Digital Marketing Structure Helps Transition Event Strategy During COVID-19 Crisis

This past February, many b2b technology companies were planning to rollout their new advancements during the spring trade show circuit through technical presentations and product demonstrations. Enter the COVID-19 crisis, and those plans were cancelled or postponed indefinitely.

One TME client—a software company that provides 3D situation awareness capabilities for aerospace and defense missions—quickly conceptualized an online showcase to repurpose their planned content into 1 afternoon, with 6 demos, and live Q&A—aimed to educate their at-home customers and prospects, many of whom also planned to attend the trade shows.

Because a digital marketing structure was previously established, a promotions roadmap was able to be turned on fast. Email marketing and organic LinkedIn posts got things started to reach current customers and prospects. But a big boost in registrations and awareness came from using paid search, social media, and retargeting to attract NEW prospects that would normally be met at the trade shows.

This is how it came together…

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) through the Google Ad Network tapped into keywords that trade show attendees would be using including the trade show name itself. Custom Audience Ads through LinkedIn promoted to users with specific job titles, interests, geographic areas, education levels, etc. Account-Based Marketing, also through LinkedIn, promoted to specific companies that the sales team was targeting. Finally, Google and LinkedIn Retargeting Ads displayed on various sites and apps once website visitors left our clients site.

Here is what really matters…

Over 1,600 people registered for the online showcase. Approximately 300 (20%) of the registrants were new names in their CRM, largely resulting from SEM and Custom Audience Ads through LinkedIn. The SEM and LinkedIn ads also helped to establish brand awareness with new eyeballs. After using demographic, geographic, and account-based marketing data sourced from the sales team, we helped to also generate over 2,800 clicks from targeted search terms; 65,000 impressions with previous website visitors from retargeting ads; and 30,000 exposures of the online showcase with prospects on LinkedIn. Remarketing to new prospects now begins.

Curious how each strategy might move the needle in your organization?  Invest time, not money, and get your Free Digital Marketing Roadmap, on us.

SEO & Search Engine Marketing: What’s in the Names?

As business-to-business (b2b) online marketing has evolved over time, so has marketing lingo. Sometimes, this can cause confusion between marketer and client because clients may not be familiar with certain marketing terms. 

Two popular buzzwords seen in the marketing space are SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing). It can be difficult to understand what differentiates one from the other and the role each plays in marketing. However, when understood by both client and marketer, both SEO and SEM can be leveraged to their full potential, creating great marketing results. 

So, what is the difference between SEO and SEM?

In simple terms, SEO is an organic search strategy, while SEM is a paid search strategy. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the process of getting your web pages to organically show up when buyers look for information on search engines. It essentially makes your site or campaign landing pages gain online visibility the best they can without paying for ads. This happens on the backend of your web pages by following guidelines for applying Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and Focused Keywords that have alignment with your page copy. By doing so, Google and other search engines better understand the content on the page, notice that you are bringing value to buyers, and can boost your ranking, allowing your website to show up higher in the search results which can lead to more organic web traffic. In terms of keywords to use, SEO should resonate with your ideal buyer and how they search, which is why SEO should not always be in the most technical terms. By focusing on the buyer’s intent and addressing their problems, needs, and wants in your SEO strategy, you can more reliably convert them into customers. 

Sample: Custom on-page SEO improves web page and blog post rankings (Below)

Indirect SEO that refers web traffic

Organic web traffic does not have to end with your own web pages. Frequent and optimized blog posts can gain visibility and offer links back to web pages. Distributing press releases through a reputable newswire service with good search rankings can boost your exposure. You can also gain search visibility by posting content to online directories or content sites that are managed by your partners, trade groups, and professional associations.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

SEM is marketing through the use of paid advertisements that appear on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). These paid ads can also be referred to as pay-per-click ads (PPC) found on Google Ads, Google Shopping Ads, Bing Ads, etc. PPC advertising allows you to target potential customers through relevant keywords that match a user’s search query. The appeal of SEM is two fold. First, it allows marketers to promote their ads in front of motivated buyers who are ready to buy at the exact moment they are available to make a purchase.  Second, you can begin to show up in these search results after just a day or two of launching the campaign vs. the likely weeks or months that it can take to show up organically.  This is what allows SEM to be such a powerful marketing tool for your business.

Sample: Google AdWords dashboard displays an overview for a targeted Search Campaign (Below)

Curious how each strategy might move the needle in your organization?  Invest time, not money, and get your Free Digital Marketing Roadmap, on us.

Who’s Searching Who? The Crossroads of Google

Your business is seeking leads and direct purchases hoping that there are buyers searching for products and services like yours. We have seen a lot of lines in the water attempting to gain attention in Google via organic search engine optimization (SEO) and via paid search engine marketing (SEM)—aka Pay-Per-Click or PPC.

How can you see the potential of what’s best for your company?

First start with keyword and competitive research to size things up. Look to understand not just what keywords competitors are ranking for (organic and paid) but also to see what platforms are driving the most traffic to their website(s).

Let’s get some realities on the table upfront…

  • The water may not be warm to click on paid search ads in Google if you are not a recognized brand in your industry and buying circles. According to some statistics, over 90% of users skip search ads and head straight to organic results. You must work to establish brand recognition and trust in your market using paid search ads in Google and then, after testing the search terms, a strategic SEO push can be made for organic rankings.
  • Paid search ads may not be silver bullets for some companies but can be good if approached the right way with the right expectations. A small pilot campaign can help determine the strength of your ads and offerings and inform broader marketing plans. Some companies set the goals of their search campaigns as awareness builders and competitive disrupters to gain attention vs. direct channels to drive traffic, leads, or purchases.

The consumer angles

If you are expecting more, then consider organic SEO, however this requires content, content, and more content. For some companies, organic SEO is often considered better than paid search ads, especially those selling business-to-business (B2B) or via distribution channels.

If you offer consumer products, be prepared to offer competitive costs, free shipping, compelling pictures, seasonal discounts, loyalty programs, and a simple and safe transaction process.

If you offer consumer services, leverage “Google My Business” to be listed for those who are looking for local contractors, florists, restaurants, personal finance, etc.  Google My Business can also be leveraged for any businesses looking to inspire a high level of trust and rapport with their client through verified Google reviews.

The B2B approach

If you are a professional services firm or software provider selling B2B with longer sales cycles, consider using educational resources to engage your audience and establish recognition, such as trend reports and research, e-books, webinars, self-diagnostics, and such.  These tools and reports can be designed as “artifacts”; something that the prospect will value to inform their strategies and current methods and keep your company or solution in mind when they are ready to dive deeper. Nurturing these prospects with more relevant content will keep your torch lit.

The happy moments of marketing start when knowing the path to choose. To learn more about your opportunities in Google and to help sort out your digital marketing strategies, let’s start a conversation.