Interactive Marketing Tools

Managing Social Content

Twitter, Facebook, Google Wave, LinkedIn, FriendFeed – the list of sources of social content is never-ending. It wasn’t long ago, when organizations didn’t take social content seriously, let alone tried to manage it efficiently and productively.

Not anymore. Having realized the impact of social media on their businesses, some organizations have chosen to manage their social content in the same way they manage their business content. Some do it with the same enterprise web content management system (WCMS) they use for managing their corporate websites, intranets and extranets. Others use separate applications.  The bottom line is social content must be effectively managed... lest there be consequences.

Regardless of how you approach this, the fact is that social content is everywhere and it cannot be ignored. Social content is very dynamic and changes rapidly, not at the same rate as your other content. However, if you use your WCM system to manage social content, there are several advantages to this model.   A next generation web content management system will have this functionality, along with other interactive marketing tools.

Advantages of Using an Enterprise WCMS to Manage Social Content

One of the advantages of using an enterprise web content management system to manage social content is workflow and approvals. It is undeniable that social media may be a bit of a scary beast to many organizations. Using your WCM system to filter user-generated content is possible, while not always effective. Your social content workflow may be different from others you employ in the company, but it will give you the desired safety and comfort when dealing with social media. As a result, you’re not falling behind the social media curve, but all your content is safe.

Archiving and compliance is another reason for using a web CMS for managing social media and social networks content. It may not be stored in the same repository/database as your other content, but having a strategy and tools to archive your content is crucial, especially in environments with heavy legal and other regulations.

Social media may be treated as one of your publishing channels, just like web, print, mobile, etc. If you already use an enterprise web content management system for publishing to those channels, you may as well consider using the WCMS for social publishing.

While social and web publishing are still moving along the separate tracks, I think in the near future we’ll see them merge, and social content will be managed the same way as any of your other content (web, documents, digital assets, etc.).

How would you define multichannel marketing? I define it as the use of multiple media pathways to reach and influence a target audience. Traditionally, multichannel marketing includes some combination of the following pathways, aka channels:

• Online (Website & Email)
• Direct Mail
• Telemarketing
• Broadcast Media (TV, Radio, etc.)

Like an apothecary mixing a potion, the Marketer will select the right mix of channels to achieve the desired results. The savvy Marketer will select the channels based upon campaign objectives, business type (B2B or B2C), the product or service being offered, and the characteristics of the market segments and audiences being targeted.

Today, multichannel marketing can certainly include any of the above, however the channels to choose from have not only increased in numbers, they have evolved. What has emerged are two very distinct species; one surviving, the other thriving:

• Offline Marketing
• Online Marketing

The  Ascension of the Online Marketing

It wasn’t that long ago that the typical corporate website functioned a lot like a digital brochure. Not anymore.

For many organizations the website has become the center of the marketing universe and a primary driver of corporate revenue (directly and indirectly). The website has evolved from a “channel” into a “platform” for online marketing... a hub for emerging channels that exist almost entirely within the online realm:

• Email Campaigns
• SEM & SEO (Search Engine Marketing & Optimization)
• Directory Listings (free and paid inclusion)
• Banner Ad Campaigns
• Whitepaper Syndication
• RSS Feeds & SMS
• Mobile
• Blogs
• Social Media & Networks

New Tools for a New Era

The evolution of web content management is being driven primarily by the evolution of online marketing. As a result, next generation web content management (WCM) systems are entering the market.

Next generation web content management systems are essentially becoming online marketing platforms. In addition to managing online content, they will also support multichannel marketing. Moreover, they will align with business drivers and include functionalities geared toward achieving marketing objectives, such as increasing conversion rates and building brand loyalty.

A best-in-class enterprise web content management system will include:

• Brand management tools
• Interactive marketing tools
• Email campaign tools

Rethinking Multichannel Marketing

The term “Multichannel Marketing” does not necessarily need to be redefined. Rather, it’s our collective perception of what multichannel marketing consists of that warrants redefinition. No longer does a campaign require both online and offline media to be considered “multichannel” - successful multichannel marketing campaigns are now being conducted 100% online.



SDL Tridion is a leading provider of enterprise web contentent management systems (WCM) and online marketing solutions.

What is the sound of website traffic?

At first glance the question seems utterly absurd. It is. Read on, however, and I think you’ll find that the absurd can sometimes reveal a truth.
 

What possible relationship could there be between Zen and web content management? On the surface, nothing. Look a little deeper, and, well, everything. This post is the first of a series that will explore enterprise web content management through the eyes of a Zen student on the path to marketing Nirvana.

A brief Introduction to Zen

For those unfamiliar with Zen or the practice thereof, I offer this brief introduction.

Zen is a form of Buddhism that emphasizes paying full attention to the present moment.  It’s an extremely practical philosophy that suggests if you are cold and have a wooden statue of the Buddha- you should burn the Buddha to keep warm.

The goal of Zen is to attain enlightenment, a state of absolute awareness, or “oneness” with All That Is. Although enlightenment can be a sudden happening, most often it is not. It comes over many years (lifetimes according to myth) in a series of epiphanies, or “ah ha!” moments.

Over the centuries, a number of practices have been developed to assist masters and students on their journey. Two of the most common are Zazen, a form of seated meditation designed to still the mind and Koans, paradoxical riddles designed to scramble the mind.

Zazen works on the premise that sometimes the best way to think is to not think. How many times have you thought really hard on a problem or situation and the more you thought, the more confused you got?  Then, after “forgetting” about the topic for a while, the solution comes to mind suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue?

A koan, on the other hand, is a riddle to ponder on that has no logical solution. It functions like a bridge to help the mind transcend pure rational thought so it can think “outside of the box”. One of the most well known koans is “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”

So, Then, What is the Sound of Website Traffic?

If you are a B2B or B2C business, it should be KA-CHING! The Ka-ching that comes from revenue generated by converting website visitors into sales leads or closed business.  The louder the Ka-ching the more successful the business.  If you have little or no traffic to your website the sound is silence.  If you have a lot of traffic to your website but the visitors don't convert (do what you want them to do) the sound is also silence.  Needless to say a silent website is bad for business.
 

The New Art of WCM:  Driving Traffic and Increasing Conversion Rates

Like confessed before, although I work for a global web content management software vendor, I'm still an old school marketer. I believe it’s the business benefits and not the technical specifics that are making a web content management system - or any interactive marketing tool for that matter - sexy.  But even with all the interactive tools we have at our disposal, taking the benefits of these techniques to the next level is not easy.

I feel that the most important achievement of today’s interactive marketing solutions is that they enable us to measure the result of everything we do. The old credo “I know I’m wasting half of my marketing budget, but I do not know which half” does not fly on the online stage.

A content management system with integrated analytic solutions enables us to close the loop in our marketing activities. We can capture customer responses and behavior and we should use this data to direct and refine our interactive marketing strategy and tactics.

Easier said than done. That’s why we have drafted a whitepaper and a webinar (recorded version) that shows for each step in the AIDAS cycle how ‘closed loop marketing” concepts for the online channel are relevant and what you can do to support them.

We show how customer acquisition on the web starts with being noticed and how you can make people aware of your offering by using activities ranging from online advertising, branding and email marketing to search optimization and social tagging. We illustrate how the web over the years has developed from the mass communication platform it was, to becoming an engagement channel and the consequences this has for online marketing organizations that need to shift focus from traditional shotgun strategy to a rifle approach. To generate desire and action, marketers should actively seek direct dialog and need to offer a relevant and persuasive online experience. Only by establishing a strong emotional bond that creates loyalty to a brand, long-term growth and success can be guaranteed. The key is to make intelligent investments that allow you to measure result, improve and create long lasting relationships with your customers.

1.  Implement and Maintain Current Web Content Management (WCM) Technology

It wasn't that long ago when a basic function calculator could be purchased for $9.99.  Today, walk into any drug store and you can purchase the same calculator for $1.99 or buy a super deluxe scientific model for $9.99.  With most technology products you get more for less over time.  The same principle applies to enterprise web content management.

The web content management market and industry has changed considerably over the last few years and continues to evolve at a rapid pace.  Best-in-class enterprise web content management systems are now at the core of successful online marketing strategies and do much more than simply manage online content.  These systems now include interactive tools that will help you achieve online marketing objectives, such as increasing conversion rates.

To keep your organization ahead of the game and maximizing business results from your online channel, plan on upgrading WCM technology every three to five years.

2.  Frequently Update Website Content

Adding fresh content on a regular basis to your website will improve your search engine rankings plus has the extra benefit of keeping customers coming back for more.   Use dynamic content to deliver an enhanced visitor experience, build brand loyalty, and drive conversions.

3.  Personalize Website Interactions by Using Landing Pages

One of the quickest and easiest ways to increase the personalization of your online channel is to incorporate the use of more landing pages.  Landing pages should generally be directed at one target audience with one message and have one call to action.  By segmenting your target audiences you can channel them to the landing pages with content that best fits their profile.  Personalized content increases conversion rates.

4.  Conduct A/B Testing of your Website Content

I am the first to admit that marketing is as much an art as it is a science.  And while there are best practices for virtually every marketing tactic, the truth of the matter is that we never know for sure what will work and what won't work.  That is until we've tried it.  When you find out what works, do more of it.  A best-in-class enterprise web content management system will have A/B testing with functionality that makes this kind of testing simple.

5.  Use Old School Segmentation for Target Audience Marketing

Segment your Target audiences into groupings that make sense for your business and deliver persuasive content tailored to each group.  Best-in-class enterprise web content management systems will have this capability.

6.  Personalize the Website Experience

Website personalization is very similar to Segmentation, however here you are personalizing the web experience for individuals rather than groups.  Next generation web content management systems have the ability to deliver personalized content to individual website visitors based upon explicit and implicit behaviors.

Global Web Content Management

Organizations face many challenges when creating a network of global websites. They need to maintain brand consistency while allowing for variations that reflect local cultures. Creating truly localized websites can be a daunting process in which corporate and local marketing teams need to collaborate to provide relevant information to different target audiences.

BluePrinting™:  A Unique Web Content Management Feature

BluePrinting is a unique technology from SDL Tridion that allows organizations to manage their networks of websites. The separation of content, layout and other website elements enables organizations to adapt these elements separately to match the needs of local audiences.

Organizations can manage localization by cost effectively using an inheritance model that allows multiple Web sites to use consistent structure, branding and content while allowing for localization of content, as needed.

Free Website Globalization Resource

SDL Tridion has produced an excellent whitepaper to assist companies who are seeking to improve their global online content management.  It provides examples of how organizations can use BluePrinting technology to achieve a smooth, global Web operation- and how they can combine enterprise web content management with translation technology for even greater efficiency.  Click this link to download free of charge:

http://www.sdltridion.com/downloads/white_papers/managing_global_websites.asp

Beyond Web Content Management

Successful global target audience marketing requires more than web content management and localization of content.  It requires a global marketing solution with tools for interactive marketing, multichannel marketing, email campaigns, and online brand management.

Global Web Content Management Vendor Selection

If your in the market to globalize your websites and purchase a new global web content management system, carefully review each vendor's offering and look beyond basic  features and technology.  Your best bet is to select a vendor that best meets your needs by offering a fully integrated global marketing solution.

Full Disclosure: I am a technological dummy and could not code my way out of a paper bag.  And I'm fine with that.  As a marketing professional, I could care less about "technology".  That is, at least, technology for technology's sake.  But I do care about the benefits of technology and the results it can help deliver to the bottom line.

Take, for example, this Blog.  I have no clue what's under this user-friendly interface. Probably a bunch of HTML mumbo jumbo and all kinds of this code and that code.  What I do know, with a reasonable degree of certainty, is that if I use this Blog according to best practices I will:

• Have greater visibility to search engines
• Communicate our corporate message to more members of our target audience
• Drive increased traffic to our website
• Generate more leads for our sales force
• Deliver an acceptable return on investment (ROI)

Believe me, these things I REALLY care about.  In fact, my job depends upon it.  I bet yours does too, if you are a marketing professional like me and have online marketing objectives that must be achieved.

As for this Blog, the same goes for enterprise web content management- the technology of a system is far less important than how it will help me achieve my assigned objectives (and thereby keeping me gainfully employed).

Admittedly, when I started working for SDL Tridion I did not know much about enterprise web content management, nor the underlying technology.  I still don't know much about the technology, but I have become an expert on the benefits of web content management and how a well deployed system can help me reach my business goals, like, for example, increasing conversion rates.

In addition to providing the benefits listed above, the best-in-class web content management system I use helps me do my job better and faster by providing me with:

• An online brand management solution
• An integrated multichannel marketing system
• Interactive marketing tools
• Email campaign tools
• Easy website personalization and target audience marketing

The more I work with the solution I am using , the more I realize that this is "not my fathers web content management system"... clearly it is something much more... probably better described as an integrated online marketing solution than an enterprise web content management system.  Quite frankly, I am less concerned about managing online content than I am leveraging it.  It's the leveraging of online content that produces the results.