Web Services
Membership marketing for associations requires an integrated, multi-media approach. We sit down with Richard Thomas to learn about how “The Kayrell Solution” has worked for the American Anthropological Association.
Mike Petrusky talks about “The Kayrell Solution” for marketing your business or association. An integrated marketing program that utilizes multiple channels gives your organization the best opportunity to generate leads and identify prospects.
My apologies in advance, but I cannot help but reveal my love for TV in these blog posts. I’ve told you of my affection for “LOST” and “24” before, and recently I’ve been fascinated by the great new series “Person of Interest”, which just wrapped its first season. I like to turn my brain off with shows like this after a busy day, but inevitably, the distraction only lasts until I hear a quote that reminds me of a business or marketing analogy – then I’m back in the real world, sharing the thought with you…
It happened again during the season finale last week, when billionaire computer genius Harold Finch was talking to former CIA operative John Reese about the latest social security number that “The Machine” had identified as the next victim (or perpetrator) of an imminent crime. They immediately began to investigate the “Person of Interest” in an effort to learn all about them and determine how best to help protect (or stop) them. The first place Finch always looks is the subject’s online presence, and in an early episode, he even claimed that he invented all the social media networking sites for this very purpose – brilliant!
It reminded me that the social media marketing we do for ourselves and our clients really does matter. Your personality and your company’s brand are communicated every day through the messages compiled by search engines online. It’s like you’re painting a picture with every Facebook update, LinkedIn post, or Tweet that you send. Each mention or entry is like a stroke of the paint brush – adding to that great work of art known as your online presence.
How is your masterpiece looking these days? If we Google your name or the name of your company, will the results page be worthy of a place in a marketing museum or a preschool art class? Is your social media presence a Mona Lisa or a mess?
These ideas are not new ones. Marketers have been encouraging their clients to be deliberate about how they promote their brand across multiple platforms since the dawn of the advertising age. This article hits the nail on the head – it’s from four years ago, so the topic of social media is not even mentioned, but the principles apply now more than ever. Your online presence is communicating your personality to your clients and customers. Is the message a consistent one?
Social media marketing provides a wide-open canvas, giving us the chance to express our creativity and communicate our brand, both personal and corporate, to the world. So, if you become a “Person of Interest”, it’s nice to know that your customers (or John Reese) will be able to track you down quickly online. Because, as Harold Finch says in every episode: “You’ll never find us, but victim or perpetrator, if your number’s up…we’ll find you.”
Mike Petrusky is an Account Executive for Kayrell Solutions. He has been offering marketing products, services and solutions to clients for over twenty years. If he is not watching his favorite TV show, he might be working on his “masterpiece” by posting photos or comments online somewhere. Follow him @MikePetrusky on Twitter.
Tiger Woods just won his first PGA Tour event in about two and a half years. Some thought it might never happen. After shattering his marriage and reputation with his off the course behavior in 2009, he struggled with injuries and unprescedented mental meltdowns in his golf game. It was one of the greatest falls from grace in sports history, and fascinating to watch as the top golfer dropped rapidly in the world rankings while many of his sponsors jumped ship. Yet, I was amazed to find out that according to Forbes magazine he remains the world’s most valuable athlete brand, even while the value of his brand has dropped by millions of dollars.
Rebuilding a Brand
Now, we watch as “The Tiger Woods Brand” continues to be rebuilt – his game has come back together over the past several months, and with this first win (of what will likely be many more to come), the public perception evolves. I asked a friend last week about this and he said that “no matter what, I still pull for Tiger to win.” That would certainly match the fan support shown at Bay Hill as people cheered him on in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. People are quick to forgive, especially when you’re a winner. Bummer if you’re Tiger’s former swing coach Hank Haney, releasing a new tell-all book this week about his most famous former student. Mr. Haney was likely trying to capitalize on the fact that Tiger hadn’t won or played the same since the two parted ways. Oops. Talk about bad timing!
A Case Study in SEO
I’m always interested in how marketers use search engines and we can learn a lot by reviewing the online brand image of Tiger Woods over the past few years. I remember the weeks and months immediately following his Thanksgiving weekend car crash and the revelations of infidelity that followed. A Google search during that time would reveal page after page of results pointing to negative stories and photos of Woods’ mistresses. Golf took a back seat to scandal and gossip links.
In early 2010, SEO expert Rhea Drysdale wrote an article for CNN giving the prescription for repairing Tiger’s online reputation. His handlers most certainly took note, and now, just two years later, the Google search results are quite different. The first two pages mostly feature links to images and portrayals of Woods on the course, and with this most recent win, the positive news will certainly grow. At last check, the first direct mention of the scandal was found on page three of the Google results, and even that story was flanked by links to reports about his win on Sunday.
SEO Can Work for Your Business
So, how can you apply the lessons of this story to your business or organization? Thankfully, you’ll most likely never have to rebuild after a dramatic shift in brand reputation like Tiger Woods has done, but the same principles discussed above can be applied to your everyday brand management. The key to SEO success can be found in a Social Media strategy that integrates your marketing message with an online presence that builds a consistent, positive brand. Time plus fresh content heals all wounds….just ask Tiger Woods.
There is no doubt that an engaging social media presence is critical to your business or organization now and will continue to be a part of your marketing communication strategy well into the future:
How do you best manage this essential need with limited time and resources? It can be done and we can help. But remember, social media marketing is just a part of your overall integrated marketing mix.
