In today’s cluttered e-world, an integrated strategy is always the best policy.
First, focus on communication vehicles that those of qualified interest need take action to reach. These are called “pull” products. Someone has to think about going to you, in order to get there. The best example is your web site.
An excellent, but current and topical web site comes first. This is where most companies fail. They create online brochures which are static and generally not changed. A low word count comes second because too much text is a turnoff. A fair amount of topical video and audio is also essential. And of course, daily or at least weekly content updating is mandatory. If you’re not continually creating and reflecting new short content, users have no reason to visit your site a second time. (Since most of our busy clients don’t have time to do that, we generate and post that content in partnership with many clients.)
But you also need to focus on “push” communications, where you actually send your content to the targeted population. The old world did that through direct mail, mailed brochures, drop-off of collateral material at meetings, etc.
But today you can’t really have a holistic, “push” strategy without social media – where subscribers actually want to hear what you have to say and be updated on what you’re doing – through blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and through direct, content-oriented e-newsletters (again, with short video and audio pods wherever possible).
This also requires prolific content updating – but if you integrate your new content to both “push” and “pull” online communications, web search engines will intuitively sense that key phrases in your online content are seen in multiple web locations – on your web, through social media, and through e-news content. That, in turn will move you and your company’s content into higher position on search engines.
And that’s exactly what you want to have happen, to keep your expertise visible, and not lost in the sea of internet communications.