The Search for Results

Marketers are always searching for results. And in today’s Internet dominated environment, that search is both literal and figurative as search engine tactics play an increasingly important role in marketing plans.

This was driven home as I recently read a report from The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO). The group’s sixth annual State of Search Engine Marketing Report estimates that the North American search engine marketing industry will grow 14% from $14.6 billion in 2009 to $16.6 billion by the end of 2010.

Yet despite the increase in spending, the 1,500 client-side marketers and agency respondents noted that measuring the return on investment (ROI) from search engine marketing is still their biggest challenge. Of the three key search tactics covered in the survey - search engine optimization (SEO), paid search and social media marketing – social media is clearly the toughest to measure. Measuring the impact of social media was identified by 63% of the respondents as their toughest task.

So what does all of this mean for marketers? Like most other marketing issues, you need to establish your business objectives for search engine marketing and allocate resources according to your priorities. For instance, SEO is becoming more refined and the right tweaks to your website can produce big results. We recently enhanced the content for one of our client’s sites and it shot up near the top of the search engine rankings in its category.

If you’re conducting a paid search program using Google AdWords or similar tactics, take a careful look at the cost of keywords. The survey indicated that Google keywords have become more expensive over the last year, while fewer respondents noted an increase in Yahoo and Bing keyword costs.

Finally, don’t jump into social media just because everybody else is doing it. B2B applications for social media are increasing, as I noted in a previous blog, but you need to define your objectives and expectations before you start.

SEMPO’s State of Search Engine Marketing Report 2010 can be purchased at http://econsultancy.com/reports/state-of-search. However, if you’d like a free initial consultation on how NM Marketing Communications can help you improve your search engine marketing, give me a call at 847.657.6011.

What’s an Idea Worth?

The old saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” is equally applicable to communications programs by substituting the word “value” for “beauty.” While there are many metrics to measure the ultimate results of an advertising, marketing or public relations campaign, there is often a gray area at the start of any client agency/relationship when discussing appropriate compensation for the creation of the program.

Often, this occurs because it’s hard to figure out what an idea is worth. A marketing campaign deals with abstract concepts, nuanced claims and creative impressions. The genius of a good marketing program is blending these elements in a way that attracts the customer’s attention and effectively communicates your solution to a problem. The end result may only be an arresting headline, striking visual and a few lines of crisp copy.

This may lead some purchasers of marketing services to jump to the wrong conclusion about the cost of creative marketing elements. The purchaser may think, “How long could it take to write a few words for a headline and a paragraph of copy.” Manufacturing organizations are probably more prone to this reasoning because they deal with specific units of production and can accurately track costs of materials, labor and machine operating expenses.

Some similar elements are present in the final development of an ad, brochure, website or similar materials. You can measure the amount of time it takes to find or create artwork, lay out the design and complete production.

What can’t be measured is the industry knowledge, intellectual capital and imagination that helps clients achieve marketing success. These factors are the most important considerations when choosing a marketing partner and putting a value on their work. Establishing a business relationship that capitalizes on the intangible skills of the marketing communications company will be rewarding for both the client and the agency.

To learn more about our industry experience and the ideas we bring to B2B clients, call us at 847.657.6011 or e-mail us.