Leveraging Social Media to Engage Customers and Build Your Brand

Today’s web is a more powerful marketing tool than ever. Are you tapping into its amazing potential to turn users into customers?It’s no secret that the Internet has drastically changed the dynamics of the merchant/customer relationship. Now when it’s time to make a buying decision, customers increasingly turn to the web for product and company information. They expect companies to be transparent, open and honest—and when given a choice spend their dollars with those that are. This seminar provides marketing professionals with concrete techniques for applying social media strategies and tools to their overall marketing portfolio.You'll research consumers’ online habits and mine the data to engage them with blogs, social networks, podcasts and video. You’ll return to work with ready-to-use job aids and templates, including media strategy checklists, reporting forms and more.

Also Available as:

• Onsite

How You Will Benefit

• Migrate traditional marketing activities to your online marketing
• Become familiar with the components of online communications programs
• Monitor the Web for “buzz” about your brand
• Implement and measure search engine optimization and paid search techniques
• Initiate a measurement and metrics regime to demonstrate the ROI of your e-marketing efforts
• Generate interest and buy-in from senior executives and other organizational stakeholders

What You Will Cover

Integrating Online Marketing into the Overall Marketing Mix

• Brand building and awareness over the web
• Online market research: what works, what doesn’t and how to adjust quickly
• Identifying online communities where your customers congregate
• Discovering likes and dislikes of your customers to refine your product offerings
• Using word of mouth, word of web and buzz marketing
• Lead generation/affiliate marketing—the automated referral network

Best practice spotlight: McDonald’s: How McDonald’s integrated an existing offline campaign into an online campaign

Social Networks and Successful Online Community Programs

• Creating a web-friendly, open and transparent company
• “Tell me, don’t sell me,” the informational vs. promotional rules of the road
• Using targeted marketing within social networks
• Defending and assuring accurate representation of your product online

Best practice spotlight: Toyota Motors—Setting up a social network and online community program

Effective Online Marketing Communications Programs

• Working with and leveraging bloggers
• Setting up your corporate marketing blog and getting it noticed
• Using RSS feeds to generate traffic
• Disseminating online marketing intelligence throughout your organization
• Elements of a successful podcasting strategy
• Publicizing videos and getting them to “go viral”

Best practice spotlight: National Geographic Channel—Using multiple online marketing communications vehicles

Search Engine Marketing—Optimize and Advertise

• Key factors of search
• The leaders in paid search
• Tools and key players for SEO and SEM automation

Best practice spotlight: Replacements Limited—Using search to drive a successful marketing strategy and build a business

Online Marketing Measurement and Metrics

• Measuring what matters: online sales, web visitation, time on site, lead capture, participation and interactivity
• Leveraging online ratings networks
• List of online marketing analytics software providers
• The engagement scorecard: How well are you engaging your customer, building the brand and increasing sales?

Best practice spotlight: Tommy Hilfiger—How web analytics drove an online merchandizing strategy

Extended Seminar Outline

Print this page Extended Seminar Outline Seminar #5521 Learning Objectives

• Recognize the Broad Range of Marketing Opportunities Presented by Web 2.0 Technologies
• Identify Key Resources and Methodologies for Implementing and Measuring Online Marketing Activities to Meet Business Goals
• Explore the Integration of Online Activities into an Existing Marketing Strategy
• Use the Language of Online Marketing to Communicate with Consultants, Agencies, Peers, and Executive Teams

Integrating Online Marketing into the Overall Marketing Mix

• Define Social Media
• Identify an Array of Online Marketing Techniques Used within Both B2B and B2C Marketing
• Compare Traditional Marketing Channels and Methodologies to Their Online Approaches
• Begin to Develop a List of Social Media Strategies and Action Plans That Can be Applied within the Participant’s Organization

Social Networks and Successful Online Community Programs

• Define the Business Goals and Purposes Behind Social Networks and Online Communities
• List an Array of Online Marketing Techniques Used within Both B2B and B2C Marketing
• Create a Vocabulary List and Methodologies for Developing Metrics and Measurements Surrounding Online Programs and Disseminating Interactive Media Intelligence Back into the Organization
• Develop Action Plans for Creating Online Communities and Social Networks

Effective Online Marketing Communication Programs

• Define Best Practices for Setting Up and Maintaining Online Communication Tools Such as Blogs, RSS Feeds, Podcasts and Online Video
• Provide Concrete Suggestions on How to Leverage Bloggers from a PR Perspective
• Develop Checklists and Action Plans for Creating Online Marketing Programs

Search Engine Marketing—Optimize and Advertise

• Define the Difference between Paid and Natural Search
• Define the Breadth and Scope of Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing
• Discuss Different Forms of Online Advertising\Develop Action Plans for Launching or Enhancing a Search Campaign

Online Marketing Measurement and Metrics

• Define the Variables That Can and Should be Measured
• Identify Tools and Resources to Begin Monitoring and Interpreting Online Campaigns
• Describe the Use of an Engagement Scorecard
• Develop Action Plans for Improving Measurement
• Develop a Web 2.0 for an Existing Company
• Develop Strategic Ideas to Apply Social Media Techniques Specifically to Your Own Organization

Who Should Attend

This seminar is designed for marketing professionals at a beginner's or intermediate level who are involved in interactive marketing strategies and would like to gain a practical understanding of the latest techniques and tools available.