I recently attended a material handling conference. The technologies were amazing, and exhibitors were obviously investing heavily to build brand awareness and generate new leads.
As an online marketer, a large banner which read “Worlds Leading Palletizer” especially caught my eye.
I fired up my iPad and was surprised to see that this particular manufacturer was nowhere to be found in the first 2 pages of Google, nor were they investing in PPC. I found a weak Linkedin profile, no Facebook page, no tweets and no video…nothing! Upon visiting the manufacturer’s website I discovered an outdated, brochure ware-like website and a copyright dated 2009.
And here’s what really blew me away…
When I searched for “world’s leading palletizers” on Google, 6 of the Top 10 rankings in Google proclaim that they are the world’s leading palletizer. So much for claiming a unique differentiator!
It’s safe to guess that this manufacturer probably invested at least $20,000 in this conference (with a 20×20 booth, heavy machinery brought indoors and 8 employees staffing the booth). And the “World’s Leading Pallatizer” banner probably set them back a few thousand dollars too!
So what can B2B marketers learn from this?
Perception is reality. If you claim to the the “World’s Leading _____”, then your online visibility must resonate with that message.
Where do you start?
- Update your website! Invest in Web 2.0 and be a trusted source of information in your industry
- Invest in SEO strategies (involving on-page and off-page activities) to heighten organic visibility
- Explore the power of strategically managed PPC to target your message
- Get your social media house in order. Don’t just claim your social media properties, but contribute to the conversation as well
- Create and promote internet videos. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Show the world your stuff!
- If marketing budgets are tight (is yours?), reallocate budget dollars to support online marketing. According to Pew Research, online marketing outperforms traditional marketing by a 4:1 margin
Conclusion
The world has changed, and online marketing evolves on a daily basis. Keep your offline and online messages consistent in order to convey a clear, compelling value proposition. If you brand your company as a “world leader” in 2012, then your website can’t look like 1997!
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