My boss Björn Alberts once showed me an excellent (suckin’ up big time) chart displaying the master matrix of any online web project. Since then I have basically made these types of matrixes as a way to structure my thoughts. This post will display one of those matrixes. Maybe not as useful as the one linked to above, but for organizations stuck in SEO-land, it might help with the visualization of where to go and what to do in order to go there.
Basically SEO centered business models rely on highly rational processes. The future models of making money online are however less rational and more behavioral.
I am far from ready with the model above, but it combines the worlds of online marketing that is evolving right now. You might want to criticise it for its lack of banners. But I truely and passionately advocate against banners as a means of online sales and thus I keep it out of the model. Secondly I sincerely feel that any marketing that has not at least a long term connection to some kind of sales, is a waste of money.
How to read the model
Well… it is quite simple. If you start out working with SEO, your revenue will increase as you optimize your search engine presence. This can be done in a very rational manner that has a clear ambition of converting search engine traffic.
Once you’ve got yourself up and running with the SEO, you should start working with your E-marketing and Social Media activity. Why not before? Well.. in order to get the trust in social media you need some ground visibility so that people searching for your brand or products, or even more importantly –> your people, will find them and be able to “confirm” their existance easily.
Then you move onto relationships.
Optimization is good, but in order to gain trust you need to customize your communication. This will also increase your hit-rates, your conversion rates and your relevance with the people you are talking to. Customization is a step towards loyalization. Talk to people the way they understand and listen to them to build relationships will in the end gain you their loyalty.
Equally the third step going from conversion to returning customers builds on trust.
Rational vs Irrational
Once you’ve gained the skill of working in the rational areas of online marketing you can take steps towards working with irrational marketing. Irrational marketing is when you try to engage peoples preferences for your products rather than them choosing another – otherwise similar – product.
Irrational marketing increase the surplus value of your products. It is both irrational in the way it aims to have people give your products an added value, but it is also irrational as its method is not at all about promoting your products, but it is all about keeping your promises, listening, being honest and continuously changing in the direction of your closest supporters.
Anyhow… have a field day with this one! I am not yet done and I need to add to this model. Please help me get going.
//Jesper
Thanx Jesper. I’m happy that you where inspired. Your “how to” aproach always inspire me as well!
What you in your model calls “irrational” is what use to be called “emotional” in branding. Maybe it’s good to use existing terms for existing things in order to help old school marketers get back on track?
Best!
@jardenberg – thnx for the help!
@Björn – Great! But should I use rational or is there another term for that one?
Rational is very fine and commonly used.