A Thanksgiving feast doesn’t happen overnight. It requires thorough planning, preparation, and a talented chef. It’s a step by step process with many pieces and contributing factors. Transfer this into the digital world and the same can be said for your online marketing strategy. A successful online identity requires a clear strategy, thoughtful execution, and a team of talented individuals. It’s a combination of many tactics working together to build a single, unified presence.
At Boston Interactive we like to think of an online marketing strategy much like a Thanksgiving feast. The way that the turkey is complimented by side dishes and dessert reminds us of how a website is enhanced with social media and analytics. What marketing lessons can this year’s Thanksgiving teach you?
Main Course: Cooking the perfect turkey is no easy feat- nor is creating the perfect website. Both require many steps and check-ins along the way before reaching the point of completion. Just as you must prep the turkey before putting it into the oven, you must do the proper research before beginning to design a website. Skipping any of the steps or completing them out of order is a recipe for disaster. It is only when your turkey has achieved the perfect golden color and the timer pops that you can begin strategizing a serving approach. Likewise, it’s only when your website has been properly developed and tested that you can launch and begin announcing the news to your audience.
Side Dishes: No matter how perfectly golden brown your turkey may be, it still needs a variety of delicious side dishes to complete the Thanksgiving feast. Similarly, no matter how great the strengths of your website, your online marketing strategy requires many supporting tactics to maximize the impact of your online presence. From cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes to Facebook and LinkedIn, these assets support and enhance the main course. They offer new opportunities and capabilities that the main course alone cannot and are vital to satisfying a Thanksgiving appetite. The outlets of social media, email, and search market aid in driving traffic to your website and raise brand awareness. Without them, your website would be nothing more than a lonely turkey attempting to provide an entire feast.
Dessert: After the feast begins to wind down and your guests start to crave something sweet, dessert provides the opportunity to gather and reflect on the day. This moment of reflection is much like the time marketing professionals take to measure the success of their efforts. Whether it’s pumpkin pie and apple crisp or Google Analytics and Campaign Monitor, this time can provide key takeaways for future endeavors. Were your calls to actions successful? Could your users locate the right information on your site? Setting aside the time to listen for feedback makes for a more positive experience in the future.
Of course no two Thanksgiving celebrations and no two online marketing strategies can be the same. With so many individual elements and tactics, the possibilities for a personalized approach are endless. It’s about finding the elements that best fill the needs of your users and integrating them into a solid marketing campaign to fulfill the needs of your company. So as you go heat up that last leftover piece of pie, take a minute to reflect on what marketing lessons you can learn from this year’s Thanksgiving feast.
