Aha!Local University: Overview of Local Online Marketing Techniques

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Aha!Local University Session One The Online Marke8ng Landscape for Local Businesses

The first in a series of seminars and webinars

about how to market your business online to local

customers

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Agenda

•  Marke(ng Channels for Local Audiences > Local Lis(ngs and Local Search > Local Paid Adver(sements > Social Media > Loca(on-‐Based Social Networking > Reviews > Online Coupons > Mobile

•  Preview of Upcoming Sessions •  Final Thoughts

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Characteris8cs to be Reviewed

•  What it is

•  Strengths •  Weaknesses •  Applicability for local marke(ng (strongest and weakest)

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Which Channels May Be Right for You? •  What are your goals?

> Finding new customers, or deepening rela(onship with exis(ng ones?

•  Which match your audience?

> What is their online behavior?

•  Which match your transac(on type?

> Rela(onship-‐based? Casual? Analy(cal? •  What is a customer worth?

> Life(me value, including referral value

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Local Lis8ngs Are Everywhere

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Local Lis8ngs: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths •  Modern replacement to printed

Yellow Pages •  Key tool for new client

acquisi(on >  How customers now find local

businesses

•  86% of local searchers take ac(on (call or visit) on the results

•  Dominate search results pages, diminishing the importance of website op(miza(on

Weaknesses •  Suscep(ble to hacking •  Limited opportunity to present

your business the way you want •  Limited ability to monitor

performance

•  Compe((ve environment for top placement

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Local Lis8ngs Applicability for Local Marke8ng

Stronger Applicability •  Firms relying on new

customers or with high churn >  Restaurants >  Retail

Weaker Applicability •  Firms relying on repeat

customers

‣  Membership orgs

•  Firms servicing areas other than their physical loca(on

‣  Building contractors •  High density segments

‣  Den(sts

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Local Pay-‐Per-‐Click & Pay-‐Per-‐Call

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Other Local Paid Ads

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Local PPC: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths •  Scalable budget -‐ spend only

what you can afford

•  Measurability! •  Good geotarge(ng or

demotarge(ng (Facebook)

•  Delivers searcher to exact page you want >  Landing page with dedicated

messaging and offer

Weaknesses •  Clicks are sold by auc(on, so

compe((on can drive up cost

•  Requires investment in well-‐op(mized landing page

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Local PPC Applicability for Local Marke8ng

Stronger Applicability •  Broadly applicable •  Firms on which customers

want to do research before approaching

Weaker Applicability •  Businesses that are likely to

be visited immediately >  Restaurants

•  Overcompe((ve PPC segments >  A[orneys

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Social Media

•  Includes: > Blogging > Microblogging > Video/music/photo sharing

> Life sharing > Many others

•  More closely associated with public rela(ons than promo(on > Branding strength, versus driving sales directly

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Social Media: Blogging

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Social Media: Microblogging

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Social Media: Video Sharing

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Social Media: Facebook

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Social Media: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths •  Good PR vehicle

> Messaging delivered directly to people you care about

>  You (mostly) control the message

Weaknesses •  Not paid media – you need to

build an audience

•  Too much promo(on can be viewed as a nega(ve

•  Indirect (e from engagement to ac(on

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Social Media Applicability for Local Marke8ng

Stronger Applicability •  Businesses that establish

strong rela(onships with customers and community

•  Event-‐driven businesses >  Food truck loca(on >  Changing class schedules

•  Businesses that have something to say >  E.g.: Posi(on themselves as

experts in their field

Weaker Applicability •  Businesses with low-‐

involvement transac(ons >  Becomes couponing channel

only

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Loca8on-‐Based Social Networking

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Loca8on Based Social Media: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths •  Instant word-‐of-‐mouth

marke(ng

•  Easy way to establish a rewards program for frequent customers

•  Serve as a form of review site •  Very (ghtly targeted

promo(on >  Can draw people to your

business that are nearby

Weaknesses •  Everything outside of

hospitality > Nobody cares if you check in at

your car dealer

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Loca8on-‐Based Social Media: Applicability for Local Marke8ng

Stronger Applicability •  Entertainment and hospitality

>  Places where friends join friends

Weaker Applicability •  Professional or trade services

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Reviews

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Reviews: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths •  Provides customers with

‘unbiased’ third-‐party evalua(on of your business

•  One of the strongest influencers toward purchase

•  Can be recruited at low cost: just ask happy customers for them

Weaknesses •  Much of it is outside your

control >  Very limited ability to directly

address nega(ve reviews

> We have discovered ‘serial bashers’ and had their reviews removed on Google

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Reviews Applicability for Local Marke8ng

Stronger Applicability •  Business-‐to-‐consumer

•  Hospitality •  Service providers

Weaker Applicability •  Business-‐to-‐business

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Online Couponing

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Online Coupons: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths •  Drives customer ac(on

•  Trackability! >  Know which channels are

working

>  Know which offers are working

Weaknesses •  Coupon-‐cu[ers are not your

best customers •  Experienced shoppers seek out

coupons >  Giving money to someone who

was already going to buy

•  Customers become addicted to coupons >  The Pizza Hut problem >  Long-‐term margin erosion

•  May provide nega(ve impact on your brand

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Online Couponing Applicability for Local Marke8ng

Stronger Applicability •  Properly defined, they are

broadly applicable >  Trade services >  Retail >  Hospitality >  Business-‐to-‐business

Weaker Applicability •  Professional services

>  Do you want to use an a[orney that offers a coupon?

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Mobile/SMS

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Mobile/SMS: Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths •  Mobile search:

>  Ease of administra(on

•  Mobile display: >  High level of engagement, good

for branding

•  SMS: > Over 90% of texts are opened >  Provides one-‐to-‐one dialog with

customer >  High clickthrough rate (14.1%)

and conversion rate (8.2%)

Weaknesses •  Mobile search:

> Op(miza(on required for good ROI

> Op(mized landing pages required

•  Mobile display >  Ads expensive to create

compared to placement opportuni(es

•  SMS: >  Require opt-‐in phone numbers

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Mobile/SMS Applicability for Local Marke8ng

Stronger Applicability •  Mobile search:

>  Broadly applicable •  Mobile display:

>  Businesses trying to establish strong brand images

•  SMS: >  Businesses relying on repeat

customers (e.g. spas)

Weaker Applicability •  Mobile display:

>  Promo(ons requiring specific calls to ac(on (promo(ons, sales)

•  SMS: >  Businesses with high churn,

targe(ng new customers

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Your Assignment: Which Channels may be Right for Me? •  What are your goals?

> Finding new customers, or deepening rela(onship with exis(ng ones?

•  Which match your audience?

> What is their online behavior?

•  Which match your transac(on type?

> Rela(onship-‐based? Casual? Analy(cal? •  What is a customer worth?

> Life(me value, including referral value

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Planned Curriculum

•  Local Lis(ngs and Local Search •  Local Paid Adver(sements •  Social Media •  Reviews •  Online Coupons •  Loca(on-‐Based Social Networking •  Mobile

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Final Thoughts

•  Slides will be posted online > Link will be sent to meetup.com group and to Twi[er followers

•  Please sign in to make sure we have your complete contact info

•  Please provide feedback on the meetup.com group site

•  Referral gil: Bring another next (me and get a gil!

•  Follow us on Twi[er @parallelpath

Aha!Local University: Overview of Local Online Marketing Techniques

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