The Marketing Strategies you'll need to do business in 2009

I have spent a lot of the last two months forecasting what I think are going to be the top 20 Marketing Trends for 2009, and also listing out the business strategies that you will need to pursue to survive, prosper, and WIN in 2009. If you'd like help with any of these items, have a look at the Market GoGo site, and don't hesitate to contact Market GoGo to get a qualified Marketing Strategy Consultant to help you.

1. Integrated Interactive Campaigns
   
• Allowing prospects to become customers (e.g. participate with us to get your instant coupon),
  
• Getting prospects and customers to sign-up for promotional emails (e.g. sign-up for an instant saving, and also for future savings ... the "flyers" of tomorrow), and
  
• Building an ongoing relationship with the brand (e.g. play with us and learn more about our products and services).
  


2. Bankruptcy (the penalty for not advertising)
   
• Advertise hard throughout this recession and be sure that the advertising you produce actually works
  


3. Direct Marketing will be in vogue
   
• Creating targeted and relevant campaigns that can be executed on multiple DM channels
  
• Tuning existing DM campaigns
  
• Ensuring your lists are opt-in and accurate
  
• Personalizing DM campaigns based on profile, preferences, and interactions
  
• Treat your email list like gold. Use it carefully. Don't abuse it.
  
• Focus on your existing customers. Mine your customer databases and create appropriate personalized direct offers
  
• Look at each DM media and look for new opportunities.
  


4. Focus on the green in your pocket ... not the green in your forests
   
• Focus on value in the short-term, and
  
• Build a credible and real environmental culture and brand for the long-term.


5. Simple Strategies ... Back to the Basics
   
• Branding - What is your brand promise? How does your company support it? (Does your company support it?)
  
• Retail Ads - To paraphrase David Ogilvy, a good ad is one that sells your product. 2009 is not the time for airy fairy branding ads. 2009 is the time for simple and honest ads that educate people about the value of your product and scream out at them to take action.
  
• Customer Retention - The cheapest customer to sell to is an existing customer. It is time to revisit and work your current customers to remind them that you are a low-risk and well-known value for them (of course, I'm expecting that you really are). Reselling, upselling, and cross-selling are all ways that you can make ends meet (and maybe even eke out a profit) in 2009.
  
• Customer Satisfaction - It is almost like hearing the same message twice. If you are going to revisit your current customers, then you better ensure that they are happy with your product or service, and make real steps to bolster your customer satisfaction.
  
• Real Return on Investment - Projects you undertake in 2009 better have real and demonstrable ROI (and they better have it fast).
  


6. Paid Search advertising will grow substantially again
   
• Do Paid Search Engine Marketing: Oh, and do it well. Track the ROI of keywords and be sure that you are making your money on every word that you are bidding on.
  
• Work your copy: A paid search ad is just a simple little bit of text. But, it may be the most powerful 12 to 15 words you ever write. Test, revise, test, revise, and don't stop. Make sure that every bit of copy you put out there on those search ads is on brand and works as well as it possibly can. Additionally, customize copy for each search term you have out there. You should have tens, hundreds, or even thousands of ads floating out there in the ether of the search world.
  
• Create Landing Pages: Every paid search bid should have its own purpose-made landing page with your call to action highlighted. No one should ever click on your paid search ad and end up at your home page (or worse, a 404 error).
  
• Do Organic Search Engine Optimization: SEO is "free" and having a high organic rank will pay off rapidly - even in places where you are also bidding on a relevant keyword. But, to be honest, SEO isn't free and it isn't a one-time project. SEO requires solid resourcing with people who have a good understanding of what they are doing. It is also a journey not a destination. So, you have to be prepared to continually revisit your SEO and tune your website.
  


7. Online commerce will continue to increase
   
• Know that more people will be hitting your site looking for deals,
  
• Make sure your best deals are present on your home page, and
  
• Ensure that throughout your check-out process you have GREAT and SIMPLE up-sell and cross-sell options.


8. Online Advertising will Continue to Grow
   
• Do review your traditional advertising spend VERY closely. What worked? What didn't? What is dubious? Slash and burn anything but that which worked. Figure out how you can build on those things that worked.
  
• Do online advertising. Look at how you can be creative with it. Also, look at how you can integrate with traditional advertising that is working. Similarly, look at how you can integrate it with Direct Marketing opportunities.
  
• Focus on your Cost Per Acquisition. Use analytics and look at all of your online advertising and its performance (including creative, message, placement, etc.). Use this information to tune your ads and your media buys in order to lower your CPA. To lower your media buys, look at options like bulk buys, advertising networks, or even changing the type or mix of ads you are running entirely (e.g. maybe increase your search spend, and reduce your banner ad spend).
  


9. RFP Responses will be critical
   
• Sharpen your pencil and fill up your printer with new toner and good quality printing stock
  
• Get to know the purchasing people in Government offices at all levels, and get on their RFP lists
  
• Search long and hard for RFPs that suit your business
  
• Fully understand each RFP and what problem it really seeks to solve
  
• Create a compelling RFP response that clearly shows the client you understand their problem, and clearly tells the story of how you will help them resolve that problem.


10. Uncertainty
    
• Adopt a long-term low-cost strategy.
  
• Get back to the basics on your Marketing strategy.
  
• Narrow your focus.
  


11. "Do It Yourself" and Free will be music to consumers' ears
    
• Look for opportunities where your customer can lower the cost of your product or service by doing some of the work themselves.
  
• Ensure that you make your product or service a "must have" item to do the work. (E.g. your product must be the essential item to make the outcome work),
  
• Advertise that the value-add is free, but ensure that the value of your product or service stands out on its own.


12. The demand to build bulletproof cases to gain project funding
    
• Spend a lot of time planning. In fact, set up cross-functional teams to help you do your planning,
  
• Get your teams trained in good planning methods, and
  
• Rely on standard and proven project management and financial models.


13. Online Interactive Marketing will grow
    
• Determine and Pursue your Social Media strategy: First off you have to recognize the value in engaging significantly and frequently with your prospects and customers, and then look at the opportunities you have to "monetize" your involvement. You need to develop a long-term social media strategy, plan, and related tactics. You also need to invest in getting good people and training them to do the job right. Tactics you may employ include:
  
• Publish your own blog - content you might publish includes your Executives views on your culture, your ad campaigns, your product, your people, stories from your customers, and your company's history.
  
• Participate in other blogs and reviews - use Techorati, Google, IceRocket, and others to track blogs and reviews where your company's name shows up, or where topics that are important to you show up. Create a "company blog spokespersa" (which could actually be several people, so long as they stick to the persona). Participate in blogs. For instance, if someone gives your product a good review then thank them for that. If someone gives your product a bad review then see what you can do to resolve the problem.
  
• Add Reviews to your Site - There are two companies out there who can help you get product reviews up on your site fast. They are Buzzillions and BazaarVoice. Either of these two companies can get you up and running fast.
  
• Produce some Online video: Publishing video couldn't be easier with the likes of YouTube and similar hosting sites available for FREE.
  
• Produce TV-like commercials specifically for the web: ... typically lower video quality, shorter, or longer, interactive with the customer
  
• Create Software as an Advertising Media: Build out Google Gadgets, desktop applications, or other similar software that will help your customers connect with you. There has to be real value in the software. But, if you build it, they will come. Plus, they will buy from you!
  
• Build your Opt-in Email List: Email marketing is likely the cheapest and most effective way to reach out to people who have already volunteered to be your customer. If you don't have an inhouse opt-in email list, start one. If you do have it, make sure that your emails are personalized and effective.
  


14. Traditional Print Media will continue to crater
    
• Look carefully at the price and performance of all media - this includes the dying print world, the new interactive world, and everything in between.
  
• Be sure that you have an exit plan for Traditional Print media. If you aren't doing interactive advertising, start now before it is too late for you to get the skills you will need to have to market well with new media.
  


15. TV will do "okay" this year
    
• Ensure your TV advertising is effective. While this may sound obvious ... actually go out and do some research to ensure that your ads have recall, and that the message in them is being understood.


16. REAL Engagement with your customer is critical
    
• Look at advertising opportunities on Social Media sites. There are several advertising agencies and advertising networks who can probably help you do this very effectively and cost-efficiently.
  
• Build a public company blog.
  
• Build secure internal focused blogs and forums to allow your employees to engage with the company and to allow you to learn more about the delivery and branding of your products.
  
• Read and respond to blogs and reviews about your products.
  
• Create a review site for your product on your site, and participate in it actively.
  
• Get access to reviews about your products from your retailers.
  
• Read public reviews about your competitors product and discern from that a certain amount of competitive analysis.
  
• Use testimonials from reviews in your ads.
  
• Create forums for your customers so that they can discuss your product.


17. Balancing that Budget - Looking for more bang for the buck
    
• Innovate. Don't do what you did last year in the misguided hopes that is could work in 2009. You have less money to play with. Figure out new and interesting ways to get your prospective customer or your existing customer to pay attention to you.
  
• Integrate your campaigns. If you are insistent on doing old media, make sure that you find great ways to integrate your campaigns across media. Also - integrate them tightly with an interactive new media element. For instance, the media should all simply include your website. Or, maybe it should direct people to sign-up for a contest on your site - which will also help you to create an opt-in email list.
  
• Look for opportunities to do Direct Marketing tastefully to your existing customers. Make sure you catch their attention, make sure you give them real value in your offer, and make sure you have a solid call-to-action.
  
• Consider (legal) Guerilla Advertising Stunts that will catch attention and give you loads of free and positive publicity.
  
• Try out lots of things on the Internet. If you don't know how, then engage an Advertising Agency or a Marketing Consultant to help you learn more about "how to" and then "what to".
  


18. Survival of the cheapest
    
• BE a Low-Cost company. If you are already a low-cost company, get reacquainted with the strategy basics. If you aren't a low-cost company and you haven't already memorized the list above, then I suggest you buy Michael Porter's book. You can't become Low-Cost overnight. It requires a fundamental change in business strategy and culture. If you are prepared to go this route, be prepared for a challenging yet ultimately rewarding journey.
  
• DISCOUNT your wares, and prepare to eat your margin. Why? Because your low-cost competitor is about to stick it to you!


19. Survival of the one who can help you be the cheapest
    
• Look for the value in your product or service. You probably are doing something today that will help other companies lower their costs. If you aren't then find out how you can change your offering to provide that. You must provide value that will help to lower your customers' costs.
  
• Advertise it! One of the other strategies for surviving - and indeed propsering - throught a recession is to Advertise. Once you find your value proposition that helps to lower your customers' costs, then make sure they know about it.


20. Growth Areas - Healthcare, Education, and Government
    
• Develop products and services that have health benefits.
  
• Develop products and services that have educational benefits.
  
• Figure out where to look for Government RFPs and watch for opportunities.

That's the list.