Online Marketing Conference In Sydney Yields Inter

This week I’m in Sydney invited as an “industry expert” at a national online marketing conference. I was honoured to be on the panel, give a workshop and present to a full and well represented conference.

It was incredible to see how the industry has come such along way since I started optimising and email marketing in the 90’s. The results of major brands such as Virgin Blue, Intercontinental Hotels and the QLD Tourism Commission were great case studies that really drilled home what works well in the online marketing space.

Planning, measurable outcomes and reviewing campaigns were a major discussion point by Australian and international organisations. Campaigns and online initiatives that failed to work by most organisations were scrapped with another two or three ready to replace poor results.

The common cry by all presenters including myself was that offline marketing goals and initiatives needed to drive and align with online marketing goals and activities. The planning process is so critical to success and will enevitably drive more qualified leads and converstions for web sites.

Measurable results from campaigns and online initiatives were also highlighted as a mandatory planning tool. None of the truly successful organisations at the conference failed in their target setting activities. Most delegates that did plan their measurable success used the conversion rate of customers as the key performance indicator. Of course that inclused the interactivity of a user beit in sales, competition entries or subscriptions.

One other notable factor that was not suprising at all was the use of email marketing. Newsletter formats were not well liked. Linking back to web sites with supporting information that allows users to select their preferred link from an email rather than being bombarded with too much inbox information was given the nod.

Linking and segmentation strategies also were widely discussed. Further more the importance of content to conversion was the most suprisingly consisten message.

Back to basics seemed to be the overall theme of the conference that will really set a platform for online markeing success.

The much talked about blogging phenomena got a mixed response from the speakers which left the delegates a touch confused. The expert panel were unconvinced by blogging and so am I so I have decided that the best way to find out was to create a blog myself. It is an e-marketing oriented blog so come and try your hand and tell me what you think at => http://davidjbarnes.blogspot.com

David Barnes has been responsible for delivering hundreds of web related projects since 1997. Since then he has been responsible for the development of numerous web and e-marketing related products. Now a director of international web software manufacturer Platform Interactive he regularly presents on e-Marketing and web business around Australia.