While surfing around LinkedIn the other day I ran into the following question from a member... "What's the synergy between search engine marketing and email marketing
and can you provide examples of the synergy?" Here are my thoughts on this...
Search marketing (as well as search engine optimization SEO) and email marketing
are to an Internet marketer what the "one-two punch" combination is to a boxer.
Left jab, then right cross. That's a classic knockout combination. It's your bread
and butter if you're a fighter. And it always produces greater results than the
individual punches themselves.
Now, let's put this in context with today's web users, prospects and buyers...
Nearly everyone turns to a search engine first to find what they are looking
for Online. So, being found in search results, organically or by paid placement
is arguably the most important element of Internet marketing. Search marketing
is the left jab that sets up your right cross: email marketing.
Search marketing is also like a headline in a sales letter. If you don't stop
people dead in their tracks and get them to read more, the rest of the sales letter
is meaningless, no matter how good it is. Without search, you would not be able
to capture names and email addresses for marketing purposes (except if you advertise
offline and drive traffic to your site). Search marketing is typically the starting
point of a potential relationship between web marketer and prospect.
Enter Opt in Email Marketing...
The majority of times, your prospect has found your website and offer but is
NOT ready to buy from you yet. She is not sure she can trust you, she just met
you so to speak. Plus there are other offers and vendors to investigate. The
web is big place with lots of choices. This is where email marketing comes in
to create synergy with search... People have more information and choices than
ever. Unfortunately the more choices and information, the tougher it is to make
a decision. More vendors, more information and more choices translate into more
work for prospects. As a result many people get bogged down in "analysis paralysis",
procrastination or both. They are ruled by fear, uncertainty and distrust.
Because of all the information and choices available to Internet consumers,
it is difficult to create lasting marketing relationships. There are so many
vendors competing for mind and wallet share.
Search marketing does the heavy lifting of attracting qualified prospects to
your sites and offers and creates potential relationships. Since a majority
of people do not buy on the first exposure to an offer, it's email marketing's
job to capture the name and email address and to break down barriers and inhibitions
to buying over a time sequence.
Through email marketing you build solid relationships on trust, reciprocity
(because you give something of value to them) and develop credibility as an
expert in your field by providing good content on your website and in your email newsletter.
The success of the individual parts -- search marketing and email marketing -- can be attributed
to the combination of these two forms of marketing. One without the
other would produce poor results (an exception is offline advertising i.e.
sending prospects to your home page or opt-in page directly from space or classified
ads).
Also, synergy occurs when a web user is exposed to multiple instances of your
brand, products, offers & websites. For example, if a prospect keeps running
into you online when they search on keywords related to your products/services
and hears from you regularly through email marketing, credibility with that
prospect is sure to increase because of the combined exposure.
Search marketing and email marketing are strongly dependent on one another for overall
marketing success. Together they help you create
relationships and online sales.
Of course your sales message has to be strong. But generally speaking any exposure in
search results combined with email marketing is going to help your cause. It will help build trust
and decrease buying resistance. This plus a good offer will produce solid online sales.
Bob
Thomson is CEO of Marketing Science, Inc. a consulting company that
specializes in helping small and medium businesses acquire new clients
using proven marketing, copywriting and design concepts. He is also a
webmaster, search engine specialist and business coach with over 20
years of experience. Learn more business marketing strategies
and tactics by visiting http://www.mktg-science.com and http://www.askthesmallbizcoach.com
