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Where are people finding you?
- Hard-Copy,
- Internet – Website, Blog Site
- Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin
- Brochures
- Word-of-Mouth
- Trade-Shows
Over the past few weeks I have been looking at where people are finding my company. A closer look at these areas have indicated to me that the Internet is growing at a tremendous pace, but also holding steady is the traditional “word of mouth”. This information is very valuable to marketers.
Let’s look a little closer at these two areas:
Internet – I really believe the term “social media” will be used less and less as companies integrate social media into their marketing initiatives. Look at television, a number of stations are encouraging their viewers to connect online with the specific correspondant or follow the discussion under a specific #hashtag. The TV Media is quickly learning how powerful an internet audience can be with respect to also viewing their offerings. Newspapers are also trying similar approaches with “Breaking News” posts and tweets too. The key is reaching people across mediums.
Word-Of-Mouth – Here is the validation that your message is reaching the right people. I think this metric will really be the key going forward. Too many people place too much value on Likes, Followers and Hits to websites. These are important, but do they really tell you where your clients are. When someone opens a new account and lists a specific name from a company, it tells me that the message is being carried not only online, but also off-line and it is transcending. Peope like to connect with people and these type of referrals are the most powerful references.
Too many times, we get too focused on one of these areas, but I think the key is to take a step back and see that all of these mediums are working together and it is important to make sure that growth is ocurring in all of these areas. This is really the conclusion I make from looking at this information. Ultimately, it is all about brining on new accounts, keeping current clients and increasing sales. These figures should also be increasing if the numbers above show that you are measuring your marketing efforts effectively.
Are your marketing numbers showing a transcending penetration? I really believe it is an area that people will pay more attention to in the future. What are your thoughts?
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Image courtesy of KROMKRATHOG / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
