S.E.L.L. more with SEM and SEO

"For online advertising, almost half (48%) of consumers surveyed said they trust ads in search engine results, online video ads and ads on social networks. More than four in 10 (42%) trust online banner ads, up from 26 percent in 2007. Forty-five percent of respondents in Nielsen’s 2013 survey believed display ads on mobile phones were credible, and 37% trusted text ads on mobile phones, up from 18% in 2007."

~ Under the Influence: Consumer Trust in Advertising, 09.17.2013

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BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2013.
Myles Anderson & filed under Online Reviews, Research, 06.25.2013

~ Only 5% of consumers had not used the internet to find a local business in the last 12 months 

(down from 15% in 2012)

~ 37% of consumers used the internet to find local businesses at least one time per month 

(up from 34% in 2012)

Many of us have new customer acquisition at the top of our wish list for 2014.

• Fact #1: To acquire new folks, you must first have market awareness.
• Fact #2: Awareness takes money that most of us simply don't have.

That said, strategically, you have to steadfastly stick to two strict disciplines:

1. You DO NOT want everyone in your market. So why pay for media that reaches everyone. Identify as narrowly as possible who you REALLY want to walk through your door and focus your money there. Anyone else will walk in organically.

2. You need to reach your target when they care. It would be great to have the budget for a Nike-style blanket awareness effort, but you don't. 

More and more, a focus on electronic media makes more sense than burning your budget on traditional broadcast and print. A serious evaluation of SEM and SEO can make a huge difference in your marketing results.

Search Engine Marketing - (SEM) allows you to quickly identify and serve text ads to individuals as they are looking for information related to local banking options 

SEM is focused on key words, so you reach your target while they are hunting for what you do - but it goes much deeper. For the most part, you can also target your SEM just like you do direct mail: Regional, demographic, lifestyle, etc.

SEM is typically budgeted on a cost-per-click model, so unlike direct mail, you will not pay for simple exposure, but for actual desired action.

SEO - Having a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy is an essential component in being competitive in the search engine realm and providing your customers with the most timely, accurate information about what you do and what you're about. The goal of SEO is to provide an intuitive user experience by communicating with search engines about your products and services so that you rank well within the search results. 

Proper SEO is not a DIY project. It requires regular analysis of web crawler reports, key word rankings, competitive analysis and content review. It also takes updates of keywords generation and meta data as well as social media integration.

The best part is that both SEM and SEO are budget friendly. With a pay-per-click and super-tight targeting, you can create a SEM plan that fits most any budget. And, while SEO is an ongoing effort, you can reasonably expect to pay just a  few hundred dollars per month for the consultation, reporting, analysis and management

We bring these marketing philosophies to credit unions and community banks nationwide, and would love to bring them to your institution too. Contact us to see how.

With more than 280,000 visits worldwide, we hope that you enjoy this blog.  If you find it helpful, please share it with your colleagues. Also, check out our YouTube Channel for short video blogs about financial marketing.  

MarketMatch is also a nationally and internationally requested speaker. Contact us to bring our marketing ideas to your next conference.

Here are the conferences where you can find MarketMatch.

See our story here. (click)

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Or email me directly (click)

937-426-9848

Follow me on Twitter @egagliano

Getting Micro Can Yield Mega Results

Segmentation is everywhere. It's why we have 300 TV channels (and nothing on) and the reason for hundreds of magazines on the shelves.

As qualified marketing professionals, I don't need to sell you on the benefits of segmentation in maximizing your marketing budget ... but what about segmenting your web efforts?

Microsites can be incredibly useful tools. These mini, highly-focused sites can target a specific product, solution or customer segment and deliver a niche message or promotion.

Why Create a Microsite?

• To better promote specific pages of your main site
• To target a specific call to action
• To deliver a narrow value message to a focused target
• To enhance a particular promotion with a more memorable URL and value message

Some critics contend that a microsite can compete with your main website for search engine attention, and if not thought through, it can. To maximize SEO with your microsite, use key words in your microsite URL. You can also use your microsite to link to targeted pages within your main site.

Is a Microsite Right For Your Strategy?

• What is the goal? If a microsite offers a better opportunity for your communication to be more memorable, targeted and/or easier to access, it's worth consideration.
• Will the content be unique and interesting to the target?
• Do you have the resources? Can you maintain and effectively promote the site? These sites are great for short-term efforts. If your intention is to use the site long term, consider how you will drive consistent traffic and keep people coming back.
• Will it compete with your existing site or enhance it?

At MarketMatch, we have had great success with client microsites.

Want some examples?

Each of these microsites focuses on value-added content. One in the form of local resource links that are specific to the target and the other with valuable articles.

• www.AreU1.com (a stand alone microsite designed for life stages)
• www.MidCountryBank.com/HomeLoan (A microsite embedded in the client's main site)

Take Care.

Eric

What’s the Internet Saying About You?

It’s no surprise that one of the first places consumers go to get information about your financial institution is an Internet search engine, but do you know what they are finding?

If you haven’t searched your financial institution in awhile, it's time. Searching your financial institution on Google, Yahoo, Bing and other popular search engines should be a regular step in managing your reputation. Also, it's important to search more than just the name of your financial institution. Keep in mind that when consumers are searching your financial institution, they’ll poke around for information on your services, locations, staff, and even complaints.

When searching your financial institution, it's the first page of results that's most important. Click each link on the first page to understand how your financial institution is being presented on the web. Results will vary:

• If you find only your website and great praise… congratulations and keep up the good work! 


• If you find only your company website… expand your presence by submitting press releases or getting your social media noticed.
• If you find negative comments… do something about it. 
If possible, take it down or move the negative content down the list by adding positive content. 

• If you don’t find your bank… look into Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which can get your financial institution to the top of the list.

You can also take it one step further and set up your search as an alert. A search engine alert will send you automatic updates and keep you informed of current search results about your financial institution.

Best,

Jamie