Peter Borges has a great take on what changes we’ll see in how organizations conduct marketing online this year. In a nutshell, it’s about producing great content that will 1) allow people to find them on the Web and 2) engage those people once they’re found.
Notice I didn’t say that marketers need to commit to being found in search engines with an effective conversion strategy. Marketers want qualified buyers coming to their doorstep. To do this a whole-hearted strategy is needed of producing a lot of great content which can engage prospective buyers on the web no matter the platform – search engines, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, industry blogs, industry social networking sites, etc., etc.
Notice I said whole-heartedly, not half-hearted. Pete points out the cost of an SEO consultant is several thousands per month. That’s because an effective SEO strategy requires creating and optimizing a lot of content. It’s not just about optimizing for search engines. SEO in 2009 is about optimizing for the web. That takes a whole-hearted commitment, not a half-hearted commitment.
Yes, it’s a lot of work to produce really interesting stuff that people will want to consume online. But it’s important to do it. So if you can’t commit the time, considering hiring a freelance producer who’ll do it for you. Whether it’s a copywriter who serves as an extension of your communications staff, or an experience freelance reporter who can record an interesting podcast, there are lots of ways to make 2009 an important year for your communications and marketing effort.
