Anyone that knows me can tell you that I’ve long been an advocate of search marketing (the process of developing an online campaign that delivers those text ads that appear on your search results pages in response to specific keywords that you input into search engines).

Anyone that knows me can also tell you that I’m a bit of a political junkie as I spent 4 ½ years involved in the political campaign business.

Well, this weekend I started doing a bit informal research into how the ’08 Republican Presidential candidates were using search in their respective campaigns (yes, I have no life outside of Endeavour). Some things encouraged me while others disappointed.

Mitt Romney is obviously the most online savvy of the candidates (not an endorsement, mind you). All you have to do is look at Governor Romney’s site, see how he has harnessed the power of youtube, etc., so that’s where I started.

When I typed “Mitt Romney” into Google, I noticed that Governor Romney has rightly bid the highest amount for his own name and was on top of paid ad results but I also saw Senator McCain lurking about with his own ad a few spaces down with the curious headline to his ad being “Romney in ’08?” There were also various non-profit organizations and voter initiatives but I won’t focus on those for the article.

Naturally, my next move was to click on each ad to see where it went…

When I clicked on Governor Romney’s ad, it went straight to a “registration” page (no explanation as to why I should register, however) and when I clicked on Senator McCain’s ad, it sent me to a “donate now” page (fyi…these are known as landing pages).

Now I’m thinking the rationale behind the Romney campaign is that if you enter in the name “Mitt Romney” you’re already interested in becoming a part of his campaign so why not just try to sign them up right now? Maybe so, maybe not but why take the chance? That page should have some more information on the candidate for starters and calls to action to “click to find out more about…” and the registration portion should be further down, if not presented as a click-through option.

Senator McCain’s page just screams desperation to me. It seems like they’re saying “Hey, I know that you clicked on an ad expecting to see reason why Romney is questionable (remember the ad headline was Romney in ’08 with a question mark) but before I tell you…can you give me some money?”

Additional research also found the following:

• Mitt Romney is not hedging his search bets on the other 800-pound search engine, Yahoo (at least that I saw, maybe he has a campaign on Yahoo but it shuts down on weekends).

• McCain’s search ads do not show up for various misspellings of Governor Romney’s name (Mit Romney, Mitt Romey, etc.). Big mistake.

• Like McCain, Governor Romney has bought one of his competitor’s names, Rudy Giuliani, and his landing page for that ad is more informative. Kudos, but why not have a page that outlines the differences between the two? You know that somebody has searched for Giuliani and they have, for some reason, also clicked on your ad. They’re obviously interested in weighing the candidates. Don’t make it hard for them by having to look a multiple pages on your site, make it easy and compare yourself DIRECTLY to the person they put input in the first place.

I was most disappointed with how the candidates are treating the issues, which is where they have the most opportunity to differentiate themselves during the primary phase.

• Type in “Mitt Romney Iraq War” on Google and there is an ad for Governor Romney but there is nothing about Iraq, his stance, etc. in the text of the ad, so why would I click on it? Further, if you do click on it, you go to the same, “Sign Up” page.

• Type in “Giuliani Abortion” on Google and no competitors are bidding on this pressure point issue for Giuliani. Giuliani has an ad that shows up but again, it’s generic and if you click on it you go to a page that literally makes you click through about 3 more pages just to get to his issue page. You don’t have to build a new page just have the ad go to your issues page and that particular issue. You know what they’re interested in!

• Oh and by the way, type in “Republican Presidential Candidates Voting Records” and you get nothing.

Okay, okay…this article is getting long-winded and I’ll stop…

So, is search the end-all, beat-all to marketing? No, but when used effectively, it is a powerful online enhancement where you can engage searchers on the issues they care about, drive immediate traffic to portions of your site they are interested in and measure ROI in real-time. Plus, in politics, the candidate that takes control of the news cycle and emerging hot-button issues has a great chance to win. Developing an effective search campaign can achieve all of this.

Again, I’m encouraged that the candidates are starting to use search but they are not even coming close to maximizing its potential.

Harold Henn
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Endeavour Marketing and Media, LLC

Think Outside the Traditional

Since small businesses do not have indefinite funds, it is beneficial to employ smarter efforts rather than finding harder ways to work. This is when guerilla marketing comes to the rescue! Guerrilla marketing is basically a fancy word for nontraditional and cost-effective marketing. This is done through full use of information, understanding, time, energy, and most importantly a creative imagination.

The successful guerrilla marketer must use all of their contacts to network, discover creative publicity stories, outlets and angles, as well as, produce ideas that will gain attention and create a buzz. For example, Sonic Drive-In employed a guerrilla marketing effort when they gave away magnetic cups that stick to your car, so that it appears you forgot to get your cup before driving away. This inexpensive idea generated a vast buzz which in turn boosted the restaurant’s recognition. Finding creative ways to implement guerrilla marketing into your small business doesn’t have to be daunting task; here are a few different examples of how to turn your marketing efforts into simplicity with guerrilla marketing.

If your business primarily focuses on marketing within a 50 to 100 mile radius, then it’s time to stop investing in marketing that reaches outside your local audience, such as global search engines. Instead, try to confine your search engine listings and online advertising dollars within your local area. In addition, implementing blogs into your web site may do your business wonders. According to Sifry’s Alerts on the State of the Blogosphere, there are 100 times more blogs than there were three years ago. Blogging is a cost-effective way to generate a buzz and gain consumer support. Integrating a blog into your website will allow you to converse with your target audience, and provide them the opportunity to respond in the form of feedback– creating another venue which allows you to reach future prospects.

Another successful guerrilla marketing effort is direct marketing. Consumers today want to know what’s in it for them, such as: a discount, coupons, perks or any other type of incentive. Start with a simple postcard campaign to 1,000 different prospects, or send out monthly newsletters with coupons, both are ways to generate more interest and raise greater awareness of your products and services. This Guerrilla marketing will both stimulate new business, and turn repeat business into lucrative lifelong customers.

What’s more, guerrilla marketing can be as simple as giving away a free $10 lunch to a local restaurant, for buying from you now. This effort may be just the motivation the prospect needs to order from you at that very moment. Also, advertising with flyers is another cost-effective effort. You can use them to cover targeted areas, give them to walk-in customers, or mail them to a targeted list. You can also gain attention by writing special-interest articles on pertinent issues. Sending articles like this to the news community will position your business as a resource for information, as well as reputable place to do business.

Kaila Packett

With ever-growing technological enhancements in the marketplace, many marketers and businesses get lost in the latest craze or technology and while totally losing focus from their primary mission of trying to create a positive customer experience with their E-mail campaigns.  In turn, this lack of focus on the mission leads to the flawed execution of their E-campaigns. Sometimes the best plan is taking your business back to the basics of E-mail marketing to ensure an ideal customer experience.

The starting point in cultivating the ultimate customer experience should revolve around what we know about the audience that we want to communicate with. Make data collection an ongoing priority as the integrity of your data will directly affect how successful and lucrative your E-mail marketing will be. There are four basic fundamentals that will enhance your E-mail marketing strategy and improve customer satisfaction.

First, focus on your core mission of what you want to communicate and to whom. This should begin with collecting data you need presently and in the near future to develop a significant dialogue with your audience. This data could include the normal fields like name, E-mail address, geography, etc. but you could also focus on preferred price point, demographic data, preferred product line, etc. No matter what product or service you may be selling, an E-mail marketer’s core competency is about delivering email communications that are relevant to the consumer.  Having as much information as possible ensures that you are sending the right communication to the right consumer.

Second, make it painless. Too many times marketers do not make signing up for email simple, which ultimately turns consumers off. Making it easier to opt into your email communications will be one of your best practices. Include sign-in opportunities on every page of your Web site, gathering basic fields such as first and last name, zip code, and email address. Next, implement a data collection strategy that will allow you to fill in the personal information blanks over time through interactive polls and surveys.

Third, ask your audience what they want (novel concept, we know!). Trusting that your audience knows best will allow your customers to easily select their preferences; such as types of communications they would like to receive, their desired frequency of communication, etc. Involve your audience in your company’s evolution by frequently surveying your customers to determine what types of services, products, or improvements would help to better create an overall satisfying experience.  Maintaining close contact with your audience will strengthen your relationship and in turn keep them coming back for more!

Fourth, allow the process to advance over time. Data collection is a process that will keep growing and improving with time. Eventually, by integrating all of the data collected, you will be able to develop a true connection with your audience and the ability to execute improvements that will become a natural progression.

E-mail marketing campaigns done well, are a simple, fast and cost-effective way to communicate the right message to the right audience.  To find out how Endeavour can help with your next E-mail campaign, email us today at info@endeavour2m.com or just call 615-904-1551.

Kaila Packett,
Marketing Manager
Endeavour Marketing and Media, LLC
kaila@endeavour2m.com

Endeavour Marketing and Media, LLC is a full-service marketing and advertising agency in Murfreesboro, TN.  Endeavour provides its clients with strategic marketing plans, interactive media, media planning, television and video production, graphic design and web design.