Ever wondered how contextual relevancy affects your bottom line in your online marketing campaigns?  Of course you have, in fact many if not all online marketers have wondered this at some point.  With one of our latest research projects (in sponsorship with Google (GOOG), we took 100 subjects, all of which were high-level B2B purchasers and segmented them into four testing cells. 

From here, each participant read one of two articles and was exposed to a contextaully relevant or non-relevant graphic ad.  Enquiro then asked participants a series of questions to gauge brand, messaging and advertising recall and effectiveness.

To see what happened, download the whitepaper on Displaying Advertising - Does Contextual Relevancy Make a Difference?

Here is a sample of some of the findings:

So to answer the question, do contextually relevant B2B ads provide a bigger lift to your bottom line?  Our findings suggest that Contextually Relevant B2B Ads can lift purchasing intent 40% higher than their B2C counterparts.

This week (actually, right about the time you’ll be reading this column) I’ll be talking to the American Business Media Publisher’s Summit in Chicago about online opportunities, from a user’s perspective. As I was getting ready for the address, I realized there’s a substantial piece of the B to B market that’s missing online. I call it a market enabler. 

Looking for Landmarks 

Think of our typical progression when we begin researching something online. If it’s new territory, the first thing we need to do is to find a landmark to navigate from. From that landmark we tend to navigate out from it. This is true both in the online and real world. Think of Google as everybody’s favorite landmark. It’s the starting point of nearly all our online navigation, because we know we can always get back to it if we’re lost. In fact, it becomes the vehicle of our online navigation in almost all cases. The only time we deviate from it is if we have enough familiarity with a certain section of the online landscape that we can find other online landmarks without it. For example, if I’m planning a trip somewhere, I usually don’t start at Google. I either start at one of the travel tools I have bookmarked (Farecompare.com, Kayak, Sidestep) or at my favorite travel community, Tripadvisor.com. I’ve been down this path before, so I’ve memorized other familiar landmarks. Otherwise, I always start at Google. 

But there are some things we look for in our landmarks. We want them to be recognizable. We want them to be authoritative. We want them to be comprehensive. And usually, we want them to be relatively agnostic. We don’t want to be pushed in any particular direction. We want to choose our own paths. We want a neutral marketplace that allows us to compile our own consideration set, not have it built for us. 

Making Life Easier 

As well, it helps if our landmarks incorporate some strong navigational and comparison functionality. One of the best things about the travel sites and tools I’ve mentioned is their sophisticated search and filtering capabilities. They beat Google at this particular game. They’re a more useful landmark to navigate from within. And increasingly, they’re incorporating authentic community dialogue and reviews with the search functionality. I can search, sort and qualify, all in one place. They make the difficult job of planning a trip easier. They’re market enablers, because they allow us to compare alternatives more effectively. If we look at the two best examples of market enablers, eBay and Amazon, they share all of the above characteristics. 

So, let’s return to the B to B marketplace. In Enquiro’s B to B survey, we found that almost everyone starts with Google, because most of the time when we research B to B purchases, we’re starting in unfamiliar territory. We have no landmarks. And while we usually end up going fairly quickly to vendor sites, the survey found a strong desire to find an unbiased landmark as the market’s middle ground. Yet, no enablers have strongly established themselves in this position. There is no eBay or Amazon, or even a TripAdvisor, of B to B. There are vertical engines, including Business.com, Knowledgestorm, KellySearch, ThomasNet and others, but none have dominated the landscape to this point. 

Sorting through the Haystack 

In a recent B to B panel I moderated, Karen Breen Vogel mentioned that these vertical properties do restrict the scope of the search, so rather than looking for a needle in a haystack, you’re looking for a needle in a needlestack. While this is true, it can still be a pretty painful process if you’re looking for the right needle. The problem is that the B 2 B marketplace is vast and fragmented. Also, there are no obvious affiliation or revenue opportunities as there are in the travel business. There isn’t an obvious money trail to follow in the B to B world to make enabling the market place a potentially lucrative proposition. Most of the players have morphed over from being directory publishers in the offline world, and are still following the paid listing model. Unfortunately, this doesn’t lend itself to the neutral marketplace favored by researching buyers. 

There are few purchase processes that are more difficult or taxing than a complicated B to B one. Sorting out potential vendors can be a long, tedious and frustrating process. First of all, there’s no emotional investment. This isn’t planning a vacation. This is your job. Secondly, the risk level is extremely high. Screw up and your job may evaporate. While the potential to make money may be obscured by the challenges, the buyer’s need is painfully obvious. And I can’t help thinking, if eBay could do it, given the immense diversity of their market place, there must be a way.

Originally published in Mediapost's Search Insider, September 27, 2007  

In this day and age as B2B marketers flock to online promotion and marketing, a typical business to business (B2B) marketing campaign consists of search engine optimization, email advertising, sponsored search advertising, vertical search engine visibility, blogging, podcasts, social media marketing, white paper syndication, RSS feeds and syndication and viral marketing.  Traditionally the end goal is lead generation or is it?

In 2007, simply generating a bunch of leads from your website is not good enough for your organization to be successful.  Any well planned marketing program should be able to generate leads.  The difficult part becomes understanding your target market, their needs and actual lead qualification of your prospects.  So when putting an online strategy together, what are you, the B2B marketer (or Marketing Manager, or CEO, or Company Founder) looking for?  What do you want your online marketing strategy to consist of?

Last week I posed the question why is online strategy so hard for B2B marketers?  What are the most signifigant challenges for B2B marketers?  Industry reports such as a recent MarketingSherpa report on Business Technology suggest that a key problem for marketers in 2007 is the increase of the "ever-growing committee."  The report goes on to say that "…Whether it's increasing office politics or burned fingers from technology decisions in the dot-com bubble heyday, business technology prospects are bulking up on committee members…"  Knowing this, does this mean that B2B marketers are looking for ways to deal with per-accpint viral marketing efforts and evangelism marketing campaigns?  The answer… most definitely yes.  What does this mean for your online marketing strategies?  What do B2B marketers want as a part of their online strategy?

Here are a number of items that should be considered when developing an effective online marketing strategy.

• Look for avenues such as social media sites that can help place yourself in areas that your prospects frequent.  Are they spending time on industry forums or social networking sites?
• Understand who makes up the decision makers committee for your prospects versus who make up the influencers
• Look for an effective means of prospect education materials.  Evaluate the effectiveness of each… would you be better served using webinars or whitepapers?
• Examine ways to more effectively qualify leads who come from your online presence (not just your website, but any presence that you have on the web.)
• Provide case studies and proof to help intercept your prospect as the progress across their buying cycle.  Provide testimonials through statements on your website or actual audio or video testimonials from satisfied clients.
• Establish a feedback and lead nurtuting mechanism that allows you to hear what the prospects are thinking.  Reputation management is huge in this day and age.  It is better to hear what your customers or prospects think directly than by finding it out on a industry blog or MySpace page that could damage your reputation.

These are but a few of the common items that B2B marketers look for when developing online marketing strategies.   What are some others?  We'd like to hear from you as to what you are looking for as part of your online marketing strategy.  Drop us a line and let us know.  your ideas may be featured in an upcoming article.

It occurred to me recently that what the world needs is strategy.  Strategy for man-kind to put an end to poverty, to senseless war, to global warming, to suffering and famine.  Vision, direction and focus through a global strategy.  Seems so simple doesn't it? Strategy is what makes the world of business turn.  It's what can determine success or magnify failure (through a lack of).  Strategy when carefully planned and implemented can lead to great success and with positive results. So why is developing an effective online strategy so difficult for B2B marketers?

What is Strategy Anyways?

When I think of strategy I think of direction and vision.  Where are we trying to go in the future?  How can we change the world and make it a better place?  How can we provide a better solution than our competition?  What resources are required to fullfill this strategy?  With regards to business, Johnson and Scholes' Exploring Corporate Strategy define strategy as:

"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long term: which achieves advantage for the organization through it's configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fullfill stakeholder expectations."

It's a pretty comprehensive definition.  If we break it down and simplify it, strategy consists of:

• Direction - thinking about the long term
• Markets - where should you make the best use of your business?  What markets should you compete in?
• Advantage - How can you perform better than the competiton?
• Scope - What is required to  achieve an advantage in the desired markets?
• Resources - What assets, skill sets, partnerships, technical solutions are required to in order to carry out the strategy?
• External Factors - What are the external factors that will impact your ability to compete?
• Stakeholders - What are the values and expectations of those who have a vested interest in the business and potentially may pull the plug of the implementation of the strategy?

Online Strategy Adds a Whole Other Dimension

So why is online strategy so hard for B2B marketers?  For B2B marketers, online strategy adds a whole other dimension to "strategy".  For one, online marketing is still a relatively new avenue and there has been a lot of hesitation from many organizations when it comes to SEO and online marketing.  Many C-Suite Executives still do not understand or "get" SEO.  They feel that there is little value from it, when in fact it is a proven fact that search marketing yields higher returns with less investment than traditional media channels.  Without buy-in from the execs, and the rest of the company it becomes extremely difficult to create and implement an online strategy. 

Online strategies must be flexible.  The world of search and online marketing is changing at an amazing pace.  Those who do not have a dynamic strategy in place will quickly find themselves playing catchup. Personalization of search results is coming and many refuse to accept that this is the next wave of search.  Early adopters who develop online strategies to deal with personalization will be in a much better place than those who do not and as a result will develop a competitive edge in the search space.

Competition in the online world is potentially endless.  Anyone can set up and market a website.  In the B2B space there are often misleading sites that distract the searcher from finding the best solution for their needs.  Not to mention the complexity of the search engine algorithms that can have a direct impact on your sites visibility with one major indexing update.

Traditionally many SEO's focus on tactics and not strategy.  This is something that we have seen with the serach industry shows.  Take the recent Search Marketing Expo in Seattle for instance.  It was billed as a strategic show, yet from what I have heard it featured traditional tracks that focus on search engine marketing tactics.  This is really no different than other industry shows including the popular Search Engine Strategy conferences. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good stuff that comes out of these shows, it's just not strategy that comes out. 

Of course establishing an online strategy usually means that you have to be aligned with the overall company strategy.  This means incorporating the strategy at different levels of business.  From the overall corporate strategy down to business unit strategy to operational strategy and how each part of the business is organized to deliver to the business unit and corporate strategies.

So you see there are numerous reasons why online strategies are not easy to accomplish for B2B marketers.  If you are fortunate enough to get buy-in from the stakeholders and are able to align the online strategy with the company's overall corporate strategy you are still faced with the hardest part… strategy implementation.  Translating it into action resulting in a positive return on your investment.

Last week I posed the question, that in the SEO 2.0 era will content still be king? In the article some key points of interest revolved around how 75% of technology seraches are made online. What this boils down to is that B2B marketers need to provide fresh content to the online world. There is and always will be a demand for content. People, technology buyers included, are in search of information. So what does this mean for B2B marketers who are trying to generate leads through their website?

In a report originally released in February 2007 from KnowledgeStorm and MarketingSherpa on "connecting through content" stated that about 85% of technology buyers need to see information about a new technology or solution at least three times for it to register. The study provided great insight on the importance of site content for technology buyers. It is no secret that when prospects are in the research stage of the buying funnel, they are looking for vendor content to help them narrow their selection process. They are looking for content that speaks their language and content that addresses their dilemma and needs.

Technology buyers are no different and here's why:

• Technology buyers spend a lot of time online on technology research. As much of 75% of the information gathering is conducted online. Yet it is interesting to note that B2B marketers only provide about 60% of their content online. Why is that even though the majority of tech buyers research information online? A little hint here for B2B marketers; provide your audience with all of the content they need, provide it when they need it and in a manner that they want to see it.

• Technology buyers seek educational content. This content should be well written, concise and consist of high quality informative information. They want to see solution comparisons, they want to see pricing. Provide it. Do not force them to go to a competitor's site because if they leave chances are they are not going to return.
• Technology buyers believe that the information they find online is of greater or equal value to the content that they find offline. Those who search online like to find exactly what they are looking for quickly and effieiciently.
• Tech buyers look to vendor sites as being authoritative resources. If your site doesn't have all of the information they seek, they are not likely to short list your company as they work through the research and selection process of their buying cycle.
• Repetition of content is key. Technology buyers need to hear the message over again and again. As mentioned earlier, many need at least three pieces of information before the information registers.
• Provide the right type of content. According to the study by KnowledgeStorm and MarketingSherpa, Technology Buyers list whitepapers as the most frequently read content. On the contrary, less than one third of tech buyers claim to access Webcasts. Yet over 60% of marketers spend time and money sponsoring or using webcasts as part of their marketing programs. This is an interesting topic for debate. Are webcasts really effective? Is this time and money well spent?
• Technology Buyers want fresh content. This means up-to-date stats, pricing, comparisons etc. Not only do they want it, but they expect to find new and fresh content.
• Technology Buyers are looking for content that speaks to them and will solve their problems. Many B2B marketers provide content that "sells" their business or new company developments… yet doesn't explain or "tell" the audience how these new developments will solve their problem. Numerous sites do this. There is a serious disconnect here. Understand your audience and that it is all about your audience. The consumer/prospect is in control.
• Cookie-cutter does not work. Marketers need to provide different types of content and customize their content so it stands out.
• Technology Buyers are looking for content that is specific to their issues and their problem. Create content information that is targeted to their industry and their business.

Most search engine marketers will tell you that content is important for the search engines so that they can index and rank your site. Well that is true, creation of content becomes more important for your audience. Web content is important period. If you are marketing to technology buyers, website content becomes extremely important. Technology Buyers seek specific types of content at various stages of their buying cycle. Why not create this content and intercept your audience at these stages?

Original Post on Website Content Proves Important for Technology Buyers found on SEO-Space.

Search engine marketing has been a tough sell for many companies.  Part of the reason for this is that in many companies there are only a small percentage who "get" search engine marketing.  Many of the marketing managers with companies understand the need for search marketing.  More so for online marketing in general.  Those who do understand search marketing are faced with the arduous task of selling online marketing to their managers, their team and C-Suite Executives.  While selling search engine marketing to their team and their immediate managers may not always be that difficult, selling online marketing to C-Suite Executives is a whole other ball game.  So how exactly do you sell online search marketing to C-Suite executives?  Here are a couple of points to consider when trying to sell search engine marketing to C-Suite execs.  Is search engine marketing the new C-Suite marketing?

1. Speak the C-Suite Language - Understand what is important to the C-Suite.  Perform an analysis of what their needs are.  Create a persona for the C-Suite Executive.  Find out what language they use and learn to speak that language.  It's like when you go to a foreign country and need to learn the native language.  Being able to communicate like C-Suite Executives is the first step in selling them on search marketing. 
     
2. Present Value Justification - At the end of the day, C-Suite Execs are all about ROI and profit.  A little secret for you; people are in business to make money… to make a profit.  Learn what the benefits of search marketing are and how creating a dominant online presence can help improve ROI.  Knowing that search marketing, specifically organic search marketing, can provide a great return with limited investment is a key selling point when providing value justification to the C-Suite Executive.
     
3. Educate the C-Suite - In a lot of organizations, C-Suite Executives are often looking towards traditional media to improve ROI and to market their companies.  Search marketing and online marketing is relatively new.  While it has been around for the better part of a decade (even longer depending on what you refer to search marketing as) online marketing and marketing through search is new when compared to traditional marketing media.  For this reason educating C-Suite Executives is critical in getting their buy in.  If they do not understand what SEM or SEO is, how can they accept it as a necessary and effective lead generation tool?  Understand that many C-Suite Executives may not have any perception of search engine marketing simply because they do not know what it is.
      
4. Know who the C-Suite are - sounds simple doesn't it?  Well consider this, there are a number of different C-Suite Executives that can exist and they include:

• Audit Committee Chair
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
• Ethics Officer (EO)
• General Counsel (GC)
• Chief Audit Executive (CAE)
• Investor Relations (IR)
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
• Chief Operating Officer (COO)
• Chief Information Officer (CIO)
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
• Chief Security Officer (CSO)
• Chief Risk Officer (CRO)
• Chief Labor Lawyer
• Chief HR Officer
• Chief Learning Officer

A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the search company Fast reveals the attitudes towards Web 2.0 in the "typical" corporation.  Of interest here is that the report states that "The C-suite is more enthusiastic than lower-level executives.A full 85% of C-suite executives see the sharing and collaboration aspects of Web 2.0 as an opportunity to increase revenue and/or margins, versus 75% of middle management. The C-suite is also more inclined to view Web 2.0 as transforming, affecting all parts of the business (35% versus 28%) and having a significant impact on the company’s business model (41% versus 22%)."  Proving that search engine marketing and online marketing can have a significant impact on a company's business model just might be the new C-Suite Marketing that is required to get buy-in from those that can have the greatest impact on search marketing efforts.   Search marketing may not be the new C-Suite Marketing, but search marketing definitely needs to be marketed to the C-Suite.

This week, Enquiro released its latest B to B research study (with the help of partners MarketingSherpa, Zoominfo and SSI), based on a survey to almost 1100 respondents.  Today, I wanted to share a few high level findings with you that came out of the study  The full report is free and is available on our website

The Mirrored Worlds of Online and Offline

One of the challenges in B to B marketing is that you're not marketing to just one person; you're marketing to an organization. So you're marketing to different people within that organization at different times.  This adds a significant amount of complexity to business-to-business marketing. We wanted to capture this aspect of the B to B buying process and shed a little more light on it.  Within the survey, we grouped respondents into four different categories of buyers: user buyers, technical buyers, coach buyers and economic buyers, the one who actually signs the check.

Another thing we wanted to look at was the impact of both online and off-line influencers in the purchase decision.  How important was visiting a website, compared to seeing a vendor at a trade show or an ad in a trade publication?  In the study, one thing became clear.  Online influences have gained a tremendous amount of ground on traditional influences.  In fact, they've even caught up with the traditional off-line winner, word-of-mouth.  The vendor's own website was listed as the most important influence, together with word-of-mouth from a colleague or peer. Close behind were search engines, distributor websites and word-of-mouth from a friend.  When B to B purchasers enter the purchase cycle, online activity is a natural result of off-line brand awareness.  As the buyer becomes aware of the potential product or solution, the first reaction is to turn online to find out more about it. Across all phases of the buying cycle, including awareness, research, negotiation and purchase, over 85% of respondents indicated that they will go online to help them make the right purchasing decision. This was highest during the awareness and research phase, with a full 92% of respondents indicating that they would turn to online resources.  It was lowest during negotiation, but even so, two out of every three respondents indicated that they would go online during this phase.

The Search Intersection

The vast majority of purchasers start their online journey at a search engine.  Although this varies by phase of the buying process, over all phases one in two users turn to a search engine first to help them find the online resources they're looking for.  This is highest during the beginning of the purchase process, in the awareness and research phases.  At the awareness phase, 65% of respondents indicated the first place they would go would be a search engine.

There's also a distinct evolution in the use of search engines as buyers move through the purchase process.  Near the beginning, the first places they turn to are the major portals, and the overwhelming favorite is Google, the first choice of 77% of the respondents.    By the way, in a simulated search we incorporated into the survey, 74.2% of the clicks happened on organic listings. This matches up quite well with the organic/sponsored breakdown we've seen in other studies.

But as they begin moving through the phases, the role of the vertical B to B search engine (such as Business.com or Knowledgestorm) becomes more important.  Buyers use these engines to build their consideration set and dig deep for the information about the product or solution alternatives they're considering. While only 7.3% of respondents indicated they would turn first to the B to B vertical engine in the awareness phase, 22.1% indicated this would be their first choice during the negotiation stage.

K.I.S.S. Works for B to B too

The biggest influence for the B to B buyer? The vendor's own website.  But when it comes to accessing information on that website, simpler is definitely better for the B to B buyer. Clear, extensive product information provided in an easily transferable, text-based format was by far the most important information the buyers were looking for on the website.  Number one was clear pricing information.  This was followed closely by extensive product information, comparisons with competitors and downloadable papers and product sheets.  The least important factors to the buyer were things like podcasts, webinars and online chat functions.  B to B buyers are very task oriented; they want to get in, find the information they're looking for and get out.  They have little patience for linear multimedia presentations that force them to gather information on the vendor's timeline, not their own.

B to B purchases are often complex, long cycle affairs.  They generate a tremendous amount of online activity and the wonderful thing for the marketer is that much of that activity funnels through a search engine at some point.  This gives the marketer who understands this process a tremendous advantage, because it's easier to determine the most traveled intersections online. But that understanding is the key.

If you knew what your ideal target customer was thinking when they landed on your website, would you structure your design and content accordingly to meet their needs?  How about if that target customer was prone to react differently and interact differently with your website if they were in a different stage of the buying cycle?  What would you do differently for that person?  The concept is not new, and every company that sets out to develop a website wants to connect with that person.  When it comes to purchasing a complex B2B solution, the interaction with a website can vary greatly and understanding the intent of the user and mapping that intention with the solutions offered on your website is of paramount importance.  This article will look at one aspect of how the B2B searcher, at the early stage of researching a product, will interact with your website.

For a Technology firm, the B2B solutions they require could range from a content management system to enterprise level solutions.  These types of purchases could require months of awareness and research before a buyer begins to think about negotiating a purchase.  In our recent B2B study we surveyed 1000 participants and learned that 51.8% of them used a search engine while they were in the research phase.  We learned that as the user moves down the sales cycle they tend to favor B2B vertical websites and the vendors' website plays a larger role (28.4% at the purchase phase).  However, let's get back to the researcher.  The VP of Marketing for a large organization that has been tasked with shopping for a complex product (i.e. content management system) and we know they are starting their research at a search engine.

Influencing Factors
If we first think of the offline influences that may shape your frame of mind when starting your search, word of mouth from a colleague ranks the highest, followed by advice from a friend, then advice from a paid consultant.  So you've been swayed a little bit and you have a few ideas in mind as you set out to do your research.  While this whole process starts at a search engine, the most important factor influencing your buying decision is the vendors' website.  The search engine has helped you find the vendor you want to consider.  Now what aspects of that company and their website will convince you to shell out the big bucks for your high-cost content management system?

Late last week I got to spend a couple of very enjoyable days in the desert heat of Tucson together with the sales team of ThomasNet.com.  I was the guest speaker at their national sales conference.  This week, likely as you read this, I’ll be in New York for the SEMPO Planning Retreat and in another day or so, I'll be on a plane to Florida for the SearchInsider summit.  I get back for one week, briefly acclimatize myself and then it's off to China for Search Engine Strategies.  The point of rattling off my travel itinerary, other than the frequent flier miles I’m racking up? All this hop scotching around the globe can be tied together with one common theme.  It was topic of my talk in Tucson.  While preparing for it, I found some interesting details that speak of a groundswell of change that will impact every industry.  

What Website? I Don’t Need No Stinking Website!

One of the challenges faced by ThomasNet, or for that matter, any online property that is targeting industrial manufacturers, is in convincing some of the advertisers of the need for establishing a Web presence.  These are traditional and, very often, conservative businesses that have been around for decades and they cast a jaundiced eye at anything too new, too trendy or anything that even vaguely smacks of "geekiness". In many cases, they've been turning out steel widgets and doodads that have a very specific niche market.  They know their customers, and their customers know them.  So why would they need a website?  Why would they need to advertise on a search engine?  And why do they have to worry about a global marketplace?  All the reasons can be summed up in two words: things change.

Agents of Change

In 1990, the travel industry with a relatively stable place.  Travelers went to the local travel agents and the travel agents acted as the channel for the information from various airlines, cruise lines, hotel chains and vacation companies to the consumer.  They served a vital part of the value chain in the industry.  And with something as highly personalized and variable as travel, it was hard to imagine how these travel experts could ever be dis intermediated.  Even when the Internet started to gain traction and the first online agencies popped up in the mid-90s, the place of the travel agent seemed relatively secure. The reasons stated were many of the same reasons we currently hear from manufacturers.  They knew their customers, their customers knew them and the exchange of information back and forth between the two parties proved the value of this relationship.  In 1995, the number of single office travel agents peaked at almost 22,000, according to ARC.  And then things changed.  The online travel agents upped the ante.  They demystified travel and opened up control of information to anyone who had Internet access.  Airlines and hotels readjusted their booking channels to be able to go first to online agencies, and ultimately, direct to savvy travelers.  Online communities formed that allowed travelers to connect with others who'd been there, seen it and done it, getting first-hand advice of where to stay and how to get there.  And by 2004, the number of single office travel agents had been cut in half. Less than 10 years and an industry was decimated. Things change..quickly!

Look East for the Future

In 1999 Intel Chairman Andy Grove said, “In five years, all companies will be Internet companies, or they won’t be companies at all.” Grove may have been a touch optimistic in his timing (imagine, someone over-hyping the Internet in 1999), but I don't believe that takes away from the importance of his message. One of the mistakes that travel agents made, and the mistake that many small manufacturers are making again, is to assume that just because they’re not interested in a global market, all other competitors are likewise uninterested in their market. The balance of power in the manufacturing world is dramatically swinging eastwards. Another sobering fact that I came up with in the preparation for my presentation was the fact that in the US, there are currently about 14 million jobs in manufacturing.  If you take all G-7 countries combined (US, Canada, the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Japan) there are about 53 million manufacturing jobs. In China alone, there are almost 110 million jobs in manufacturing. A manufacturing powerhouse the likes of which we've never seen before is gearing up in Asia. And they're desperately eager to learn how to use the internet to connect with new markets, right here, in our back yard. To add to what Andy Grove said, not only will all companies be Internet companies, we'll also have to become global companies. At the very least, we'll have to be acutely aware of our global competition.

And that brings me to the other destinations on my travel agenda. One of the things the SEMPO board will be discussing this Thursday in New York will be the driving trends in search. Globalization will be near the top of the agenda. Then, a few days later in Florida, at the SearchInsider summit, we'll be gathering together in the Everglades to talk about emerging issues. Search's expansion beyond its early consumer based direct response successes into areas like manufacturing and other business to business verticals is almost sure to be discussed. Finally, I have to see for myself the economic explosion that's happening in China. I was a little shameless in wrangling myself an invite to speak at Search Engine Strategies. But it seems that no matter where you go, one thing remains true. All roads lead online, and they all intersect with search at some point.

Last week I wrote a piece on Ten Ways B2B Marketers Can Become Cutting Edge with Online Marketing.  One of the items mentioned was to use Mobile Marketing to compliment your online presence.   So exactly what is mobile marketing or mobile SEO?  Can it be used by B2B marketers as a lead generation tool?  Should it be used by B2B marketers as part of an online marketing strategy at all?

Before we try to answer these questions, we should discuss exactly what mobile marketing/mobile SEO is.

Definition of Mobile SEO: the process of increasing visitors to your web properties through the use of mobile marketing and promotion.

Definition of Mobile Marketing: Mobile marketing is the process of marketing on or with a mobile device such as a cellular phone or personal digital assistants (PDA).  Mobile marketing is usually done through SMS.

Definition of SMS: Short Message Service (SMS) is also known as “text-messaging” and is a telecommunications protocol that allows the sending of "short" (160 characters or less) text messages.

Since the start of the decade, Short Message Service (SMS) has become popular in Europe and Asia.  As a result, businesses in these areas started to compile mobile phone numbers and send off content and ad messages.  Mobile Marketing via SMS has expanded rapidly in Europe and Asia as a new channel to reach the consumer.  As a side note, the first cross-carrier SMS shortcode campaign in North America was run by Labatt Brewing Company in 2002.

SMS Facts

• in 2000 (the start of text messaging and SMS) just 17 billion SMS messages were sent
• in 2001, the number was up to 250 billion
• 2004 saw this rise to 500 billion SMS messages
• At an average cost of USD 0.10 per message, this generates revenues in excess of $50 billion for mobile telephone operators
• The 2004 total of SMS messages represents close to 100 text messages for every person in the world
• Short messages are most popular amongst young people who live in urban areas

So the question becomes should B2B marketers use mobile marketing?  Well the quick answer is yes why not?  Mobile marketing presents a fairly cost effective way to intercept your audience.  You can use it to promote your website (in addition to your solution or product).  Mobile marketing cannot hurt your existing campaign.  In fact it can be used to bolster your online marketing campaign.  There are a number of reasons as to why B2B marketers may want to consider establishing a mobile marketing strategy.

Reasons Why Mobile SEO Should be a part of a B2B Online Marketing Strategy

• The number of cell phone users continues to increase. (2005 saw 2.1 billion users, recent reports suggest this is now considerably higher)
• having a mobile marketing strategy through mobile ads can help promote traffic to your web properties
• text messages are also often used to interact with automated systems, such as ordering products and services for mobile phones, or participating in contests
• SMS has caused interesting changes in society and language since it became popular in such as short time.  Text-messaging has had impacts on academics, criminal activity, political events and social news-worthy events.   Creative marketing through text-messaging can generate tremendous revenue.
• so long as advertisers do not abuse the power of mobile marketing so that it is not considered spam, advertising through text messaging can be very effective

Should Mobile SEO be a focus of B2B Marketers?

Depending on whom your target market may be, mobile marketing may not be for all B2B marketers.  In the past, services that provide bulk text message sending are also becoming a popular way for clubs, associations, and advertisers to quickly reach a group of opt-in subscribers.  Is mobile marketing simply a fad?  I’m not so sure as it appears to picking up steam as we head towards the end of the decade.  The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) and the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association), have both established guidelines and have began evangelizing the use of the mobile channel for marketers.  Mobile marketing is not going anywhere in the near future.  For that reason alone B2B marketers should look further into the opportunities that mobile marketing may provide for their organizations.  Mobile marketing can be a great way to compliment your online marketing efforts as part of an overall marketing strategy. 

For more on mobile marketing and SMS visit Wikipedia’s entry on SMS