Foundations of Online Marketing
When we created this podcast we had the idea to get you today's latest growth hacks. As we began preparing for the series, we had the idea to bring in experts in their respective fields. That way you don't have to listen to me every single episode!
The intention of the podcast is not to promote myself or limit the listeners to solely my views. We want you to hear from people in this industry who are masters in their own crafts. The process to find these guests has been cumbersome and long. It would have been easy to scroll through my contacts and see who I knew but I didn't want to limit the audience to my network. I've searched far and interviewed my guests personally several times before having them come on the show.
To kick off our very first guest we wanted to lay the foundation for the state of all things digital marketing and growth hacking.
In this episode we will interview Tony Delmercado, COO and co-founder of Hawke Media. We brought him in because he is leading the fastest growing digital marketing company that exists in the United States. If anyone understands what is happening in the digital marketing world, it is this guy.
Brand Identity: setting your company apart from the rest
Tony and I will be discussing how he looks at brand equity and brand acquisition. We'll be discussing how brand identity is key to marketing; and the importance of a brand differentiating itself on the market through values, product value and innovation.
When is a brand ready to spend money and invest in marketing on all of the different platforms? Is the product that is being sold actually needed or wanted in the marketplace? Before a company begins to spend a ton of money on marketing does that company have something that differentiates it from the competitors? Tony argues that people need to believe in the ethos as well as the product itself. "Cream rises to the top" and Tony gives the qualifications for what it takes to stand out.
Overlooking a Great Landing Page
We also discuss getting over the obsession of traffic acquisition. Why it is pointless unless there is a great "storefront" which is the landing page on the website. A good website is often overlooked. Tony will discuss why the user experience is important, how to build a website for conversion and as a content hub. Most importantly he will talk about building a sound "mousetrap" before focusing on traffic acquisition and interruptive ads.
Importance of quality assets and how to get them on any budget.
We'll exchange views on the importance of assets when building a website how without them, the intent is often missed. We then discuss some different approaches to creating production assets. Hawke media is a large marketing company that has many people working for them, which includes different departments that can offer to create assets for clients on site. However a huge budget isn't needed to get good image assets.
Tony explains how it is easy to find photographers and contract the work to get good image assets even when your company is on a budget and might not have access to a photography department. Tony and I also clarify why it's important to articulate with the photographer about what you need for each digital media platform to get an array of images that meet your shot list. We both agree it's better to get more than you need in terms of image assets because they can come in handy.
I share my experience with a client about entering production with a limited budget and high expectations. I learned quickly that money can be spent quickly with production and I wanted to get the most for my client. So I came up with some creative improvises that allowed me to create an immense amount of assets (photos and video) all in one day of production with a budget of $15,000. Comparing strategy for both high and low budgets really boils down to getting quality assets for a successful marketing campaign and how being scrappy when you are building a company can pay off.
What are the differentiating marketing strategies for large and small companies?
We later discuss the difference of approach when marketing for larger and smaller companies. Tony explains that smaller companies must focus on building trust. That they are focusing on branding since the market hasn't validated them like the larger companies. Smaller companies also need to nurture their customers and create a conversion event.
Tony goes over how larger companies compare with spending as opposed to smaller/ newer companies that have a higher risk threshold. Tony breaks down how larger companies have the ability to be ubiquitous, they can afford to be everywhere; on every platform, print, video , etc.They know what works and so that's where they spend their money. They have the budget for personalization and the technology behind it. They are looking at long term growth, whereas smaller businesses might need to be more creative and risk taking to get quicker upwards growth.
The conversation about larger and smaller company mindsets gives some good insight to where your company might be and where it should be focusing its energy.
What might we expect to see in marketing in the coming years?
We wrap up this conversation with discussing what digital marketing might look like in the coming future. We look at the present with social media ads, what do the next five years look like? Tony responds that social is not going to go away, due to the fact that people really enjoy social media platforms.
We discuss how social media is here to stay and so will advertising on those platforms. Brand development, new products and customer conversation will still be there. Ad volume won't necessarily expand but with personalization, the ads will become more relevant. What could be huge in the coming years is augmented reality, that's if they can get the form right. Tony gives his vision of how it could be the next new exciting platform for marketing. The form factor has to make technology fit easily into our daily life and if so, could be an amazing advertising vehicle.
This episode will explore marketing for businesses of all sizes and what similar methodologies can be applied to each. We will have some interesting insights and predictions; this is an episode you won't want to miss!
Stay tuned for more guest speakers and more episodes from Papi Digital.