Category Archives: Digital Marketing

6 Benchmarks for Evaluating a Sustainable Digital Marketing Strategy: SERVAS Digital Analysis

By Ira Kaufman

Before designing a Digital Strategy, my clients often ask the “million dollar” question — “How do I know Digital Media works?”

My response is simple –there are no guarantees in this world.  But if I had the answer, I would own the most prolific global digital agency.SERVAS digital marketing

Rather, I suggest addressing this challenge through a series of questions that are the foundation for a successful Digital Marketing program.

  • Is the content of the social media message effective?
  • Is the target market communicating via social media and will you reach them?
  • Are selected social media tools appropriate and optimized?
  • How do you evaluate this strategy before and after the launch?
  • Does the marketing effort meet the client’s goals?

A simple approach is needed to answer these questions. I searched for a methodology to evaluate current and future online and social media efforts in terms of meeting the basic criteria considered necessary for a successful Social Media Marketing campaign.

After considerable research and testing, GERVAS was developed to benchmark these efforts. During the past year this methodology was used successfully to analyze current campaigns and “design stage” marketing efforts including:

  • Websites
  • Online newsletters
  • Facebook welcome pages
  • Blog posts
  • YouTube videos
  • TV advertisements
  • Digital Marketing campaigns

It was used as a guide to develop the digital marketing strategies for Lynchburg College School of Business and Economics and Fez Sacred Global Music Festival , as well as a learning resource for a Social Media Marketing University Course.

The tool has been refined and expanded as SERVAS Digital Analysis. SERVAS reflects the ultimate goal of “serving your customers” through conversing, caring, supportive and sustainable actions.

SERVAS is a tool that guides the development of your Digital Marketing Campaign.  Each marketer/ businessperson applies six simple benchmarks to evaluate the potential effectiveness of its digital marketing efforts. This analysis can be applied to the different phases of a campaign:

  • Strategic phase:  to position the product/organization
  • Design phase:  to anticipate results
  • Market Testing phase (via team discussion or focus group): to refine the product or  presentation
  • Final Evaluation phase:  as a post mortem for a current campaign to better understand the elements  that need to be adjusted

SERVAS is an easy to apply tool using these six critical benchmarks for digital success. By probing and asking related questions for each benchmark, marketers will gain insights on the potential effectiveness of their marketing efforts to achieve desired results.  Here are the six benchmarks:

  • Sustainable goal
  • Engage
  • Relationship
  • Value
  • Action
  • Synergy

Sustainable goal – What is the targeted goal of your advertisement, social media program or digital marketing campaign?

What differentiates a traditional corporate goal from a sustainable goal?

A traditional goal focuses on meeting business objectives (e.g., brand recognition, profits).    A sustainable goal results in benefit for the community, as well as the business.  For example, a business designs a product that supports community values (e.g., social responsibility, community action, environmental stewardship). Based these actions, the business might affect their customer base increasing customer loyalty and advocacy. Dr. Philip Kotler shares many examples of companies developing sustainable goals in Marketing 3.0.

Sustainable Goal addresses these questions:

  • Does it benefit the business and society, while expanding businesses’ opportunities?
  • Does it make a meaningful impact on a target market and society?
  • Is senior management committed and is it integral to company values and operations?
  • Is it definable and measureable?

Some sustainable goals include:

  • Creates exposure to company values
  • Builds service into brand for a target market
  • Generates positive actions and  X traffic to the website

Engage – How effective is the message in attracting or involving your target market?

Engagement is the “elevator pitch” for your digital campaign. The first 10 seconds are critical in attracting and maintaining the interest of your target market.

Engage addresses these questions:

  • Does your message reach your target markets?
  • Does your content provoke an “emotional” attraction?
  • Does the message “speak to your target?” (involving them, not speaking  at them or broadcasting to  them)
  • Did your targets take note or was there a “hook” to remember the message?
  • Does your message extend beyond the initial impression?

Relationship – Did the communication foster interactivity or shared dialogue with the company, blogger or contact?

A successful social media message initiates interactivity and a two way conversation building a relationship.  A relationship requires openness, trust, transparency and vulnerability to grow to become sustainable with ongoing interactions.

Relationship addresses these questions:

  • Did the tool provide easy venues to initiate conversations?
  • Did the message stimulate the target to feel trust or common interests?
  • Did the message create a feeling of openness and encourage dialogue?
  • Did the communication help you to “know the users’… needs, preferences, interests”?
  • Did the tool inspire ongoing conversations?

Value –Does the product or service and related message(s) communicate added benefit for the individual, organization or company?

The value component of a social message is crucial to moving a user/viewer to adoption or action. The value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered and a belief from the customer of value that will be experienced.

Value addresses these questions:

  • Does it answer a need or solve a problem; address a “pain point;” make you more ________ (e.g., competitive, feel better about yourself); or help you to be a better parent, businessperson, or citizen?
  • Can the user perceive Value/Benefit in the message?

Action- Does the message move you to act?

Action is the dependent variable of most traditional marketing efforts.  How does the message translate into results? In a digital campaign, “results” bring forth a much more expanded meaning including social sharing/advocacy, social referrals, downloads, reviews and social mentions.

Action addresses these questions:

  • Is the desired action clearly defined?
  • Is it accessible?
  • Is it being communicated in media where the target market “hangs out?”
  • Is the message clear and focused to promote action?
  • Does the message motivate the user to share it or advocate the “brand” with their extended network?
  • If the activity is successful, will it meet your goals?
  • Is the activity, trackable and measureable? (e.g., sales, orders, leads, brand recognition, database, social referrals, downloads, reviews, social mentions, website visits)

Synergy- Is the tool an add-on to current marketing efforts or is it integrated into the campaign?

Synergy is the key ingredient in leveraging social media to generate a viral campaign. Many companies add a social media tool to their marketing package without leveraging its power or integrating it with their existing campaign.

Synergy addresses these questions:

  • Is the message designed to “weave with” and leverage other marketing efforts?
  • Does the message link to other media and generate new sources of traffic?
  • Is it designed to be passed on to different communities to create viral buzz?
  • Can your message easily be shared in multiple channels?
  • Does the sustainable goal translate in a meaningful way to consumers or does it need to be adjusted?

SERVAS Digital Analysis is a practical and easy methodology for staff and outside agencies to benchmark a social media application and its effect on an organization’s marketing strategy.

Are You a Digital Alien, Digital Immigrant, or Digital Native? … Marketing to the Digital WHO

By Ira Kaufman

Becoming Digitally Competitive

Every executive acknowledges the digital revolution. They passively explore and search, observe and download. But what are they actively doing about planning, strategizing and implementing digital programs to remain competitive?

In fact a Digital Divide is growing between what executives say and what they ”do digitally.”  eMarketer reports that 78% of U.S. executives think that a social business strategy is important to future business success, but only 27% deem it a top priority.

How do we reach these executives (some 50% stuck in this divide)  to guide them to become digitally competitive?

The Digital Who

First question— Who are the “Digital Who”?

With regard to the digital space, all executives, managers, and junior professionals have one thing in common; they are all Digital Explorers -using digital tools to navigate their world. On the other hand, they are not monolithic.   Some are challenged to adopt the new mindset and learn new skill sets, and while others struggle to develop engaging and integrated strategies. They differ in

  • Comfort or resistance to new technologies
  • Venues to approach them
  • Relationship and interactivity with social tools

The growth of the digital revolution suggests “The Who” expanded from two segments (Digital Natives and Immigrants) to four distinctively different segments in terms of culture, digital mindsets, and  technical skill sets and usage.

  • Digital Natives
  • Digital Immigrants
  • Digital Aliens
  • Digital Integrators

By understanding each segment, we can better address their needs and how to develop a collaborative organization to respond to the opportunities and challenges of the digital world.

Digital Natives born digital, think social, need to implement strategic

Digital Natives are called by many names –Millennials and Gen Y. They are approximately ages 10- 29 years and born into the digital age. The internet is their default and comfort level in terms of playing games, doing homework, searching for events/ information/products , and sending messages. Quick response, flexibility and openness to change are their standard. They use it to communicate (texting, social networks). The Natives are the fabric of the social web; they live here, using these tools for social communication. This is their natural habitat; they use digital and think about it as a social tool.  They need to be guided to: understand how this skill set integrates into a business strategy; adapt their social use of Facebook, etc. to a strategic marketing tool; and monitor and evaluate the use of these tools. They will grow to become Digital Integrators.

Digital Immigrants think strategic, need to implement digital

Digital Immigrants are approximately ages 30-60 years and are the early and late adopters of the Web2.0 technologies. Most Immigrants were born “before the existence of digital technology and adopted it to some extent later in their life.” They were brought up with a variety of computer technologies, used them in different contexts and have varied levels of experience with social media. By necessity they have accepted the realities of the digital revolution and are scurrying to understand their role and learn the basics. For the most part these business people think in silos; they see marketing as separate tools that can be added to the marketing mix— advertising (e.g., print, TV , radio), direct mail, websites,  outdoor and now social and mobile media. They use social media as an add-on to their current market efforts. They dabble, try out the newest app, struggle and search for answers and understanding. They need to be guided to develop a digital mindset,  refine their experience in 1-2 social tools and integrate these tools into their business strategy.

Digital Aliens think strategic, need to experience digital value.

Digital Aliens are approximately ages 45-70 years and are the late adopters and laggards of the Web2.0 technologies. They are C-suite, senior executives, and owners that minimally interface with the digital world (e.g., email, texting, searching) and are unaware of the digital opportunities.  They have a basic skill set with computers and internet and are slow to change and adapt.  They stereotype social media as “kids play” or “ just social  chatter” and challenge if the digital revolution will last. Most see it as a passing fad; at best it will have a marginal impact on their bottom line.

Often, Digital Aliens block adoption of social media efforts. Some Aliens are forced to adapt their strategies in face of growing pressure and success of their competitors. They rush to “hire a digital presence” or “add Facebook” without the commitment or knowledge to make it a company-wide reality. If the campaign fails to produce the expected results, as many do, they blame the media.

Aliens depend on their team to manage their company’s presence in the digital environment.  Most often, they are resistant, fearful and overwhelmed by the digital challenges and question its long term value.  At the same time, they acknowledge the current impact of social media but do not make it a strategic priority for the organization.  They think strategically but need to: experience the value a digital strategy; think in a digital paradigm; and make a commitment to step-by-step implementation of a Digital Marketing Strategy.

Digital Integrators live digital, innovate strategic, need to integrate

Digital Integrators are approximately ages 25-60 years and are the innovators and early adopters of the Web2.0 technologies.  Some were “Digital Natives,” while other were “Digital Immigrants.” Many are consultants, designers, journalists, and marketing executives.  They live the Digital World — experimenting, testing, sharing and implementing new social technologies and evolving their digital knowledge and presence. They are strategists designing applications across silos and integrating them with current marketing efforts. They focus on customer engagement and developing sustaining relationships. They guide Natives, Immigrants, and Aliens to develop a digital mindset and implement a strategy. They understand the value of digital technology and use it to seek out opportunities to make an impact. They live digital, innovate strategically and integrate technologies.

The following matrix is designed to provide executives, trainers, with a way to assess a company’s digital position.

Digital Positioning Matrix


Does your company target and achieve the digital results noted in the lower right corner (red box)? These are the results of a digitally competitive and innovative organization. It is not enough to acknowledge the need and “get a Facebook page“ or “broadcast your messages on Twitter”.

The question for your executive team— Is your organization or business ready to travel the road to becoming digitally competitive?

If so, it requires:

1. Executive training to understand the value of digital marketing and to know the right questions to ask
2. Senior level commitment
3. Change in organizational mindset
4. Support for the integration of digital strategies into the marketing effort

Preparing Future Managers For the Digital World

By Ira Kaufman

Preparing Future Managers for the Digital World:Digital Marketing Alive Course

Marketing and Public Relations are being reinvented daily.  Advertising agencies and marketing managers are challenged to learn new skill sets and develop more comprehensive and integrated strategies.

How are we preparing students to become future executives and managers and address these challenges?

University Business Schools at both the MBA and undergraduate levels are just starting to dip their feet into the digital waters. Many of the efforts are adding a course or incorporating social media into an existing course. The critical element is changing the Mindset from old school push marketing to pull marketing. The focus is on engaging the customer, developing relationships and encouraging sharing the message with their social communities. Placing ads or posts on social media without developing conversations is continuing the old school “sales“ focus without leveraging the power of the new media.

Digital Marketing Alive Training

To address this need, Lynchburg College’s School of Business and Economics launched Digital Marketing Alive,  an innovative Social Media Marketing course in the Spring 2011.  The goal was to provide an “alive,” interactive Digital Experience that translates to future jobs. Students share their experiences.

The training was designed to adopt a digital mindset – customer (student) centered, interactive, participatory, engaging, and transparent. It was structured in three integrated parts: digital marketing strategy; social media tool development and a “live” business project.

Objectives for each student

  1. Challenge familiarity with Facebook  and translate to Social Media Marketing
  2. Instill digital mindset (truly customer centric)
  3. Think strategically about marketing
  4. Integrate all marketing functions with social media
  5. Expand confidence and use of social media tools
  6. Access power of social communities and social sharing
  7. Understand and use evaluation metrics
  8. Expand concept of ROI

Social Media Classroom

The marketing concepts (strategy and social media tools) were shared via engaging formats. The students experimented and refined their skills with these concepts/tools through an interactive online learning environment, Social Media Classroom. This user friendly environment designed by Howard Rheingold and developed by Sam Rose allows for students to learn and experiment with blogging, wikis, forums, social bookmarking and micro blogging in a private safe setting. In the Social Media Classroom they build confidence and gain experience while interacting with their teachers and colleagues in preparation for using these skill sets in a live Social Media Marketing campaign.

Interactive Student Presentations

To further understanding of Social Media Marketing concepts, students were asked to choose a topic to present to entire class. They selected class readings and prepared a 30 minute multimedia session including questions for the group. Each student wrote a blog post on their reflections on the presentation.  This proved to be challenging for the presenters and engaging for the class.

Digital Alive Projects

Students were offered the opportunity to work on the implementation of a Social Media Marketing campaign for two clients. The work environment was designed to be similar to that of a small marketing group. The six member groups had to organize tasks, agree on the strategy and tactics to be developed and a timeline for implementation.  At the end they had to evaluate the results and make a presentation to the clients. They were asked to apply all the concepts that were discussed in class and presented by the student teams.

  • Fez Sacred Music Journey www.fezsacredmusic.com.  Sarah Tours the client has been doing tours to Morocco for 20+ years and to the Fez Sacred Music Festival for 15 years. Client has invested some $15,000 this year to promote the Festival and the Journey.
    • This class was responsible for launching a national sweepstakes for free tickets, Social Media Marketing (Facebook , Twitter, YouTube Sites),  online web environment, online newsletter, press release, and direct mail.
  • Lynchburg College School of Business and Economics (SOBE) www.facebook.com/LynchburgSOBE.  Client looking to implement a Digital Marketing Strategy and increase its Digital Footprint.
    • This class was responsible for launching Social Media Marketing (Facebook , Twitter, YouTube Sites),  refining online web environment, and online newsletter.

Feedback

In keeping with the digital model, feedback was encouraged throughout the semester among the students and between the instructor and students. In their last blog entry each student was required to compare their course expectations before the course began with the experiences at the end of the course.  The following are some of the student reflections.

Students’ Reflections

Challenging Yet Inspiring by A. Diamond , Senior

“At the beginning of the semester it took me a while to get used to the “Blogging”, for I still have difficulty doing so. Looking back through all of my blogs I can honestly say that I have grown to become a better blogger--Better in a way of incorporating creativity in my blogs with different pictures, links, and research.

We were introduced to the SERVAS Digital Analysis in the beginning of the semester-- Sustainable Goal-Energize-Relationships-Value-Action-Synergy. At first I wasn’t quite sure what it would be used for but now I think what could it not be used for?  SERVAS is a helpful tool for evaluating a company’s performance on their Social Media Marketing Campaign or specific advertisements. The SERVAS analysis is extremely beneficial to a company, it allows individuals in charge of this campaign to be able to look back/at and evaluate its effectiveness. This allows for the company to make changes before the campaign goes viral/live. This tool is a very effective and useful, I definitely see myself using this in my future.

One of the most important concepts I learned was that Social Media for Businesses involves a two way communication with listening, engaging, interacting, and responding.  A concept that has evolved from the traditional marketing  is pushing messages to consumers and not necessarily interested in listening to their customers.

My group project was the Fez Sacred Music Festival group. I am not going to lie; I was a bit skeptical at first because yea, I like music but it wasn’t a huge passion or interest of mine. This project was great! It was a great opportunity because it allowed us to use what we learned throughout the whole semester and apply it to this real world application- a very hands on approach. Having a real world application has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was measuring our effectiveness as we progressed with the project; the disadvantage was the stress and deadlines, having to do a lot in a little time. I have grown personally from this class. Once I graduate I want to pursue all of the marketing for the store that I manage. I now know effective ways and tools to use for integrating Social Media through listening, engaging, building relationships, and acting.”

The End -- Reflections on the Semester by N. Como, Senior

“Before the class started, I knew of many of the different social media platforms but now I can say that I know how to use them effectively in the scope of business usage.  When marketing for a business with social media, there is conversation involved, it is not just one-way communication, a concept I had not understood until taking this course.  We have explored many ways to develop this communication.”

What a Social Media Adventure by S. Smollen, Junior

“During the semester I went beyond Facebook and developed a strong relationship with Twitter.. Through Social Media Marketing I have learned (although I have not always been able to properly implement it) to use Twitter as the social media conversational device that it was intended to be used.

…The most important lesson that we learned was that social media is a lot tougher than just a couple of clicks on a mouse. It takes consistency on all platforms, clever wording, and a whole lot of patience in waiting for bites.”

Where has the time gone? by P. Berry, Freshman

“The tools that we thought we knew at the beginning of the semester, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, were all much more than they originally seemed. They were not merely places to socialize with friends, where some few companies had content posted; they are valuable assets, platforms on which companies and individuals can spread ideas, all from a single computer. The possibilities and opportunities are endless, the social media world will continue to grow, and with the ratio of viewers to publishers/editors being so high.

Thanks for an awesome class and shedding some light on our journey through the marketing revolution that is social media!”


18 Best Practices for Adopting Digital Marketing

By Ira Kaufman

Many executives between the ages of 45-65 years are “digital aliens”. They were not brought up in the digital age and feel overwhelmed and sometimes fearful of the new technologies.  Many struggle with the changes necessitated by engaging in Digital Marketing. The result is the New Digital Divide between companies that are fully immersed in digital applications while others are deciding if Facebook is good investment!

18 best digital marketing practicesBelow is a road map of 18 practices* which will facilitate the adoption and successful implementation of a Digital Marketing Program.

1. Assess Current Market Practices- Determine the gaps and opportunities to position your organization in the digital world.
2. Adopt a Digital Mindset – Gain executive understanding and buy-in to the changes required to adopt a digital marketing program. Many executives are not aware of the scope and type of shift needed for successful implementation.
3. Dedicate Resources – Commit staff, provide training; allocate budget.
4. Be Transparent- - Be upfront about your intentions and purposes for your site and interactions.  Many executives fear losing control of their marketing message.  Openness and authenticity generates trust and opportunities.
5. Strategize… Strategize- Design a Digital Marketing Strategy that incorporates your assessment; clarifies goals and brand, integrates all media; tracks and evaluates. More than 60% of social media programs fail without a strategy.
6. Build on what you Do Best – Incorporate digital media to leverage and augment successful marketing efforts.
7. Listen, Research, Refine – Monitor social buzz, real-time customer feedback (forums, tweets, surveys, online reviews); refine your product .
8. Give Value– Focus on giving value before expecting anything in return, including downloadable resources, free advice, and links.
9. Be Consistent, not Overpowering – Maintain your Brand; increase your digital presence through regular conversations, but don’t push, overexpose or irritate.
10. Develop Sustainable Relationships – Engage in conversations, take the time to interact; this is a social environment. Conversations build relationships and encourage participation. Touch your current and potential customers with regular updates and newsletters.
11. Provide Social Sharing- Include easy to access to social amplification tools (e.g., social sharing buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, email) to spread the message.
12. Cultivate Satisfied, Loyal Customers- Focus on caring for, thanking, satisfying, and providing value for your customers.  This will engender trust and encourage your “customers do your marketing” via sharing your product with their networks.
13. Leverage Social Communities- Access related social communities that have a potential interest/benefit from your product. These groups can boost exposure and penetration with little additional expense.
14. Develop Online Environment as your Hub- Drive traffic to an integrated online environment including website, Facebook site, landing pages, and blog.
15. Integrate Media –Augment your traditional advertising (TV, radio, outdoor, direct mail, print) and PR with social media, mobile, and online efforts. Integrated Media Marketing forces companies to break down the old silos of individual marketing efforts to synergize elements between the media and generate the social buzz and viral distribution.
16. Monitor your Digital Presence- Track your company’s Digital FootPrint, company chatter and social mentions.
17. Evaluate your Social Return on Investment (SROI)- Evaluate SROI as an tool for measuring a much broader concept of value. It incorporates social, environmental and economic costs and benefits into decision making; it helps to readjust your strategy and tactics to meet your goals.
18. Keep Current…Generate Competitive Edge- Maintain your “fingers on the pulse” of your changing business ecosystem and the digital environment. Timely responses will drive innovation and competitive positioning.

Any other best practices to suggest?

* Expanded on Best and Worst Practices Social Media Marketing

The New Digital Divide

By Ira Kaufman

Meeting the Digital Challenge: Part 1

There is little argument that social and digital media are profoundly changing how we, as global society,  engage with the media, our colleagues, family and friends, as well as how we do business.  Most executives and managers are aware of the digital revolution; many of them have explored it through mobile and social media; some have implemented it with varied successes; but few have integrated digital media as strategic priority in their marketing mix. This gap between the growth of digital media and the implementation of a Digital Marketing Strategy is exacerbated when comparing the U.S. with other countries.  The hotbeds for competitiveness and innovation related to the digital economy are Sweden and Singapore. The U.S trails at #5. To maintain a competitive edge, U.S executives and managers must embrace these changes and drive transformation in their organizations. This is the Digital Challenge!

The Revolution

In 2006 Rupert Murdoch, known as the global print giant, suggested we are entering a major revolution.

“To find something comparable, you have to go back 500 years to the printing press, the birth of mass media … Technology is shifting power away from the editors, the publishers, the establishment, the media elite. Now it’s the people who are taking control.”

These statistics demonstrate the Power of the Revolution:

  • More uploads to YouTube in 60 days than all 3 major US networks created in 60 years
  • 110 million tweets are sent per day on Twitter or 4+million  per hour (Twitter)
  • Facebook generates 770 Billion page views, 700+ Billion minutes, every month
  • StumbleUpon (43%) has overtaken Facebook (38%) as #1 source for US social media traffic
  • In 2010, Asia Pacific had more than 825 million internet users, 42% of the global total.

In 2011 Google suggested that digital media has transformed our buying decisions. Marketing has a Changing Rulebook based on Zero Moment of Truth or ZMOT, “the moment when you grab your laptop, mobile phone or some other wired device and start learning about a product or service.”

These statistics tell the story of how our buying behaviors have changed:

Murdoch transformed his investments, building a global Integrated Media Empire including the purchases of MySpace, Hulu, Chinese Media company and Wall Street Journal online. As he suggested, “The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.” In 2011, his company’s phone scandal violated the foundations of social media (e.g., transparency, accountability) and is being challenged in the social media.

Google has responded to these changes, “Marketing strategies are simply not keeping pace… modern marketing strategies have to evolve with the changing shape of shopping.“ They are now providing core digital training in ZMOT for all members of their sales team internationally.

How many U.S. Executives are prepared to respond to these challenges?

“Digitally Handicapped”

Even as marketing agencies reinvent themselves to respond to the digital revolution, the reality is that most managers are struggling to learn new skills and evaluate the impact of social media conversations.  More than two-thirds (2/3) of managers admit that they are “digitally handicapped” in relating to understanding and measuring social media conversations and impacts on their brand.

  • “80% [of] marketers admit they are concerned their brand is at risk from not being as engaged with customers, or failing to have a good grasp of how online conversations are impacting their brand.“
  • “Less than 33% have a strong understanding of social media conversations related to their brand.“
  • “70% have very little understanding or use a few tools to measure social media conversations.”

Furthermore, many executives are “afraid of it“.  Here are 28 reasons why CEO’s fear social media.

New Digital Divide

Although the U.S. has led growth in digital technologies, marketers have been slow to respond and incorporate in the marketing mix. Forbes Insights reported that only 11% of US and UK executives surveyed at large businesses listed social media strategy as a leading priority in 2011.   eMarketer reports that 78% of U.S. executives think that a social business strategy is important to future business success, but only 27% deem it a top priority. According to 2010 Economist Intelligence Group’s annual “e-readiness” rankings, “In the race to stay competitive in the emerging digital economy, Nordic nations continue to rule the roost. The U.S. has gained ground, and Asian countries are on the rise.”

In fact, inconsistent responses by U.S. marketers have brought forth a New Digital Divide

“…between companies that truly understand the potential to go deep with their digital marketing efforts, and those that are still contemplating what to do with their Facebook presence… some of the world’s most sophisticated work is being done in [Asia] this region, [while] other companies are still not going beyond the basics.”

On one hand, there is growing demand for Digital Marketing services in U.S. but there is a gap in understanding, skill set, and application.  There is a shortage of Business Schools and training programs to fill this need. To fill the void, some of the most innovative work in Digital Marketing is being put forward by groups in Asia, Scandinavia and Europe.

Conclusion

To fill the void and remain competitive, U.S. executives must go beyond the confines of traditional marketing and embrace digital training as a strategic priority or risk falling behind. They must extend digital literacy and lead an organizational commitment to integrate digital marketing into their corporate plan.

Meeting the Digital Challenge is required for survival and growth! Are You Prepared?

Part Two:  Digital Marketing Training … coming soon

GERVAS: 6 Benchmarks for Digital Marketing Strategy

By Ira Kaufman

GERVAS:  Goal – Engage – Relationship –  Value –  Action – Synthesize

GERVAS is the tool to guide the development of your social media campaign. Here are the six elements and the questions to ask?

As a business or organization launches a social media program, they try to anticipate the results and make the necessary refinements.   These are some typical questions:

  • Is the content of your social media message effective?
  • Is your target market communicating via social media and will you reach them?
  • Are you choosing and optimizing your social media tools?
  • How do you evaluate your strategy before launch?

Each marketer/ businessperson can apply six simple benchmarks to evaluate the potential effectiveness of your social media efforts. This can be done as a self-evaluation, discussion with your team or via a focus group. Read More »

Here’s Proof Digital Marketing Works for Auto Dealers

By Ira Kaufman and Robert Harper

In the past two years the social media revolution has ignited the automotive manufacturers to success.

IT  WORKS  > >

Auto Social Media Factoids:

23 Ways to Integrate Facebook and Twitter with Traditional Advertising

By Patsy Stewart

Integrated Media Marketing is when you effectively integrate social media with traditional marketing. Here are 23 ideas for integrating Facebook and Twitter in PR, direct selling, customer services, advertising and sales promotions.

Back of Business Card

  1. Add Facebook Widget /plugins to website or blog
  2. Show Twitter stream on website
  3. Use buttons in footer, contact page and sidebar of  website
  4. Add Share/Like/Tweet buttons on products and content on website
  5. Include links on your business cards
  6. Include info in email signature file
  7. Add Facebook /Twitter to voice mail messages (office and cellphone)
  8. Include Facebook/Twitter info on invoices and receipts Read More »

Demonstrating the Power of Digital Marketing in 2 Minutes

By Ira Kaufman

Have you tried to explain to clients, colleagues, businesspeople or students:

  • Why social media works?
  • Why consumers feel they are not listened to?
  • Why traditional advertising has lost much of its power and is not trusted?
  • Why the Digital Media revolution is alive and growing?

I recently re-discovered this 2 minute video. It’s a very powerful demonstration of digital marketing and answers all of the questions above. Take 2 minutes and watch The Breakup.

As a viewer, you just experienced the five keys to Digital Marketing in a dinner dialogue between a man (the Advertiser) and a woman (the Consumer). The acting, the content and the gestures are exquisite as it shares the growing gap between traditional advertising and the consumer. Read More »