Yes, We Do That

Once you peel back the layer of buzzwords and rhetoric that seems to come with this territory, you actually do come to something very legitimate. Marketing automation (both the theory and the technical application) is nothing short of amazing. In a way, it is the heart of any effective integrated marketing communications campaign. Then why isn't everyone convinced? And, more importantly, why does it fail? Here are 4 observations:

It fails because it is not a light switch.
While I guess it's true that you can "turn it on and off" and sort of control your lead flow...my point is that you don't pull it out of the box, turn it on and wait by the faucet. So, essentially, it comes down to unrealistic expectations. Sure the tool is powerful. But only as powerful as the operator, the content, the strategy, the analysis and the output that comes from all of this combined.

It fails because there's often no owner.
Someone has to own it! Live it, breath it, sleep it...it needs to be someone's life. It can't be an "oh by the way", or "let's get Mike or Martha to put a couple of hours a week into it!" You can't dabble. If you can't make the financial and physical resource commitments that it takes then you're better off not going down this road right now.

It fails because most don't really understand what it is.
It's hard to be successful when you do know what the goal is and you do know you have the right tool, but you don't know what to do next. It's one of those scenarios where everyone is philosophically on board and tactically adept, but have no idea how to connect the two. And many time even a top direct marketing agency will have trouble filling this void.

It fails because of a lack of content.
It's all about content. You can never have enough. If you're selling yield programs to colleges and universities, you need everything from tips, trends and how to's, to case studies, white papers and press releases, to webinars, podcasts, videos and virtual events. Escalating levels of informational and educational content that has been crafted specifically for that prospect and where he or she is in the sales/nurture life cycle.

This ain't Kansas anymore folks. But it really doesn't have to be complicated either. It's just life as we know it now. Can you say you really prefer radio over newspaper? Or maybe TV over the Internet? Or emails vs. texts? Or how about LinkedIn vs. Facebook. Sure, we all have ones that we like, dislike, use more than another etc..., but, for the most part, we are all exposed to multi-media messages, ads, "buzz" and conversations through multiple channels by marketers, bloggers, friends, family, trustworthy, untrustworthy, relevant, irrelevant, clever and not so clever.

But for all marketing communication strategies to be successful, you have to understand that people are being touched, influenced and exposed to all of this throughout their daily lives, everywhere they are and in everything they do. If you are targeting a very specific demographic, sure you might weight one medium over another etc...but you have to be very careful. Did you know that the 35+ demographic on Facebook is growing rapidly and represents over 30% of the entire user base? So while a truly integrated marketing communications campaign would include social media, you may have backed off on Facebook if your target demo was 42 year old females for example. That would be a mistake.

So in many ways, it has gotten pretty simple. If I told you as recently as 5 years ago that I could reach one in every 12 people on earth, or 81.4% of the US population for FREE, you'd think I was nuts! Well maybe I am a little nuts because it can't be totally free, but, essentially, you don't need a Super Bowl budget to do it, you just need Facebook.

How often do you hear that? Or something along those lines? As opinionated as I am, with age, I find myself reserving judgment more and more often. Why? Because I typically have no basis for making a statement like that. It seems that 9 times out of 10 (and I've been guilty of this too) these kinds of statements are more rooted in ignorance than insight. And it's not that I'm offended by the comment itself or taken aback by the boldness (or rudeness) of the statement. The question is, what are you really saying?

I've been in the creative services industry for almost 20 years. Having founded a top direct marketing agency and now playing a significant role in the development of many marketing communication strategies, I've developed some pretty thick skin. And often times the rule that I go by is this: if I like it, then it's good. Now, ultimately, it's whether the client likes it or not that pays the bills, but many times those two benchmarks are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Just because a client doesn't like it, doesn't mean its not good. Creativity and design are very subjective topics. What one person likes, another does not and vice versa.

So why does my website suck? Because you just don't find it visually appealing? Because you think you could create or do something better? Because you know what I'm trying to accomplish with my website and know it isn't meeting those objectives? Because you know more about my customer than I do and what their expectations of my website are?

When offering marketing consultancy services, you often feel compelled to make statements and judgments like these. Now it's a matter of style and approach as to whether you make them this boldly or not, but after all, you're probably being brought in to offer some sort of a solution or opinion. But be careful not to judge too quickly. In my opinion, it often shows ignorance rather than intellect!

The answer is yes! So blogging for SEO purposes, as legitimate lead generation methods go, is a good thing, right? Not if you don't do it. For some reason, it has fallen further and further down my radar screen as I get wrapped up and entrenched in the "day-to-day". The cost of not being "heard" is not being "found".

You may get a little overwhelmed with all the new technology and, potentially, face some resistance from those "old school" colleagues of yours who "pound the pavement" and don't rely on those "blueberry's" and "spacebook" stuff. And while I'm not one to completely abandon the tried and true, it is becoming more and more clear that the payoff of some of this new technology is evident. As a marketing communications company, or for any company for that matter, it is imperitive to continue talking. The expression "silence = death" is true!

Remember, the fundamental goal of a business blog is to generate and publish informational/educational/interesting content that is laser focused on strategic key words/phrases enabling you to be found by search engines. Followership is great, but there are millions of people out there looking for your products and services. There are only a handful of people you can personally connect with or are part of your extended network. Sound marketing communication strategies are rooted in the ability to deliver content that motivates an audience to action.

So there's nothing wrong with "pounding the pavement" or even implementing some tried and true tactics as part of your business development plan. But remember, if you don't get with the times, you won't be heard. And if you're not heard, your not what? Exactly.

Let's face it, your product is probably boring as hell. And your competitive advantages are probably just as much of a snoozer. That doesn't mean you don't have a great product or that your competitive advantages are not accurate (though I might challenge you on that one), but we'll go with it for now. These are pretty harsh words. But to truly strategize, deploy and reap the rewards of compelling lead generation methods, you can let me ask the questions, or you can just ask them of yourselves. Who really cares? Why would I pick up the phone or log on to that personalized URL, or take any action that you request of me?

Most of the time the answer is "I wouldn't". And that's OK. Think about what you are trying to do. You're trying to send out a series of direct marketing postcards to see if anyone responds. Let's talk about expectation. What are you expecting them to do? Have you really thought about that? Have you put yourself in that very same position. Try it. But take yourself out of your business/industry and apply it to something more generic. What did you come up with?

See the problem is that most of us are simply too close. We live, breathe, eat, sleep and surround ourselves with our work. And that's natural. Hell, it does occupy probably 75% of our lives. A truly integrated marketing communications campaign includes a promotion or a giveaway or a contest...you get the idea. And multiple channels—print, digital (microsites, email, phone etc...), social, mobile, phone etc...need to be activated to reach maximum success. Think OTB (I have to use an acronym for "out-of-the-box" because I can't bring myself to say it) — what are you asking them to do...literally? Pick up the phone? Well how could you pick up the phone for them? How about if you were a puppeteer? Are you trying to get them to listen? That means you need to get their attention. How about a singing telegram? Are you trying to get them to a microsite? Send them an electronic device with your microsite already up on it.

When you communicate, how do others evaluate what you say? Effectively transmitting ideas is vital in business. Executives with important initiatives need to get buy-in from colleagues, superiors and agents. Marketers need to get the company’s message across to insureds and prospects. 

Getting students on campus is a well-known key to successful admissions conversion and yield programs. Few marketing communication strategies can match the yield rate for students who visit for a tour and admissions interview.  As a marketing services company that has helped colleges improve both applications and enrollment, The Allied Group is committed to finding new ways to get more students to sign up for campus visits.

Have you or your staff ever had an experience like this one? You have a conversation with a high school student who’s appears to be a perfect fit for your institution. He/she is responding with enthusiasm to your message. You’re certain that this student will be a member of your incoming freshman class. And then…you never hear from them again.

What happened? Did you say or do something wrong? Often, the answer is no. Everything you said and did clicked with the student. But in the time between your conversation and the time to inquire, apply or enroll, something or someone else got in the way.

Well I've taken a little break from this deep topic because I wanted to keep everyone on their toes. Looking at beautiful women, scandalous topics and pressing political views of famous celebs is certainly riveting, but it is hard work. So here goes according to Yahoo:

Kelly Ripa: I guess filling Regis's shoes is going to be difficult. And one thing we do know now is that it won't me Mrs. Ripa's husband Mark! I guess Kelly wouldn't be able to handle that. By the way, when did Regis leave? Did anyone else know about this?

Vince Young: So here we go. A little more in my comfort zone. But I'm not actually sure why Vince is trending. The only thing I can tell is that he is set to work out for the Buffalo Bills. Not exactly earth shattering news, but I guess football has become America's game!

Paulina Gretzky: Welcome to the world of social media and celebrity children. I can't say I had ever heard of Paulina Gretzky, but looking at her last name, it didn't take me long to figure out who she was. And I guess everyone else knows who she is too after posting revealing photos of herself on Instagram.

Well, as usual, we see a lot of beautiful celebrities, sports and a little social media mixed in this time. Effective marketing communication strategies tend to include these very tactics. At The Allied Group, we work with our clients to provide the best possible solution for effective lead generation. And implementing lead generation methods that capitalize on what's going on in the world around us enable us and our clients to capitalize and put this to work for them.