TopRank\u00a0recently ran a survey of the\u00a0top digital marketing tactics\u00a0marketers plan to implement this year.\u00a0 They also published some great insights on the fact that\u00a0social media marketing tops digital marketing tactics for 2009.<\/p>\n
Some tactics are clearly hot, while others are not.\u00a0 I thought it would be worthwhile to go through 5 tactics that are hot and 5 that are not and provide my views on why certain tactics are resonating while others are not used and\/or ineffective:<\/p>\n
Hot:\u00a0 Blogging (34%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s hot:<\/strong>\u00a0done properly, blogging builds deep interactions, its use is only limited by your creativity, allows you to forge deep relationships, has cumulative results over time, is a strong traffic generator, simple to implement, huge lead generator, has the ability to help accomplish\/supplement many other internet marketing tactics, lets you build permission and create strong relationships (see more\u00a0reasons your business should blog).<\/p>\n Not: Advergames (1%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s not:<\/strong>\u00a0shallow interaction generated, media buys necessary to drive traffic (baring some extremely rare exception, advergames don\u2019t spread very far in social media), high cost to develop, low or un-trackable ROI, viewed as trite\/obnoxious by real gamers, no compelling reason for consumers to play when casual gaming market has exploded (pro game creators such as Nintendo are highly targeted casual gamers, leaving little reason to play an after-run corporate advergame).<\/p>\n Hot: Search engine optimization (28%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s hot:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>findability\u00a0for your business, consistent, reliable traffic generator, cumulative ROI over time, strong lead generator, tangible results, directly measurable \u2013 results are shown as raw data, perhaps even more necessary in a recession.<\/p>\n Not: RSS advertising (1%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s not:\u00a0<\/strong>RSS is a fast-moving enviornment made up of early adopters who have long-ago learned to tune out web ads either mentally or by using products like AdBlock plus.\u00a0 Pull marketing is a far more efficient srategy to reach the early adopters than push.<\/p>\n Hot:\u00a0 Social network participation (Facebook, LinkedIn) (26%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s hot:\u00a0<\/strong>fishing where the fish are is always a good move, and with 150+ million users, Facebook is a hot place to fish.\u00a0 Using these networks as part of your\u00a0outpost strategy\u00a0to draw visitors back to a web property for your desired conversions is a smart move.\u00a0 Also the low or no cost of using these networks gives them a big nod (although there is of course the time commitment factor).<\/p>\n Not:\u00a0 Virtual worlds (Second Life) (1%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s not:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019m still not sure why some marketers ever ventured into setting up shop in Second Life or other virtual worlds, I personally never saw much (if any value) here.\u00a0 In my mind, it runs counter to what a \u201cvirtual world\u201d is \u2013 an escape from the real world.\u00a0 You can\u2019t get away from the fact that the basic motivation of someone with enough free time to join a virtual world has an escapist mentality and thus doesn\u2019t want reality creeping into the experience.\u00a0 Many brands that entered Second Life received a minor PR bump in the media, but otherwise the shops they set up in the virtual worlds were nothing more than virtual ghost towns.<\/p>\n Hot:\u00a0 Pay per click (14%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s hot:\u00a0<\/strong>PPC is potentially huge,\u00a0if and only if<\/em>\u00a0you take the time to analyze data, work hard within the system and refine refine refine.\u00a0 Those who track and maximize conversions and work relentlessly to develop strong campaigns can reap huge benefits here.\u00a0 Don\u2019t think for a second that just because you are paying for clicks it is going to be easy \u2013 just the opposite \u2013 it is a huge challenge but one that can produce big results if you know the path to follow.<\/p>\n Not:\u00a0 paid reviews (0%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s not:\u00a0<\/strong>this is an inauthentic tactic and one which if done in a manipulative fashion and then later discovered can prove disastrous.\u00a0 Additionally, paid reviews with transparency are simply not trusted.\u00a0 If you have to pay someone to review your product or company \u2013 you probably should rethink your product\/company.<\/p>\n Hot:\u00a0 Online\/digital public relations (7%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s hot:\u00a0<\/strong>as print and traditional media undergo major restructurings, digital media is growing like wildfire.\u00a0 The web is a\u00a0more influential medium than print, and the PR industry as a whole is moving right along with it.<\/p>\n Not:\u00a0 No holds barred spam (0%)<\/strong><\/p>\n Why it\u2019s not:\u00a0<\/strong>spam upsets users, is illegal and can harm your reputation on the web to irreparable degrees depending on what is done.\u00a0 A dangerous and irresponsible tactic, spam is not something smart marketers use.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TopRank\u00a0recently ran a survey of the\u00a0top digital marketing tactics\u00a0marketers plan to implement this year.\u00a0 They also published some great insights … <\/p>\n