Rather curiously, one of the most-read articles this year was the very first one, so it seems appropriate to highlight it again today. A New Year’s Resolution (of course!) was a simple idea: that marketing departments should resolve to take online marketing seriously, and allocate budgets accordingly, or not to use it at all. Online marketing should be massively important for every business, but one thing it’s not is a cheap alternative to traditional media. Half-hearted online marketing on a budget just makes you look amateur in ways you’d never dream of allowing in print or in person. I’ve met companies who (rightly) never let any printed literature out of the door that doesn’t make them look like a highly professional organisation, and yet who are happy that they only spend a pathetic £1,000 a year on their website – something which far more people will see. If you want to look professional to your prospects and customers, and if you want to be found in the first place, I’m quite certain that the first place where you should be investing money is in your website and emails. Most small and medium sized companies could create the best website in their market for less than £10,000, yet many who react with horror to that figure don’t blink about spending that much on a catalogue. If you spent more money with printers in 2011 than you did with website designers, it might be time for a re-think.
But before then, have a great Christmas, some excellent new year celebrations, and I’ll be back on 3rd January.