Posted by Gretel Going on Tue, Nov 03, 2009 @ 10:54 AM
What steps should a company take when it wants to transform its website from an informational, brochure-style one to a lead-generating marketing tool?
In the case of our client Praxis Consulting, a new website meant addressing their clients' and prospects' needs with content, content, content!
Praxis is a subrogation services company, which means they help insurance companies determine the at-fault party in auto accidents. Up until now, they've done just fine attracting business despite their very services-centric website, but that business didn't come in through their site; it came from traditional avenues such as trade shows, cold calls, etc. In essence, they realized they weren't taking advantage of this very important tool and were thus overlooking a huge source of leads by not speaking directly to their audience online.
Our solution was a content-rich site with multiple landing pages, and customer-centric language that would speak directly to insurance industry professionals. We also chose to build it on HubSpot's lead generation CMS to account for SEO and inbound marketing best practices.
Following are our objectives for this site, which should top the list for any company looking to make the transition from a navel-gazing informational site to a prospect-friendly one that attracts inbound traffic and leads:
- Position Praxis as THE expert in the subrogation industry. By placing Praxis's thought leadership content (such as benchmarking studies, eBooks, processes and industry acknowledgements) front and center, it's clear that Praxis is driving the conversation on subrogation and recovery.
- Directly address customer and prospect's needs in the context of the industry at large, rather than focus solely on Praxis's offerings.
- Enhance ability to be found by prospects in internet searches with extensive content and ability for easy and quick regular updates that will work to drastically improve Praxis's online rankng.
- Decrease bounce rate. In other words, we want people to DO something once they get to the homepage, rather than leave without clicking through and learning more. (Getting them there is only half the battle!)
- Introduce lead generation capabilities for Praxis's sales team. There are approximately 10 landing pages on the site where users are encouraged to offer their contact information in return for proprietary information. This information is then stored in a private database.
- Detailed lead details. Once someone offers their information, Praxis gets a digest of every page they've ever looked at and every page they look at going forward. This will allow for targeted messaging as it will give the sales team an indication of what problems prospects are trying to solve. We will also get email updates when a lead returns to the site.
- Compare Praxis's success to that of its earnest competitors' in terms of online rankings and top keywords.
- Make it look pretty. Hey, it's a superficial world we live in!
The only thing we're missing now is a blog, something we highly suggest, but hey, it's not for everybody. We have a feeling we'll get our way eventually, though!
Posted by Gretel Going on Wed, Oct 28, 2009 @ 10:18 AM
This article was originally written for Dan Schawbel's Personal Branding Blog.
For most people there is one path to recognition, status and authority-slaving away, day in and day out, mastering a craft, drawing attention to achievements, and hoping that one day all that hard work will coalesce into a recognized personal brand. There is, however, the exception: the Accidental Personal Brand. This is the person who emerges from the ether, gains the attention of the masses, and benefits from the opportunities that inevitably come with an attentive audience.
To most of us, these lucky few are supremely unworthy. If, for example, you're a struggling (but talented!) writer, who hunches over your computer for several hours a day working endlessly to entertain your audience and build your platform, you likely cringe whenever you hear that the Internet phenomenon du jour has secured a book deal with an unheard-of advance, based on a blog started on a whim.
Learn from the non-deliberate
And I can't help but agree that to the untrained eye, most Accidental Personal Brands (APBs) seem to have nothing more than dumb luck on their side, but-stick with me here-not all accidental personal brands are untalented or undeserving. And either way, what's important here is that we can learn quite a bit from the paths they take-from the very non-deliberate way in which their personal brands emerge to the very deliberate ways in which they capitalize on the opportunities that follow.
But first, a look at some of the most compelling recent APBs:
Joe the Plumber rocketed from a random commenter on Obama's small-business tax policy to the mascot for middle-class America. He's since released a book, signed a record deal, made more than a few paid personal appearances, and the list goes on. Jared Fogle lost nearly 100 pounds on his Subway sandwich diet, but gained national attention, a 10-year stint as the Subway spokesperson and a slew of speaking gigs. After Ken Jennings won 74 games of Jeopardy!, he was added to the Guinness Book of World Records, he wrote two books, secured a regular column with Mental Floss, and continues to entertain several media opportunities.
Jon and Kate Gosselin managed to transform their sextuplets into a media empire, including a reality show, books and speaking engagements; a ton of cash, and a high-profile divorce. Octomom secured an upcoming reality show that will feed the country's obsession with her and her octuplets. Levi Johnston got national recognition for getting a vice presidential candidate's daughter pregnant and continues to capitalize on his newfound fame-although his long-term success as an APB remains to be seen. Bloggers are plucked out of the blogosphere daily for book deals and other opportunities.
You get the point.
So now for the real question: What are the key elements that distinguish these APBs and how do they compare to the steps you're taking to build your personal brand?
5 common traitsSubject matter. Whether inane or ingenious, the content or actions that got our favorite APBs noticed are authentic. All too often people over think their messages/content/actions in attempt to cater to the perceived needs of their target audiences, but being formulaic and over-curating your every move are tactics that are at odds with accessibility, transparency and passion-the qualities that generate real audiences.
Audience building. Their audiences came to them, not the other way around. This is not to say that this is the only way, or even the best way, to build your audience, but it's worth noting that our sample APBs' audiences congregated around what was offered (whether its value was sheer entertainment, informational or otherwise). Many disproportionately focus on getting more followers, more email addresses or just more attention-essentially spending more time shamelessly promoting themselves-than on offering value to these audiences. Think of the so-called "experts" or "gurus" you find on Twitter. You know the ones-they've got 50,000 followers, are following 60,000 people, and don't have an expert or guru-esque tweet to speak of. So, no matter how big their audience, they don't own it, and therefore won't be able to leverage it as a selling point.
Platform agnostic. These APBs transcend platform. None of them are limited to writing, blogging, speaking, singing or any one other thing. Although they might have been discovered for one of these things, their personal brand is versatile and goes beyond the competency responsible for their rise to notoriety. Essentially, they are the brand and revenue streams flow outward from what they've established.
Continual brand reinforcement. In other words, don't rest on your laurels waiting for the next opportunity to come to you. This is one piece of advice that APBs tend to bypass, which is why so many of them fade into oblivion after their fast rise to prominence. The key is to have complete ownership over your assets and your audience. Depending on your goals, this could mean the regular production and distribution of thought leadership, publishing your own book (without somebody else's green light), or creating videos and other online content that allow you to speak directly with your audience, and keep them coming back to YOU for more.
A pivotal moment. For each one of these people there was a pivotal moment when they were confronted with an opportunity, whether related or unrelated to their original platform. And the decisions they made at that moment is what may very well determine their staying (or going) power. When building your personal brand, you might have very specific goals in mind, but the opportunities that result aren't always in sync with your plans. If your only plan is to make the most money as quickly as possible, then take what you can get. If, however, you want to build a long-lasting empire, well then, you're better off bypassing the accidental and focusing on the strategic.
Posted by Genna Mazor on Wed, Jul 01, 2009 @ 02:29 PM
Warning: this blog post may incite some very strong opinions. This is part one of a three-part series on coastal supremacy.
In our office, there are two kinds of people: those who love California (me) and those who hate it (Kate and Gretel). The three of us could bicker endlessly about why California is or isn't immensely better than New York City (email me for my list) but since we're in New York City, I guess they win. For now. And because I just returned teary-eyed from my LA trip and Gretel is begrudgingly boarding a flight to San Diego this week, I thought now would be a good time to examine why the east coast/west coast rivalry may be even bigger than Suge Knight said it was.
Like most things in our media-driven culture, it boils down to image, some of it true to life, and some of it not. Ask anyone what they think of when you say "Los Angeles," and they'll probably responded with things like, "blonde," "palm trees," and "Clueless" (you're not helping my cause, Amy Heckerling). Say "New York" and you'll get things like, "real," "big city," and "Annie Hall." Don't get me wrong. I understand that since the time of the Dutch, New York has been crucial to the country's development in commerce, culture and character. But as the urine-soaked garbage piles up on the streets in the summer heat (can you say, "yum"?) I kind of feel like we're all just running on "I HEART NY" fumes. So how does New York City keep the dream alive? With a few elements that any successful brand campaign should take to heart: Clear messaging, clever design, (some) substance, and a lot of concrete.
In today's blog post, we'll examine how New York has used the power of its messaging (both old and new) to bring people into the City, and keep them there (sometimes against their will).
The Messages
New York City
Because of its location, New York has always held a unique place in the hearts and minds of immigrants. Birthplace (I make no claim of historical accuracy) of the American dream, this port-of-entry became the first place to put down roots, sell your wares, and make it big. So the lore and the lure grew. To paraphrase Ol' Blue Eyes, if you could make it here, you could make it anywhere. Much of this message's propagation was thanks to a catchy tune-an accidental PR campaign, so to speak. The City's hardscrabble reputation made it a challenge for any American looking to better his or her situation, and as Tom Brokaw reminded us, the Greatest Generation was certainly up to the task.
Now in the era of brand strategy, careful PR, and good old-fashioned cleaning up the streets, the Mayor's Office has tapped in to the already magnetic power of the city to draw in those who would have moved to the suburbs in the past, to the point where there is no space left in the kindergarten classes in some choice areas. Oops. The new messaging is not just for those who are trying to make it, but for those who already have and who want the city life without too much of the "real" life of the city. The rough-and-tumble City has transformed, and least in messaging, into a family-friendly place, complete with patio furniture in Times Square. This softer crowd can more readily support the City's economy, is off the streets by 11 PM, and is pro at carrying baby strollers up and down subway stairs. One thing is clear in the shift-the Mayor's Office has figured out its new plan, and is sticking to it.
Los Angeles
Unlike New York, Los Angeles has never been able to latch on to a single message for its city, and the horrid reality shows that glorify the superficiality of life in the sun have not helped the city's image. Founded by a Spanish governor in 1781 as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Rio de Poriuncula, LA (and California) was part of Mexico before being purchased by the United States as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. The population grew steadily, but the city was really no different than others across the country until the Biograph Company sent director D.W. Griffith and his troupe of actors to the area in 1910. The combination of good weather, ample space, and willing talent made LA the ideal place to make movies. By 1915, the majority of American films were being produced in the area, and LA has been inextricably linked to "the industry" ever since.
While the industry has been a boon to the city's (and state's) economy, this connection leaves many wondering what LA would be like (or if it would even exist) without it. Forgotten are the spectacular attributes like hikes, wildlife, great produce, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and mountains that run right up along the Pacific. A new California Board of Tourism commercial attempts to spread the good word about the state, but only the surfing can be most directly connected to LA. The city, for all its glorious sprawl, is most known for its smog, traffic, and a great deal of plastic. And while New York prides itself on being "real," LA only exists in many minds as the polar opposite: fake. Los Angeles needs to streamline its message and capitalize on its natural wonders as well as its creative endeavors if it can hope to stand a chance against the behemoth of New York.
Today's winner? It hurts me to say it, but New York City. The City has figured out its (new) ideal audience-not just who they are, but what they want out of their city/brand experience, and is giving it to them.
What do you associate with the "brand" of LA? (BTW, if you say anything close to The Hills, I may have to travel to where you are and nicely knock some sense into you.)
Next up: I HEART NY vs. the Hollywood sign.