Eleven Exclusive Marketing Tips – Online Marketing Show 2008

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I must have written over 30 round-ups of online marketing exhibitions and they usually follow the same hackneyed format: I’ll write about how the event underlines the increasing significance of digital marketing, I’ll mock the geezer who has been giving the same speech since 2001 preaching "this will be the year of mobile marketing" and I’ll quote attendees who say stuff like "it was a great networking opportunity" and "it was a wonderful chance to meet friends old and new".

So this time I thought I’d do something different. To go with the theme of Online Marketing and Media 2008, which took place on 24 and 25 June, I decided to ask eleven people on the day I attended the exhibition to share one useful bit of marketing advice. None of them claimed to be offering an earth-shattering tip, but what they bring attention to is well worth noting as it’s bewildering how many of us are so focused on finding the silver bullet that we forget the basics. 

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10:38 am: Khurram Khurshid, Shipping Manager, Mailboxes Etc.

Meet at: Bloomsbury, central London

"Don’t lose sight of offline marketing. Targeted leaflet drops have proven to be incredibly effective for us: we do them to student halls etc. If you’re a business targeting a small geographical region, I would highly recommend printing quality leaflets and distributing them in the area." 

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11:03 am Jonathan Yates, Associate, Arup (construction and engineering consultancy)

Location: Tottenham Court Road underground station

"Because we are known for being one of the leaders in our field, most clients are repeat business and referrals. I am just on my way back to the office now from a seminar run by KPMG and events are also a good way of getting known by potential clients."

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11:46 am: Honey Sassaka (right), Reception Admin.

Location: Health Clinic, Camden Town (take my mother for treatment)

"If you are providing a service that benefits the community, local authority literature can help get the word about you, so you should contact your council. Leaflets and word of mouth also enable people to find out about what we have to offer."

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3:19 pm: Claire Delisle, Affiliate Marketing Executive, Elemis

Location: Online Marketing Show entrance, Business Design Centre, Angel, London N1

"Have a strong call to action. How you do that depends on the website you have, but if you lead the user with a clear call to action, you will generate more sales."

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3:26 pm: Adam Ross, Client Services Director, Affiliate Window

Location: Online Marketing Show entrance

"Make sure you have a well maintained and extensive datafeed so you can leverage the full potential of some affiliate networks."

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3:30 pm: Mark Walters, Chief Operating Officer, Affiliate Window 

Where: Online Marketing Show entrance

"What a customer thinks of your brand is worth twice as much as what you know about your brand. Stuart Rose, the boss of Marks & Spencer successfully turned the business around by focusing on who their customers were and how best to serve them."

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3:38 pm: Mumtaz Khamker, Senior Account Manager, Linkshare UK

Where: Online Marketing Show entrance

"Keep your promotions fresh and keep varying them. Otherwise consumers will lose interest."

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4:36 pm: Sami Kasap, Business Development Manager, Steak Media

Where: Online Marketing Show, at Steak Media stand

"Be open and honest with both your clients and colleagues. They deserve that and you’ll be more successful for it in the long term."

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4:50 pm: Colin Telford, R. O. Eye

Where: Online Marketing Show, R. O. Eye stand

"When dealing with a client/supplier at pitch stage, consider not only the proposition at that time, but how you will steer that client in an ever-changing sector."

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8:02pm: Jennifer Mansfield, Director, Business Development, Intela

Where: Angel, London N1

"Keep up with industry news and developments. Read as much as you can. If you are interested in online marketing in the United States, for instance, you should read Adotas.com and similar resources."

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11:14 pm: Steve Lownds, Affiliate Manager, AffiliateFuture

Where: Tottenham Court Road underground station

"Test, test, test. Analyse the results. That’s the only way you will be able to fathom what does and doesn’t work. For example, if you are doing email marketing, do a drop to a sample of your database and study the results."

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