The Dollars and Sense of Online Marketing and Communications – How to Back Winners in 2011

By threesides | Published: April 29, 2011

Australian Institute of ManagementEvery month Threesides presents on different issues around online marketing and social media to different groups around town.  Here’s some info on an upcoming event being held at the Australian Instititue of Management in Canberra – It’s a Hot Topic Presentation.  Open to members and non-members alike – should be a good chance to network and ask questions of other businesses.

Some more info below and you  can register to attend on their website:

The Dollars and Sense of Online Marketing and Communications – How to Back Winners in 2011

Websites, Social Media, Search Engine Marketing, Online Direct marketing — there is no end of online activities competing for your time and money in 2011. But what’s worth it, what’s not and what’s missing from your plan that you should in fact be budgeting for?

Current trends indicate that consumers are increasingly directed to the web by the organisations with which they interact. This is not only for information, but for a number of transactions, be it buying your groceries and white goods or even updating your details with government departments. In an age where most transactions occur online, how can you utilise these tools to increase business awareness and exposure in your targeted demographic areas?

This AIM Hot Topic will challenge attendees to look at their budget from a different perspective and start involving other areas of the company in the conversation. This session will cover:

* The big 5 — activities every online marketing plan needs

* Which online activities are most often missed in the budgeting process

* In-house or Outsource — how to tell when it’s time to get help

* Good ideas — but who’s going to do it all – the value of people in your plan and what is their time worth?

Get the full information on the Australian Institute of Managment website.

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Todd’s tips for email marketing goodness in Nett Magazine

By fleur@threesides | Published: April 13, 2011

This month’s issue of Nett magazine features the cover story ’20 Steps to Better Email Marketing’, and we think it’s an extra special issue ’cause it features (drum roll please) our very own Todd Wright.

Todd has plenty of tips on how to get the most out of your email marketing efforts, including database development, templates, spam issues and the best time to send.  Check out the edition via Scribd below.

Threesides Email Tips – NettMagazine March2011

Looking for help with your email marketing?  We use our own hosted email solution ‘Threemail”.  For more information contact us and we can give you a demo of the system and show you how 23 other Threesides clients are currently using it in their businesses.

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Does the thought of Adwords scare you?

By Todd@threesides | Published: April 6, 2011

Being 3 months in with Threesides now, I have the unique opportunity of seeing things with new and fresh eyes.  I’ve noticed a couple of questions which have popped up a few times from our clients “what are the benefits of Google Adwords (and) How can I make use  of it and why should I use it at all?”

The biggest advantages of Google adwords is its cost effectiveness, reach and measurability.   It’s cost effective by offering a cost per click option, meaning you’ll only pay if someone clicks on your ad.  The reach into your online audience is huge and it is one of the most accountable and measurable forms of marketing online (if you believe the stats).

Although too often it’s used to get visitors to sites with no goal behind what the visitors should do when they get there.  Ultimately you want to convert your visitors into customers.  This is where the full potential lies with Google adwords.

Before signing up to Google adwords, complete the following checklist;

  1. What’s your conversion goal?
  2. Understand your sales breakdown
  3. Target your audience
  4. Consider your Keywords
  5. Write effective Google ads

What’s your conversion goal?

A conversion is a desired action you want your visitors to do.  Do you want your visitors to purchase through an online shop, make a booking, sign up through a form, or call a representative?  There needs to be a goal on your site to identify its success.

Sales breakdown

At this point, targets need to be set for Google Adwords to work towards.  A couple of key questions to ask:

1.       How much does it cost your business to attract one customer?

2.       What would your forecast of sales be in the month ahead?

3.       Apply the sales targets against the marketing spend of each channel? For example if you spend $2,000 on brochures and your cost per customer is $20.  Brochures should bring in 100 signups.

Target your audience

Now it’s time to indicate who will see your ads.

1.       Location – Do you have a local business that serves only a small geographical area in your town? No problem. With these selections, you can select either a country, city, or a custom location that is within a specified distance from a location you choose

2.       Languages – This is fairly self-explanatory.  If your targeting English speaking audience use English.  If you ever need to target other languages you need to that language in the ad text.

Keywords

Now you need to develop a robust keyword list to target.  What are the likely terms your target audience would be searching? Could your website satify their query with relevant content?

There are a few steps to approach keyword research:

1.       Brainstorm – Use colleagues, friends and family to determine what keywords customers would search;

2.       Use the Google Keyword Tool – Google provides a tool to expand keyword lists.  It lists alternatives, competition levels, monthly search volumes;

3.       Use the Google Wonder Wheel – The wheel is a tool allows you to see relevant search results to your query.

Write an effective Google ad

To ensure people will click on your ad you need to make it worth their while.  Google does not make it easy to write an effective ad.  The ad copy space is minimal, there’s 35 characters for the headline, 710 characters for body copy and the displayed website link 35 characters.

There’s a few steps to writing a good ad;

1.       Use keywords in your ad

2.       Promote an offer

3.       Have a clear call to action

4.       Link to relevant pages on your website

We always follow these steps when planning a campaign in Google adwords.  It’s the best way to use the system to its fullest potential and achieve your business goals.

…and if this list seems a bit daunting, see professional help – as the saying goes “If pain persists, see your doctor (or Threesides)”.

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So you’ve been bitten by the social media bug hey?

By Todd@threesides | Published: April 2, 2011

Social media is ubiquitous these days.  From people in the street talking about their facebook profile or their number of twitter followers or how they received news first that Charlie Sheen has officially lost the plot, despite him ‘winning’ everything in life.

Despite the entertainment factor, social media is a powerful tool for business and I’m not talking big businesses.  In a recent survey conducted by Millward Brown in conjunction with World Federation of Advertisers (see the SlideShare presentation at the bottom of this post), found that smaller social media sites (owned by SMEs) achieve higher fan ratings in comparison to larger social media sites.

The report showed that the five basic expectations from fans are (1) regular posts, (2) trustworthy brand news, (3) new product information, (4) contests and (5) special offers.

Here’s our take on it from the perspective of some of our clients and social media sites we use in the office.

1. Regular posts

When you’ve built a fan base on facebook or a twitter following, those people expect to be engaged with, they expect to engage with fellow fans and at times expect to have their views & comments challenged.  Whether it’s hourly, daily or weekly is dependent upon the receptiveness of your community.  This requires testing and monitoring until you find the right balance.

The content that you use should be engaging and relevant to your fan base.  It doesn’t mean it should be 100% of your own product information.  Add comments which will get responses, open-ended questions to initiate conversation is a good place to start.

2. Trustworthy brand news

Authentic brand news gives your page a sense of credibility and worth.  It gives your fans the ability to consume up-to-date relevant content.  Outside of your own business news, insert links to articles, links to credible news & information sites, links to video channels and photo sites, podcasts and webinars, ensuring you are crediting sources.

Build your page by liking businesses within your sector, and Government pages, and other SMB pages to give fans an added value.  The Visit Young facebook page has liked several different business and organisations.  The Visit Young page will then cross promote news between each of the pages.  As a user I’m getting news from Visit Young and information on different festivals and events, outdoor movie listings, hotels.

3. New product information

As a fan you do expect special treatment for following a brand.  They want new information which acts as social currency; they would like to boast to their friends knowing they’ve received exclusive information before them or the wider market.

Kicks entertainment who holds the Foreshore and Warehouse music festivals in Canberra will announce all new event information on tickets, artists, employment opportunities, photos through their facebook page first.

Another example from a larger business is NIKE ID.  Not only do they release new product information but those products are designed and voted by the public and in return professional athletes will wear the apparel.

4. Contests

The rise of social media is not without the content creation by fans and followers across the globe.  We all love creating and being recognised for it.   Grill’d a franchise burger restaurant currently has a contest targeting students to win a scholarship.  Students have to highlight why Grill’d should support their studies.  In return students are creating new and innovative product ideas.  This may or may not be used but to have your idea recognised is a win in itself.

The We love the Gong facebook page recently ran a competition to give away tickets to a Roller Derby.  They required fans to come up a creative Roller Derby alias.

Crust Pizza a gourmet pizza outlet incorporates the Crust free pizza Friday.   Followers on twitter will tweet that comment for a chance to win a free pizza

5. Special offers

Incorporating special offers for your fans and followers is an easy win.  It’s a nice way to acknowledge them for being the brand advocates that you love.  A good example is Bums up modern cloth nappies.  Previously they’ve encouraged their fan base to help the page reach a number of fans by asking them to personally promote amongst their network of friends and family.  In return the company offers more prize packs and competitions to enter.

Clearly contacts, an online retailer for contact lenses and glasses, use exclusive facebook deals for their fans.  To track ROI they use a unique coupon code, to allow them to track back to the facebook promotion.

You don’t need to apply these tactics in unison or following a sequential order.  You could use a couple of points once and maybe applying another down the track.  It is about testing and seeing what works and what doesn’t.

Of course there are plenty of other ways to get your fan ratings up – What works best foryou?

Value of a Fan  

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Canberra women rejoice – HerCanberra is here!

By fleur@threesides | Published: February 25, 2011

HerCanberra - like catching up for coffee with friends. Image courtesy www.smh.com.au.

Canberra has come a long way from the place I remember as a child in the 1970s and 80s. And whilst Canberra’s reputation in the broader population still has some way to go, locals know what a great place it has become. We’re now spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping, dining, facilities, entertainment and more, but we’ve still got those ‘big country-town’ elements which make it such a great place to live and work. And I reckon it’s only going to get better.

Which leads me to two Canberra-centric websites that have popped up in recent weeks – hercanberra.com.au, and bestincanberra.com.au. These kinds of websites show the richness and diversity of experiences and facilities that Canberra now has to offer. But they do it quite differently.

A disclaimer before I start: hercanberra.com.au is the brainchild of a friend of mine, and I also happen to be smack bang in the middle of the websites’ target demographic (Canberran, female, mid to late 30s).

But this is what makes HerCanberra different from online directories such as Best in Canberra. It so obviously has a defined target market. Everything on that website speaks to Canberra women in their 20s to 40s, regardless of whether they are single women or stay-at-home mums. From great local shopping to kid-friendly restaurants, its content is interesting, useful and relevant to people just like me. It’s not trying to be all things to all people.

And it does it in a way that doesn’t scream advertising. In fact, it doesn’t even whisper it, because hercanberra.com.au puts quality content first and foremost. Amanda and the other contributors at hercanberra.com.au are fantastic writers, putting forward their opinions, experiences and ideas in ways that are both engaging and entertaining. The website itself is beautifully designed too.

Now I can’t write a post about my favourite local websites without a reference to RiotACT – the website I visit every single day (the-riotact.com). But whereas RiotAct is where I go for current affairs and local news (and the sometimes fiery exchanges in the comments), HerCanberra will be where I go to be entertained, to chillax and to find new ideas on how to enjoy our wonderful (and growing) city.

If you’re a local business targeting females in their 20s to 40s, or if YOU are a female in or around this age group, be sure to check out hercanberra.com.au. We here at Threesides think it might be the next big thing on the Canberra media scene!

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