So you’ve been doing a lot of reading on Internet Marketing – forums, articles, Mannix Marketing’s newsletter! Everything you read is buzzing about the value of blogs. You decide you must have a blog. This will be the magic key to boosting your online relevancy, your traffic, your return on investment (ROI). Before you jump in – Ask yourself a few questions:
Can you write? Can you write quickly and easily? Do you enjoy it? Is there someone else you can assign it to in your company that will enjoy it??
Because, there is no magic in this – blogs must be fed. A blog that has not been updated for weeks or months is a blog that no one wants to read and that the search engines are not going to consider very relevant or interesting. Worse yet, it can become poor PR for your company. A blog that hasn’t been updated in three months may make your company look unorganized or uncaring – blighting an otherwise carefully orchestrated marketing message.
Pay Per Click (PPC) Campaigns are another good example of knowing your time constraints before you leap. Sure you can manage your own campaign, and we’ve had several clients become Google AdWords experts! But the learning curve and the time commitment can often be surprising. A quality PPC campaign will need constant monitoring and tweaking. You will want double digit CTR (Click Thru Rates). You will want to track conversions and ROI. You’ll want to improve ads that are underperforming. You’ll want to analyze your data and develop targeted landing pages. You’ll want to modify your ad message based on changes within your business or industry. Making the time for these types of changes will ensure your PPC Campaigns outperform your expectations. Decide if someone in your company can monitor the campaigns, or hire a consultant to provide monthly management.
If you run a small business, evaluate how website maintenance will be performed before your site is designed. Be honest with yourself about skill level and time constraints. It may be true that you can learn, or even already know, a little html or FrontPage – and editing your own website can sure sound tempting and less expensive. But is it? Will you have the time for timely edits? Where will your salary draw best be spent – editing a website, or managing your business? If you know you’re already wearing too many hats, don’t add another. Find out editing costs upfront from the company you are working with. Look in to Content Management Solutions that offer faster ways for you to manage your site and can incorporate existing product databases.
Evaluating yourself and your business’s time constraints and skill levels will help you develop a plan with an Internet Marketing Company that will play to everyone’s strengths, and ultimately put more money right back where you want it – in your bank account and in your pocket!
