What is The Social Funnel?...And Why You Need to Build One

Social media channels increasing the venues of choice for consumers to collect information and connect with brands, presents a strategic opportunity for companies to create a “Social Funnel” above the traditional marketing and sales funnel – where consumers take the lead in finding information and content that ultimately drives brand preference and sales.

In Winning the Consumer Decision Journey, McKinsey & Company’s David Court shares that, in the new social and digital age, “the path to purchase and loyalty is now complex, iterative, and dynamic.” In this new environment, creating a Social Funnel allows brands to identify and have access to buyers long before the buying process begins.

The Social Funnel Defined
The Social Funnel is a dynamic collection of consumer activity across social media channels, which sits on top of the traditional marketing and sales funnel. Developing a Social Funnel requires a systematic process of identifying and capturing consumer interactions across a variety of social media channels, aggregating this activity in a social customer relationship management (SCRM) infrastructure, and continually mining this insight to deliver relevant content to the right social profile at the right time. The chart below describes the Social Funnel and its tie to the traditional marketing and sales funnel:



To be effective, Social Funnels need to be tightly integrated with traditional customer relationship management (CRM) systems to create a 360-degree view of a prospect to allow marketers to nurture this relationship over time using a combination of social and traditional, experts agree that this integration holds a lot of potential. “Integrating social deeper into existing CRMs is going to be very popular in 2011 – we expect to see a growing number of brands tying customer records to public social profiles and bread crumbs”, says Nathaniel Perez, head of social experience at SapientNitro.

The integration of social media with the traditional funnel is one of the key priorities for brands in 2011. Although only 6% of companies today report that they fully integrate social with traditional marketing funnels.

David Berkowitz, senior director of emerging media and innovation for digital marketing agency 360i, agrees but tempers things by saying that “we are still early in the process but tying social profiles to CRM systems will be big.”



We see a growing number of companies starting to tie social profiles to their CRM systems. As this process continues to evolve, we expect to see social media becoming more of a critical component throughout the entire customer lifecycle. Systems that support the integration of social with CRM will increase in adoption over the course of the next 12 to 18 months, giving organizations the ability to seamlessly combine data from multiple systems easily and efficiently.



By Jennifer Pricci

Google Instant Search and its impact on SEO

During Tuesday’s major search event in San Francisco Google announced a new search feature called Google Instant which will significantly change the way users search for information on Google Search.

Google Instant - Live updating search result page

This new interface updates as a user types in the search query. Not only will the regular search results update as a user types in letters in the search field, but elements from Universal Search (maps, news, shopping, etc) as well as AdWords ads will also update in real time. This results in a user seeing a much larger set of search results as the query is being typed in and refined. In addition, the query suggestions (Google Suggest) play a more central role in discovering possible queries and relevant websites.

Why Google Instant is cool?

• Dynamic Results  Google dynamically displays relevant search results as you type so you can quickly interact and click through to the web content you need.
• Predictions  One of the key technologies in Google Instant is that we predict the rest of your query (in light gray text) before you finish typing. See what you need? Stop typing, look down and find what you’re looking for.
• Scroll to search  Scroll through predictions and see results instantly for each as you arrow down.

To the Webmaster, Google Instant is cool because as users are shown a much larger set of search results, there is a higher chance of your pages being displayed in the SERPs.  In addition, users can now more easily modify their search which results in more specific query that will drive more relevant traffic to your website (See my post on The Importance of Longtail Keywords).  And relevant traffic means conversion!

Impact of Google Instant Search on SEO

In general this new feature won’t change the basic rules of SEO since Google’s algorithms will continue evaluating webpages in the same way as before. Webmasters should hence continue focusing on their content, traffic, and conversions.

What will change, however, is the way users will go about finding information, how they interact with search results as they learn to use more specific search queries, and how they review the results before making a choice.

• CTR  is the new ranking. The click-through rate for organic listings becomes more important than pure rankings since users will see many more search results in each session.
• Creating relevant content which better targets specific queries will drive more traffic as users learn to perform better searches.
• Experimenting with page titles and snippets and tracking the changes in CTR becomes even more important.
• Universal Search listings (images, video thumbnails, maps, shopping, etc) will attract more clicks since dense graphic elements will draw more attention in a fast updating interface.
• The traditional Golden Triangle theory regarding the users’ eye movements on search result pages is no longer true. Earlier you performed a search, sat back and studied the results and the ads before either clicking on a listing, or modifying your query. This will now be substantially different as the users’ eyes will wander up and down between the query field, listings, Universal Search entries, and AdWords ads. I’m looking forward to the first eye tracking study for the new search page.
• Searches with short queries will fall considerably since people usually come to Google with a very specific goal in mind. The now interactive search result page allows users to dig deeper into a subject until they’ve found a reasonable set of search results which better fits their intent.

For those proclaiming the death of SEO, I would actually argue the opposite.

This is definitely a game changer but it does not change the way serious SEOs have worked for a long period of time. That includes focusing on important Key Performance Indicator’s other than rankings. Instant Search is however a massive headache for those who still treat SEO as a magic formula and have been focusing on optimizing for mere nuances in Google’s search algorithm. They will continue wasting their time focusing on the petty details in the algorithms instead of working on improving the overall value of the sites they are promoting.

All in all, no matter what some people wrongly proclaim, SEO is certainly not dead - it just got more interesting.

How will you change your SEO strategy given Google Instant?

4 Ways to Overcome Marketing Challenges Forever

For most small business owners, marketing is an overwhelming concept. They need marketing solutions that ensure a smooth-running, profitable business yet most don't know where to begin or how to focus their efforts.

90% of small businesses don't even have a marketing plan.

It's difficult to reach your destination if you don't know where you're going!

If you're a small business owner looking for ease, focus and marketing success, we recommend that you focus on just 4 tactics:

1. Establish a memorable and unmistakeable brand identity.
The secret to business success is determined by your ability to powerfully communicate your business with laser precision and your ability to deliver a clearly-defined and consistent experience.

In a nutshell... it's called branding, and, when done right, it ensures a thriving business with all the customers and profits you need. The secret is to establish a powerful brand identity that sings distinction. And establish that identity before you launch any marketing activities.

2. Create a deep connection with your core target audience - your potential raving fans!
Who wants and needs what you have to offer? The only wrong answer is "everyone." If you're a pediatrician, you may see infants and children. Are they your target audience? No! They are your patients, but it's the parents you need to connect with to get the kids in your door. And it's not just any parents - it's a definite group of parents.

In marketing, you get a lot more "bang for your buck" if you focus your spending on a well-defined target market. The better you define this group, the more effective your marketing can be.

3. Design compelling offerings that pull customers in like a magnet.

80% of all purchase decisions are based on emotion. It's your job as a marketer to know how your customers want to feel and to get them to visualize how your services can meet their needs. People want to know, "What's in it for me?" Tap into the emotion and create offerings that touch your customers.

4. Craft A Personal, Workable Marketing Plan
Marketing is everything you do to make your product or service more visible, more desirable and more profitable. Your marketing plan will clearly define the big picture and provide focus and direction based on the 4 P's of Marketing - product, price, place/distribution and promotion.

Since 90% of small business owners do not have a plan, you'll have a leg up on your competition by crafting your personal, workable marketing plan to ensure that you reach your business goals.

Following these 4 criteria will transform any small business into a money-making machine guaranteed to grow your client list, sales and profits. The upfront work is the secret to a million-dollar business, literally and figuratively.
 
Are you currently challenged by any of the above tips?  Tell us about it.
 

By Jennifer Pricci

Re-Opting In Your Email List: Why and How

Even though your lists may be opt-in, it is inevitable that some “old” subscribers may stop opening emails and can log spam complaints for them. Though subscribers originally opted-in, these spam complaints count towards your online brand reputation.

Over time, these complaints can cut into your profits by causing IP or domain blocking or blacklisting. To maximize ROI and deliverability for a dated list, you may need to reconfirm dormant subscribers, or to re-opt-in old subscribers.

When sending your re-opt-in campaigns, I recommend you keep the following in mind:

• Send only to opt-in lists of your customers with whom you have done business with in the past twelve months
• In your eMail, use language in the subject line to call attention to the issue (e.g. YOUR BRAND NAME – Register Now to Receive XX)
• The body of your eMail should be entirely dedicated to the opt-in message. Nothing else.
• Have a button AND a link to click to opt-in.
• Provide an incentive (e.g. Sign Up by 2/15 and receive XX) to your subscribers to re-opt-in
• Always have an urgency date to encourage immediate action

Is Outsourced Marketing Right for You?

Outsourced Marketing is a “best value” solution through which growing businesses are able to access a range of state-of-the-art services and resources. Results are shifted from an internal to an external marketing department. The benefits are numerous: in addition to a sizable cost savings, outsourced marketing allows you to better focus your resources, free up time of valuable personnel, project a more professional appearance, access better technology and capabilities, leverage increased flexibility, and more.

In today’s economic climate, outsourcing with the intention of decreasing costs has become increasingly important in order to attain or maintain a competitive advantage. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, over 53% of marketing executives reported that they plan to outsource their marketing.

How Does It Work?
Outsourcing a company’s marketing is a strategic decision where the entire marketing function is no longer performed in-house with the purpose of re-focusing a company’s activities on its core competencies. For years companies have been outsourcing some of their marketing activities such as advertising, graphic design, website design and research. Outsourced marketing results in a shift from an internal to an external marketing department. The marketing firm handles everything from research, analysis, strategy, planning and management to advertising, public relations, direct marketing, internal communications, and web marketing
 
What are the benefits?
Cutting costs is just the beginning. The additional benefits of outsourcing lie in the value it creates.

• Aligned Objectives When using an advertising agency or a design firm, the focus is on creativity. As a result, efforts may be geared more toward winning awards than on maximizing your company’s ROI. It has long been established that an award-winning campaign does not necessarily equate to award-winning sales. An outsourced marketing firm creates the strategy, objectives and creative of each campaign and it is then responsible for measuring the success of the activity. Everything is centered on ROI, thereby closely aligning its objectives with yours.
• Increased Flexibility Outsourcing your marketing gives you additional flexibility in your activities. You can pursue numerous activities simultaneously without overtaxing your internal staff. An outsourced marketing firm has additional, trained and experienced staff on hand that is able to handle emergency, short-term or periodic projects. There is less gear up time, resulting in quicker response times and more efficient activities. Focus Scare Resources On You Core Business You are in business to do what you do best. Nothing else should detract from your core competencies. Outsourcing your marketing shifts the focus from marketing activities to those that are at the core of your value proposition; those that benefit your customers directly. Every business management expert will tell you to focus on what you do best and unload the rest because both money and time are extremely scarce and must be directed where they can result in the largest gains. One of the most difficult thing for a business owner to do is to admit that another person or company is company is better qualified to do something and to let go and allow them to do it. In this case, a business owner’s largest obstacle can be him or herself.
• Free Up Time of Valuable Personnel Each person has a finite amount of time and energy and it is essential to keep their time and energy focused in the most crucial areas of the business. It is a very common mistake for key personnel to be distracted from their core competencies in order to have a hand in a company’s marketing. When the marketing is outsourced, this is much less likely, particularly when concerns are minute, day-to-day details of little consequence to the bottom line. A company's highly paid staff, including owners and upper management can focus on doing what they are educated, trained and experienced to do, like running the company, developing sales, etc. More importantly, an outsourced marketing firm is educated, trained and experienced in marketing and is therefore better equipped to more efficiently and effectively handle the marketing.
• Play With The Big Boys Outsourcing can help small businesses afford the talent and activities that are out of their reach. Outsourcing allows even small companies to access large economies of scale, efficiency, and expertise that are common to large companies.
• Reduce Risk Every penny your business spends is a risk. Outsourcing allows you to share a portion of your risk with another company. You will be able to reduce your fixed assets, overhead, payroll, management fees and more. Additionally, because an outsourced marketing firm is an expert in the field of marketing, it is much better situated to minimize any risk relating to marketing than a firm with expertise in other areas.
• Get Access To Specialized Skills Every business needs consultants and experts in certain areas at certain times. Using an outsourced marketing firm provides you with immediate, affordable access to top-level professionals that are highly skilled in specialized areas, from consumer behavior to package designers. Additionally, these experts are better able to serve your company more loyally than are consultants who specialize in a given industry and may be working with some of your competitors.
• Proactive vs. Reactive Marketing An outsourced marketing firm is often in a better position to provide a proactive marketing strategy. An internal marketing department is more apt to be sidetracked by internal activities, changes, and fires that need to be put out.

Who Should Outsource?
The specific reasons to outsource are as varied as the companies themselves. But the basic incentive for outsourcing remains the same: since the life-blood of the company lies in doing what it does best, it is only reasonable to acknowledge and accept that it cannot and should not try to do everything. By focusing on its areas of expertise, the company can capitalize on its own talent pool. This, then, is the most important and most basic requirement.

The decision to outsource is often made in the interest of making better and more efficient use of time and resources, reducing costs, or redirecting /conserving energy to focus on core competencies. As to specific reasons to outsource, some companies are looking for a chance to turn things around while others are seeking to create business models that will give them an edge. Some see outsourcing as a viable alternative to overhauling outdated office operations, to provide lacking in-house resources, or to spend more time innovating and dealing with customers. Some are dealing with rapid expansion while others need to get a better handle on the budget through predictable costs.

So What’s The Bottom Line?
Outsourcing improves the bottom line! Overhead costs are reduced by eliminating wages for additional employees, benefits, extra office space, computers and software – all alternatively provided in-house.

Outsourcing will provide media and discipline neutrality to identify and find the resources needed. The marketing outsourcing partner can provide a fresh look and an objective viewpoint. There is an added benefit of increased flexibility, which results from eliminating fluctuating workloads and preventing wasted time training temporary employees.


Read the PHANTOM POWER Outsource Marketing White Paper



By Jennifer Pricci