Integrating Digital and Traditional Marketing

Disruptive technologies create some of the biggest opportunities for marketers,                                       Phil_Callan_photo_100328_opt smaller

but when, how and even whether to harness their capabilities throws up questions
for organisations of all sizes.According to B2B Marketing’s Insight 2009 report: “The majority of B2B brands (58%) invest less than one fifth of their marketing budget into digital techniques…”
Whether you are an early adopter of all that is new, or take a wait and see approach, there is no doubt that no company can escape the change that digital media is bringing to marketing.
Running a company website is now taken as read, but more recently we have been hit with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc to add to the armoury of communication tools. Large companies with deep pockets may be able to call upon the skills of in-house digital whizz kids, but even the smallest of businesses can make effective use of digital media. All you need is a little know-how, planning and if necessary, outside help. Generating new business both from current clients and new prospects continues to be critical where budgets are still tight and spending decisions slow. A new business campaign in the business-to-business world might, in the past, have focused around the brand, print and direct mail with telephone follow up and face-to-face sales. Today there is more to consider. The key elements of a campaign will not disappear – there must still be a compelling reason for customers to buy from you and it is critical to identify who needs your product or service, but digital media can be a great help in driving forward the marketing and sales process.
So how could this work in practice?
Let’s look at a new business campaign for a company with a sales team, selling its products to other businesses, but not directly through a website.  Print and direct mail may still be the most effective route to raise awareness, particularly for high value goods.  It would certainly be unusual not to see the web address mentioned in the mailing.  Email addresses should be gathered at every opportunity, to create an opted-in list – in this case through the website or printed reply mechanism.
The written message will build trust in the brand, company and the individuals who work there. Setting up LinkedIn or Facebook profiles will further help to develop the relationship with prospects and provide a showcase for the company’s expertise and knowledge. This doesn’t take long and a social media presence will also improve search engine rankings. And who to target? List brokers abound but B-to-B lists with substantial numbers of email addresses are harder to come by, although there are some out there, so it’s worth carrying out some research. Hot prospects will respond through one means or another, but what about the prospects who didn’t? A follow up email after a printed mailshot will prove cost effective and can develop the company story further. Awareness built up from the initial printed mailshot should pay dividends in open and click-through rates. Telesales staff can also prioritise those contacts who clicked through to the website from the e-mailing. Traditional processes kick in with sales staff converting good leads into customers and relationships continue to be maintained, as they always were, with regular phone calls, meetings, seminars and training if relevant. These activities can be supplemented with email newsletters, white papers, blogs, webinars and chat forums. If you aren’t currently employing or investigating at least some digital marketing communication techniques, 2010 is the year to dip your toe in the water. Start small and build on success as you feel more comfortable with the opportunities available. Phil Callan 01225 462624 phil@callan.org >