickly and succinctly provide compelling reasons to explore the brand further.

So how do you win this war in this shifting market environment? I believe that you must continue to develop the Big Ideas, the Big Concepts and the Big Results online to stay in front of the shift. I offer these guidelines for 2009:

1) Present a compelling and entertaining online brand message and give the buyer control over choices

2) Make the online buyer’s research and buying experience personal and FUN

3) Include mobile marketing and emerging technologies into strategic plans and assure that due diligence is given to the technology and platforms chosen

4) Target online advertising to audiences with pinpoint accuracy to assure conversion to real business; track everything for return on investment

5) Engage a strategy for Social Networking in the web site, the marketing and the media programs as well as track and monitor online reputation and public relations

6) Move faster and smarter and take the lead. Competitors will be out in front and slow movers will quickly be old news.

7) Focus only on what measures real business and engage those tactics. Allocate budget accordingly.

Online marketing will grow to a $60 Billion industry in the next 5 years. Today’s environment offers unlimited opportunities to take a lead…. Don’t miss it.

 

Till Next Time,

Leah Woolford

Founder and CEO, USDM.net

lwoolford@usdm.net

I was traveling last week and recieved a really shocking email campaign from a resort hotel client. The email took me by surprise, but as I always read client emails or txt messages before any others, I started to read the email which began with: "Our spring online advertising promotion has performed fantastically well, and has returned a revenue to us of 15x our advertising spend!".  Of course the reason that I was shocked is that our goal is to deliver a 3x ROI minimum for our hospitality clients and this one really surprised me. Actually what we have been doing that is quite successful is using a proprietary formula that we devised for online campaign effectiveness.  Notice I did not say "efficiency" since that takes on a whole new meaning from the standpoint of the agency... we want the campaign to be effective no matter how much hard work goes into it.  Our previous campaign for this client returned a 8 to 1 ROI, so this campaign really shocked me... I was hoping for the 8x return : )

Good news is that the economy has caused companies to shift advertising dollars online and they are realizing the effect of the shift. The caution is that not everything works well online and today, more than ever before, it takes deep experience and constant optimization to maximum an online campaign in this economy... especially when you are measuring effectiveness against actual revenue booked from the campaign, as we do.

One more interesting thing... the recent consumer brands caught up in online social faux pas in the past couple of weeks has been interesting to watch. From a marketer's perspective these companies should not only be monitoring the blogosphere and social messaging, but they should contribute as well. Waiting till the last minute to comment can spell real trouble.  This is some interesting reading... http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-twitter20-2009apr20,0,2701874.story

till next time

Leah

 

An eMarketer survey today shows that online advertising is still growing steadily to spite the recession and the downturn in spending for traditional offline advertising. Actually the recession is probably the very reason that advertisers are spending more on digital advertising and less on offline advertising media.

We experienced phenomenal growth as a company right after 911.  Our clients had placed millions of dollars in traditional offline media that they tried to stop running because of messaging and timing. We put plans for online media together in a matter of three weeks and started running messages that we could test on the fly and modify as needed. True optimization was used to fine tune messaging appropriate to consumer response in a time of crisis management. We believe the same thing is occurring today… companies realizing how spot on the online advertising is with reaching customers by finely optimizing messages to gain better and better response. Online is being referred to as the “measurable media”.

eMarketer states: “The Internet’s share of total media ad spending is rising by at least 1 percentage point every year. Simply put: Marketers are spending more on Internet ads, while spending less on advertising in other media, such as newspapers, radio and magazines.”

 “The spending shifts predate the recession,” says David Hallerman, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, US Advertising Spending: The New Reality. “But the current economy is reinforcing the new advertising models—and making them more permanent.”

“Digital marketing offers compelling benefits, especially for cash-conscious companies,” he says. “Marketers can more readily measure the results of Internet advertising than with most traditional media. This produces more-efficient advertising and higher ROI, which in turn pushes traditional media to compete with lower pricing.”

I also believe that this puts additional pressure on the offline media world to measure differently and to better measure true ROI. For example, how do you measure true response to a magazine ad versus a Google Keyword Ad? You can very specifically measure the Google Keyword Ad for impressions, click thru (response) and even conversion (eCommerce booking). And we all know that online is held to a much higher scrutiny for measurement simply because you CAN measure it.

The way that companies spend ad dollars is changing as consumers change their planning and buying habits. It’s all about getting in front of the consumers in the midst of their buying process. As we have proven during this economic climate, our clients are doing well because we target specific audiences and we deploy online advertising that grabs their attention.

Online is growing and forcing offline to become more accountable for results. We will never go backward toward more offline media because the consumer has led us in this direction. Marketers will follow the consumer.

Till Next Time….

Leah

 

Last week I was in beautiful Florida talking to clients and holding strategic planning meetings. I was happy to learn that we are hitting the numbers with our hotel clients in booking for spring travel. In fact, we have increased our booking results over the same months last year. So how do we move the needle in this economy? Strategy of offers, promotional tactics that reach specific target audiences and a well-honed message and creative piece that hits home with consumers in the midst of their shopping and planning for spring travel. Last year's marketing plan is no good anymore. You have to be bold and flexable. You have to have a plan that is more a series of monthly promotions tested, launched, optimized, fine-tuned and measured based on what moves the needle in bookings or visitors. Most hotel clients would like a 3 to 1 return on their advertising this year. We are realizing an 8 to 1 return online... and that is where the budget should go... where it is the most effective and where you can measure the actual return on investment.

This week I am in Pigeon Forge Tennessee. I am looking foreward to great meetings and Totally Tourism, which is Pigeon Forge's annual meeting for all tourism businesses here. Some companies I talk to are doing pretty well... others not so well. And so it is all over the country, and the world, really. As travel marketers try to find the right "magic" to attract business it is becoming very evident that research, test, launch, optimize and measure, relaunch, is the word of the day....

I will predict that many companies will do well during this uncertain economy to spite predictons or surveys. There is less share in the marketplace, but smart marketers don't fear that. We know that we can get our share and that we will take brand share from others to meet our goals. It is a challenging first quarter but man it feels great to have our clients be the winners!

Till next time...

Leah

P.S. thanks for all the emails. I enjoy the sharing of those ideas.

In a February 23rd article in USA Today it was reported that some families will cut back on or cut out some of their summer vacations. Prediction is that overall spending will be down 10% this summer. This is obviously bad news when you consider that hotels are already feeling the sting of lowered occupancy, ADR and RevPAR.  Consultants D.K. Shifflet & Associates and IHS Global Insight report that Americans may spend 9.7% less on leisure travel in April, May and June, and 9% less in July, August and September than in 2008.  So this was the bad news of my day...

After anxiously awaiting the weekly pace reports on our clients, studying the booking pace overlayed with online marketing and advertising campaigns I realized that we were hitting the mark and we were affecting bookings. In fact, the good news is that according to STR report we are actually increasing occupancy, ADR and RevPAR, and most importantly we are beating our competitive sets in all of our destinations.  For the month of January that is not bad.  February is strong and March looks really good.  So why am I surprised?  I am not really.  Although there is a 10% drop in travel, that still leaves 90% of the pie in tact. I also beleive that this is one of the best opportunities we could ever have to take brand share away from competitors. In our destination clients we are doing just that.

So the bad news is that 2009 will be harder to make the numbers than 2008, but then 2008 was a banner year.  The good news... it can be done.

till next time

Leah

BTW, please give me some time to answer your emails.... I am swamped and know that I am behind a bit. I do like hearing from you all. : )

As we have always preached to our clients and in our numerous speaking engagements around the world, Search Marketing (SEOM) is a critical component of your online marketing. Today it has become the foundation of tourism online marketing. Case in point is that around 80% of consumers use search engines to find a web site. With that said, consider that Google is now testing a new wiki that customizes search for consumers so that they can delete key word ads or rearrange organic listings according to their preference. Google debuted SearchWiki, which enables users to actually move search results either up or down... a great feature for consumers, but marketers who have not been focused on search must pay attention.

Google searchwiki might be used to audit a users modifications or reordering of search results, resulting in a community sharing of this informatin with other users of the same interest. Already Twitter users share news about new apps, new links to view, etc. It makes sense that consumers with like interests would want to share.

As I talk to hundreds of travel and tourism marketing executives I stress the importance of the SEOM tactics and the ongoing Strategy for their Search program. Search is very likely the best way to generate qualified web traffic to your site and your eCommerce during this uncertain economy. Organic and paid; a balance of both. If you are tracking which key words (organic or paid) are actually responsable for booking conversions you know if your budget spend is on target. Or you need to continue to fine tune your approach to gain better and better results with conversions. 

This new accouncement/wiki from Google will be interesting to watch. They get it right.

till next time...

Leah

What are consumers going to do about their summer travel plans? The answer to that is varied, depending on what destination you are, what lodging company you are who your target market is. 

The high income traveler, or luxury traveler, will probably not do anything differently this year.

Our research shows us that many mid income consumers are going to travel but they are booking closer to their trip date and they are making careful decisions about the value of that vacation. Value this summer will mean choosing a value vacation where they still have fun, lots to do and is closer to home than last year. They will also probably shorten their trip by a night to make up the difference in gas prices.

What does this mean for travel marketers?  Look for ways to offer bonus value. Add something to the package when they book with you, focus on the bang for the buck they get when they stay in your destination. Be prepared to offer limited time specials. Don't discount across the board because that sends the message that the accommodations can be priced at those levels next year also.  Test your specials and track the data on what works and what doesn't.

We hear from our clients that their web bookings have increased over last year... some as much as 42% year to date. This increase is a result of aggressive planning and strategy and rolling out online promotions early, fine tuning them with actionable data and delivering the right product offering to the right audience.

Let me know how you are stimulating your summer program?

I always like to hear from you.

Leah

 

As I am speaking to Tourism organizations yesterday and today in Florida I am talking about budget allocation and where the Interactive budgets are allocated. Take a look at these predictions by Forrester Research:

• Interactive marketing spending in the US expected to triple over the next 5 years, reaching $61 billion by 2012
• Search marketing will triple in 5 years, reaching $25 billion by 2012
• online video ads will increase by 72% to reach $7.1 billion by 2012
• Spending on social media will grow to $6.9 billion

(Forrester Research, US Interactive Marketing Forecast 2007 to 2012)

With this kind of spend and the fact that there are only so many proven ways to really get ROI on the spend, it becomes critical that any organization really fine tune and continually test their online strategy and tactics for return on investment. I always have said, "you can't manage what you don't measure".

Till next time....

Leah Woolford CEO, USDM.net

Organic Search Marketing and the Microsoft Yahoo! Discussion

DID YOU KNOW:

36 million women actively blog every week (publish, read or comment) 

43% of Women stated in a recent survey that they would give up reading newspapers and magazines to continue blogg reading or blog psoting

Regarding the shift from traditional media to online; 22% of women surveyed say we watch less television and read fewer magazines and newspapers because we're blogging because we're blogging

The statistics are compelling for blogging and the need for marketers to embrace it as a part of the UGC of their program. But more and more women are reporting that blogging is a big deal in their lives and their decision-making process about what and when to buy.  More than half of women online consider blogs to be one of their reliable sources for advice and information and say that blogs influence their purchasing decisions, especially about travel. 

We have been developing Web 2.0, digital convergence elements and Social Networking into virtual communities for clients for a couple of years now. While it might have been trend-setting to do it back then, today it is a necessity for marketing travel and many other products and services. It is especially important for those that depend on women as the primary decision maker about purchases.

Developing these elements into your web site and Internet marketing program can be a complex undertaking. There are many decisions to be made and many options to consider.  This is an exciting time in online marketing and blogs, social networking and deploying these empowering technologies for women buyers is exciting also.  Don't ignore the research. Move your program toward a more Web 2.0 offering. Your web visitors who are women will especially appreciate it.

Till next time....

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan.

Leah Woolford

CEO, www.usdm.net

 

 

… Don’t Get Left Behind Online

The online marketing landscape is rapidly shifting to consumers who are less loyal to big name brands. Disruptive technologies (like comparison quote or booking engines, itinerary and packaging tools) and compelling online marketing with easy and entertaining messages are luring them away and focusing their attention on trying something new. The new shift is to what consumers want: CONTROL.

As we have stated in articles on Web 2.0 and Social Networking trends, consumers and online buyers are becoming increasingly accustomed to freely choosing from many different channels of information before they buy. They choose what is relevant to them. They decide what content is credible. They “pick and choose” tidbits of information that will shape and influence their buying decisions.

Online travel marketing is and will continue to be greatly affected by this shift. Online buyers want a fast-paced, easy to navigate web experience filled with consumer generated content, third-party opinions and relevant facts. Buyers will react to online marketing that uses this approach.  If marketers deliver their messages with relevant content and compelling quick-action experiences, their conversion results will be higher.

As traditional agencies continue to scramble to understand the new media environment, it is shifting yet again. This current shift is yet another wake-up call to traditional agencies that are trying to develop online marketing and media using “old school” strategy. Online web development firms are being left in the dust if they don’t understand this new consumer mindset and the consumer experience both on the web site and in the marketing and media interaction.

Online marketers must continue to develop the Big Ideas, the Big Concepts and the Big Results online to stay in front of the shift and to help shape the next big wave of change.

As digital thought leaders in the industry, we offer the following recommendations to ride the shift that is taking place.

Online Marketing Best Practices for 2008

1) Give the online buyer control and transparency

2) Make their experience quick, easy and FUN

3) Make their experience personal and relevant

4) Target your marketing and media messages with pinpoint accuracy

5) Embrace Web 2.0 and Social Networking in your web site, your marketing and your media programs, and approach all media as one aligned program

6) Move faster and smarter and take the lead. Don’t wait to test something to death. Your competitors will be out in front and you will quickly be old news.

7) Be Quick, Be Bright and Be Gone.  Get to the point with your web content, marketing and media messaging. Forgo long copy and flowery descriptions.

8) Simplify technology to keep it relevant. Bells and whistles are old school.

9) Teach online buyers about your brand. Don’t assume they already know.

Summary

Online marketing will grow to a $60 Billion industry in the next 5 years. Are you tracking with increased goals and results? Do you have the staff, the consultants, and the strategies to not just “keep up” but run ahead of the pack of competitors? 

Knowing how to maneuver through this current shift is important. The newest online landscape may well be littered with the bodies of “old schoolers” as many companies and organizations will never catch up.  The good news is the Internet and digital marketing are still powerful tools that are nimble and able to fine tune and rapidly adjust to changing consumer behavior and market conditions. Combined in equal parts with traditional media and PR, online marketing adds a powerful energy that can lead the next wave of change.

copyright 2008 Leah Woolford. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

What new opportunities with 2008 hold for Internet marketers? My predictions are as follows:

 

1. Web 2.0 users will push back as advertisers try to turn their personal and social commentary into bait to lure online buyers. If your organization is keen on making the most of social networking and community you MUST obey the rules or risk getting called out and vilified online.

 

2. Subscriptions will replace display advertising in some sites… Subscriptions could take the place of advertising where users are charged a periodic -- daily, monthly or annual -- fee to subscribe to a service. Sites might combine free content with "premium" (i.e., subscriber- or member-only) content. Content is still king.

 

3. Collaboration is cutting edge… Companies are developing online products “on the fly”. Dell’s Brainstorm http://www.ideastorm.com/  is a very creative way to let consumers develop your next product line for you. Way to go, Michael. Imagine how cool it would be to have consumers help you brainstorm about new ideas for a great winter festival in your destination, or a great new reason to visit!

 

4. Life Imitates Art… www.secondlife.com, www.vmtv.com and more… if you think this is not a place to explore branding, just talk to some of the highly educated professionals that hang out in these sites. Besides the virtual worlds for entertainment there are other companies developing 3D meeting rooms where avatars take the place of the humans to interact in business or training.

 

5. Finally Internet TV… way back in the day (1990s) when I consulted with some of the largest Telecoms in the country we all talked about the “set top box”… the way that Internet and TV would finally become one. Back then it was a dream of convergence but in 2008 I predict it will finally be a reality. We all used to say that someday people won’t even have to know how to use a computer to get online : )

 

I would love to hear your comments …

See ya next time…

 

Leah

lwoolford@usdm.net

www.usdm.net

 

I love the fact that the Internet is finally "getting to sit at the grown-ups table" in the marketing and media world.

• More and more companies are moving a substantial part of their traditional print and broadcast budget to online marketing and media
  
• Many companies are starting to hold their traditional marketing and media to the same measurement standards as online (online had to track and measure to convince the traditional marketers that the Internet was a viable and powerful marketing medium)
  
• Many organizations now realize that they must have an Internet strategy and plan in order to really leverage the medium to it's fullest extent and not damage their brand "to the world" by doing it wrong
  

I love that USDM.net is asked to speak at major national and international conferences and publish books and articles and that we are recognized as leaders in the Interactive world...that's right, the Interactive world.

What's the difference between Internet and Interactive? A world of difference, really. When we say Interactive we mean the entire Interactive program -- from the strategy to the technology, the web site and beyond to handheld devices, etc. Interactive also encompasses the tactics to market online and the online media; the affinity partners and the online public relations; eCommerce and CRM; tracking, measuring and reporting ROI, plus a lot more.

I am delighted to see an interview with me in the press, yet so miffed when we are called "web developers." Web development is but one small -- very small -- part of the whole interactive program.

At USDM.net, we look at the whole picture, as you should too. The entire Interactive program should be embodied in the strategy. It's a big Interactive world and it is getting bigger.

Leah

Posted at 01:45 PM

Every year we see more tourism, destination and hospitality clients shifting budget dollars toward their interactive programs. We have some clients that spend as little as 5 percent of their total marketing budgets for online initiatives -- and others spend as much as 40 percent.

But in all cases, when clients see results and realize they can measure ROI, they always allocate more to their interactive budgets the next year. The significant shift I see from traditional to online marketing comes when a travel organization really tracks and measures results and compares the two mediums.

For some actual figures on these shifting budgets, travel marketing professionals should check out a recent joint study by NYU and PhoCusWright, "Online Marketing Strategies in the Travel Industry: A Survey of Travel Marketers."¹ The survey respondents were made up of destinations, hotels, tour operators and other travel industry organizations. Hospitality made up 45 percent of the respondents, while destinations accounted for 20 percent.

The report underscores what we have known at USDM.net for years -- a strong Internet marketing strategy delivers results every time. One of the strongly recommended tactics we use, permission-based marketing, has helped USDM.net build a double opt-in traveler database of 120 million Internet users. This is just one of our primary assets in marketing for our clients; we use a total of about 65 different best practices programs wrapped around strategy.

Some key points from the report:

1. The number of marketers who plan on spending 20 percent or more of their marketing budget online this year has doubled.

2. In comparison to 2004, 74 percent of respondents are spending more on Web site design and functionality; 73 percent are increasing spending on e-mail marketing; and 64 percent are spending more on search engine optimization (SEO).

3. Over two-thirds indicated that SEO and e-mail marketing are the most effective online marketing media, and one out of two marketers specified Web site design and functionality as the most successful initiative.

4. When asked to choose the top three trends that will have the most significant impact on future online marketing strategies, respondents overwhelmingly chose the same three: Permission-based e-mail marketing, metasearch, and viral marketing. Powerful Internet marketing strategy when used correctly was chosen as the number one trend.
   

Travel consumers are bombarded with Internet marketing, usually following their first click of the day. Travel suppliers have become savvy as to what online marketing initiatives actually lead to a purchase. The results from PhoCusWright and NYU show there is a significant shift in marketing expenditures under way -- from traditional marketing channels to online strategies and tactics.

The study also confirms that online marketing trends are moving away from banner ads and pop-ups and toward more sophisticated, effective, and measurable methods -- such as Web site design, functionality, search engine optimization and e-mail marketing. The results indicate that the challenge for travel suppliers' online marketing programs is to get in front of the right customer, at the right time, to acquire new customers -- even more than retaining existing ones.

I'm convinced that permission-based e-mail marketing remains the method that will have the most significant impact on future online marketing strategies. And search engines, e-mail marketing, and effective affiliate programs will remain key methods for gaining new customers and extending the reach of any brand online.

I would like to hear your comments on the shift of budget from traditional to online.

Leah

¹ Online Marketing Strategies in the Travel Industry: A Survey of Travel Marketers by New York University And PhoCusWright Inc. Joint Research - 2005

Posted at 11:31 AM

If I look back at my first online experiences in 1993 I will admit that I was excited for all the wrong reasons. In those days it was hard to do anything online and if you weren't a geek you couldn't. Fortunately for me, I knew a lot of geeks, and they were all very interested in showing me how they ran around the Internet. I was a marketing/advertising/communications professional, but not technical. It was hard to navigate using CompuServe and Delphi and the others, but I could see the tremendous potential of using it as a marketing tool, and here is the real joke: I figured NOBODY else would be able to use the Internet to market because it was so hard to use! Little did I imagine what was going to develop.

In late 1993 Mosaic launched the first browser to really make it possible to "surf the net." It suddenly became much easier, but it was still unusual for people to know what you meant when you talked about the Internet. More and more of my clients were willing to be guinea pigs and let me allocate part of their advertising and marketing budget to reach whoever was out there online. It worked though. Major hotel and destination clients were able to get reservation requests by email. They were amazed and wanted to understand it. There was no such thing as booking engines and credit card security was a big issue. But it worked. I began to realize that the real magic was the marketing. Listservs Newsgroups, Databases, the Web... magic marketing tools.

That magic is still in the Internet today... Blogs, podcasting, video streaming, live feeds, RSS feeds, communities, and of course the whole web interface. What is the appeal? It is marketing magic and that is what drives real business in the real world. It is the magic of sending 3 million visitors to a web site for a destination and being able to track the return on investment in surveys about when they came, what they spent and if they will be back. It is the magic of experiences on the web, or what we call eMotionality to drive destination traffic and visitors. It is magic and it is morphing itself into bigger and better marketing tools and opportunities. Hope you will join me and post to my blog. I have a lot of friends and colleagues across the world and this will be one of the places we share our passion for Internet marketing. Join us.

My first web site: