AN internet marketing (IM) coach recommends IM as an effective tool for struggling businesses to cope with the effects of the global financial crisis.
“The technology is there. It is not a matter of resources but a matter of our resourcefulness,” said Lloyd Luna, also an author on books about career and business development.
Companies can cut their marketing and advertising expenses by 40 percent and increase their sales by 60 percent through an effective IM, he observed.
However, he admitted that convincing businesses to utilize IM is difficult due to the traditional concepts of marketing, which remain to be effective for some companies.
In his experience, many multinationals and even small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have started including IM in their overall marketing strategies to reach out to the right and bigger market.
Online presence
“The basic principle is that the smaller your company is, the bigger you should appear online. You will have nothing to lose,” Luna said in press conference last Thursday.
He said, though, that bigger companies “should appear small” online by creating regional websites. “Otherwise, you will lose so much,” he added.
IM refers to the use of the Internet to promote a product or service. It involves search engine optimization, website design, online promotions and e-mail marketing, among others.
Luna was among the speakers at First IM Grand Seminar at Sarrosa International Hotel. The event was attended by stakeholders from the real estate, travel, tourism, advertising and hotel industries. The event was organized by real estate service provider F9 Property Development and Consultancy Inc.
“We were expecting more participants. Some declined to attend because they believe that traditional marketing still enables them to sell their products. For F9, it is a matter of educating the (Cebu) market about IM and encouraging them to take advantage of it to reach to the right market at the least cost,” F9 president Emily Amie Cabillada.
Luna said companies that chose to engage in IM as early as now will be able to reap big benefits in terms of sales and savings in the future.
“IM is a phenomenon now. I (see) IM as the next big wave, the way to go,” he added.
He warned, though, that businesses that do not know how to position themselves online and do not sustain their IM strategies are bound to lag behind in the online market. (NRC)
No comments:
Post a Comment