smART talk | Crack Web Marketing weekly digest

A weekly digest and highlights from the smART talk | Crack Web Marketing forum with specialist guest Vicki Allpress-Hill.

Active topics from the past week include targeting market segments online, common challenges and barriers to getting started, how to make the most of email newsletters and tips for web analytics and online advertising.

smART talk weekly digest | November 23-29

Follow the links to read the discussions so far and share your stories, questions and challenges with Vicki Allpress-Hill and other forum members. The forum is open until December 3.

Topic One | Getting Started: New To Web Marketing

Vicki discussed some common challenges people faced when getting started. This included the time and brain space to learn and apply a new way of working.

The ability to measure success was important, in order to have the confidence to drop elements of your existing marketing and replace them with online marketing tools. 

“That's why case studies and benchmarking are so important for us as an industry.”

When deciding which market segments to target online, a forum member said understanding your segments is an important first step. Understanding how those people become defined as part of a different segment by their online purpose is the second step to ensure the way you communicate benefits and connects with them in a relevant way.

Ask a Question: Do you have any questions about getting started or expanding your web marketing?
Share: How did you get started, what challenges did you face, how did you overcome them?
Join this forum topic.

Topic Two | Web Analytics

Forum members shared examples of how they use analytics, including supporting grant applications, recording how effective web listings are, historical data, finding out where visitors are from, popular content, and seasonal trends.

Vicki talked about tagged links. You can add tracking code to any external link coming into your site and then run specific reports on those 'micro-segments'. She gave examples of how this works including e-newsletters, listings and banner ads on external sites, and status updates or features on Facebook.

Ask a Question: Do you want to know more about statistics and tracking trends?
Share: Do you have any web analytics and benchmarking tips and tools?
Join this forum topic.

Topic Three | Email Marketing

Forum members discussed the best day of the week to send email newsletters. Tuesdays and Thursdays were recommended, weekends were not. One member recommended experimenting by signing up to newsletters in your niche to find out when they send their newsletters.

Vicki outlined ways to make the most of e-newsletters.  They should be treated as publications, editorial not advertorial.  She quoted a statistic from a book called ‘Wired for Culture’ by Eugene Carr (based in New York) - "51% of arts patrons claim that they read opt-in arts email as carefully as they read email from their friends".

Vicki suggested giving the e-newsletter a publication name, a personality and regular features. Include information of value, promote a sense of community, provide short overviews and link to stories on your website.

“Remember that the tone of voice in your newsletter can be more light-hearted and cheeky than the corporate face of your website.”

Ask a Question: Do you want to know more about email marketing and e-newsletters?
Share: What should arts organisations be doing to make the most of e-newsletters? What works for you?
Join this forum topic.

Topic Four | Social Media

Ask a Question: What do you need to know about joining or making the most of social media?
Share: What challenges have you faced, how have you overcome them? What is working for you?
Join this forum topic.

Topic Five | SEO & SEM

Ask a Question: Do you have questions about search engine optimisation and marketing?
Share: Do you have any SEO and SEM tips?
Join this forum topic.

Topic Six | Online Advertising

Forum members talked about the difference between Adsense & Adwords. Google Adwords allows you to advertise on search engine results and others websites. Google Adsense is where as a site owner you get paid to display Google Ads.

Vicki referred to articles talking about some of the pitfalls of Adsense.

Ask a Question: Do you have any questions about online advertising and partnerships?
Share: Do you have any recommendations?
Join this forum topic.

What web marketing challenges are you grappling with? What's working for you? Join the forum.

smART talk 02 | Crack Web Marketing with Vicki Allpress-Hill

Creative New Zealand and The Big Idea are running the second in a series of three online forums aimed at arts & creative sector professionals in any creative field. smART talk 02 | Crack Web Marketing is hosted by The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui and aimed at those who want to grow audiences using web marketing.  It runs until 3 December.

Vicki Allpress-Hill has been a regular contributor at Creative New Zealand’s 21st Century Arts Conferences .  Currently Manager – Online & CRM for The Edge in Auckland, Vicki has also worked and consulted with some of the most successful arts organisations in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and US and has authored books, papers and blogs on the subjects of audience development and online marketing.