Questions about this issue of The Intentional? Email the Editor at suzanne@showyourintention.com.

Top 3 Hot Trends in Marketing

Marketing is an ever-changing industry and staying on top of what's new and what's hot can keep your company competitive. You need to ensure that your message is hitting the right market in the right way to get the best return for your marketing dollars. Here's some key information on some of the hottest new trends.

1. Alternative Media Marketing - the largest growing trend!
   Companies big and small are spending more of their valuable marketing dollars in alternative media. Why the move and what exactly does this mean? The term alternative media marketing refers to any marketing tool outside of the traditional realm of print and broadcast media. Advertisers are finding a place for their message on everything from legal graffiti wall ads to mobile billboards and street buzz marketing teams. Even the sleeve of your double skim mocha may come with an ad these days. The two biggest lures of the new alternative media advertising outlets is the creativity and "wow" factor they can provide and the targeted audience they can reach. Unlike the traditional media, the cost is on the creative side. It's about spending more to get the right message sent in an intriguing or appealing way than it is about space costs or air time. With all the options now available, spending planning time on the front end to determine your target demographic and what message presentation would most appeal to potential customers is more critical than ever.


2. Social Networking Site Targeted Marketing
   Seeking out placement or product/company mention on targeted social networking sites is becoming a much more common marketing technique. Reaching out to bloggers to increase awareness for brand stories, product promotions and other advertising-related content has become a key component in many companies' marketing strategies. Online marketing is essential to any brand seeking to build online consumer conversations, kick-start viral marketing campaigns, promote new products or create interest around specific advertising campaigns. Social networking sites are alluring because of the targeted markets they serve and the increasing amount of traffic they attract. Getting a product mentioned by a blogger with a large readership in a company's target demographic can generate more interest and potential sales than an ad placed in a traditional print magazine. Larger sites such as YouTube have launched products and movies with its "easy to forward" format and widespread audience. Apple's "Mac vs. PC" ads travel at the speed of light as they are forwarded along social networks while the televised version gets bypassed with the DVR. Have you been to an Apple store recently? No surprise they are packed with so many (and so diverse) people these days!


3. More off-line support for online campaigns
   As online marketing takes off, more and more companies are using their traditional media marketing dollars to drive customers to the web. One great example is Ebay's "Shop Victoriously" campaign that exists in traditional media for the sole purpose of drawing people online to the Ebay site. Companies are also finding alternative ways to use the traditional media to drive traffic to a website with specialized landing pages that tell a deeper story, with more targeted content than could be used in traditional marketing campaigns. Also driving this trend is the increasing number of buyers who research their products online before making purchases. Driving those buyers to a website where questions can be answered and a pitch can be made is becoming a critical marketing component in order to avoid losing a sale before you are aware the customer exists. Creativity is key in the new world of marketing to the web and only those campaigns that intrigue or motivate will get the desired results.

This information represents only a brief overview of these new marketing trends. Give us a call at (703) 216-6361 or contact us to learn more or to discuss how to implement these ideas into your own marketing efforts.

Web Site Usability: Are Your Customers Getting to Where They Need to Go?

Useability is a term that can have different meanings to a web designer, a web developer, or a marketing manager. A successful web site is determined by its useability. A useable web site is one where a user achieves a desired goal in a timely and logical manner. The goal could be making a purchase, gathering information, or contacting someone. While it could be argued that every site could fit into that definition, the key distinction is "in a timely and logical manner." How often have you clicked around a web site for more than 5 minutes only to either not find what you were looking for or finding it in a place you didn't expect?

Web sites should have logical pathways. There may be several pathways on one web site, but the user should be able to find the beginning and know when it ends. An example pathway would be the pages a user visits to purchase an item. The first page contains "teaser text" about the item and an obvious indicator (hyperlink around relevant text or a clickable image) leading to more information. The next page would contain more information, pricing and maybe some photos. Another relevant indicator would be prominent on the page that would lead the user to completing their purchase (add payment and address information, etc.) until the transaction is complete.

You should always view your web site from the perspective of your users whether you are creating one for the first time or are ready for a redesign. Look for distractions along the way to the user's ultimate goal or dead ends that might leave the user confused. For more information on this topic, browse through a collection of articles and publications written by the Norman Nielsen Group, pioneers in user-centered design and useability or contact us and let us help you establish your pathways to success.

To Blog or Not to Blog

A Blog, web shorthand for Web Log, is an outlet for persons of expertise to share information or ideas with others who have an interest in the same general topic. While blogs started out as a type of personal diary, they have grown to become serious news and information outlets, with many having reliable information and growing audiences that allow the authors to have considerable influence.

Does a blog fit into your marketing strategy? If so, here are a few tips to get started.

• Keep it quick. Alternative media is all about speed. The useful life cycle of a message is much shorter than with conventional media. Write about interesting subject matter, and write often to keep the blog fresh.


• Be an expert and stick to the topic. If you are going to invest the time and effort involved in creating and maintaining a blog, know your subject matter and stick to it. Talk about what you know and provide assistance and information through your blog. Avoid tackling so many topics that your expertise becomes scattered.


• Keep it conversational. Know who your reader is and talk with them, not at them. Blogs are less about excellent writing and more about getting information from the writer to the reader. Don't be afraid of humor, but don't trivialize your subject matter.


• Know your demographic. Match the medium and message to the market. Your blog just won't reach older consumers. Target your information to a growing market of under-30s who are blog savvy and will spread the word if you give them something they can't find anywhere else.