Do you know anyone who is on a journey to figure out the best way to create a call to action? During the past couple of years, there has been a major shift in how people and businesses are perceived. The shake-up in the economy has derailed the traditional, and that has inspired a track of inventive, innovative ways to create perceived value. Depending on your product or service, the way you target your market for your particular brand can make a difference (check out the eMarketer graph below).
Do you want to share it online in a web site or blog, utilize social media channels or share your message in radio, tv or print advertising?
Do you want to mix your media to reinforce your marketing message and create a viral loop (a self-fueling action loop that drives users to create more users)? You can find out more about how that works from Josh Jeffryes’ presentation for the St. Louis Innovation Camp. So much of that depends on the demographic that will support your business.
One thing is certain…having an online presence that reinforces your brand and speaks to your audience is essential as you travel through today’s market.
To enjoy enduring success we should travel a little in advance of the world. - John D. MacDonald
The St. Louis Innovation Camp offered five different tracks including Innovation, Start-up Management, Start-up Tech, Funding and Marketing. The marketing classes focused on traditional media with a heavier leaning towards new media. The participants seemed to be all a-twitter about social networking in particular, and that was further evidenced by the fact that the winner of the Innovator’s Cup was Ryan and David Bell for their company Twaitter @twaitter, a site for managing Twitter accounts and posts. The focus revolved around:
Customer Service as Marketing by Dan Curran @manvsagency
Managing Your Online Presence by David Strom @dstrom
Marketing Blocking and Tackling by Wes Morgan @wesmorgan
Driving Adoption by Viral Loops by Josh Jeffryes @jjeffryes
Using Social Media to Find Jobs and Employees by Mark Cummata @triumphcio
Creating a Winning Social Media Strategy by Scott Bishop @thescottbishop
Shine On by Dixie Gillaspie @dixiedynamite
Here is my takeaway from the engaging presentations:
- Traditional media still has an important role to play in marketing
- Sales tend to increase when customers can interact with businesses
- It’s essential to narrow social networking to the most effective tools
- Social metrics go up when content loops from and to the originator
- Building synergistic relationships is about connecting online and off
- It’s all trial and error
NEXT: The Wander of Innovation – St. Louis Innovation Camp
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. – Les Brown
