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Well-capitalized, community banks often grow new customer relationships by acquiring other banks. However, as their geographic footprints expand, many find it challenging to also grow new customer relationships organically. As their DMAs widen, their marketing budgets are spread thinner and thinner. The idea of spending money on television, radio and outdoor grows more untenable, and digital becomes more important than ever. If this is where you find yourself, your digital marketing strategy should take the following realities into consideration. Focus on Fundamentals 1. Relationships are everything. The lifetime value of a customer whose financial needs evolve through many stages of life is worth far more to your bank than the interest earned on a one-time transaction. It’s interesting when you ask people “Who is your bank?” Invariably, their bank is where they keep their checking and savings accounts. The same is true with business customers. This is where long-term banking relationships begin. 2. You sell more loans to existing customers … Continue reading
Posted in: community bank marketing
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I hope this gets your gears turning. Find out more about how Elliance is helping B2B and Manufacturing Marketers here.
Posted in: Manufacturing Day, Manufacturing Marketing
A few weeks ago, we launched HM Insurance Group’s new website, and the same thing happened with this one that always happens—we delivered a lot more than an insurance company website design. FIRST, we engaged HM in a discovery process that revealed some business realities we didn’t expect to find. We got insights into the ways their industry is changing and the mindset of their buyers. A clear challenge emerged: How do we distinguish what “Quality” means for customers tempted to commoditize what HM brings to the table? NEXT we developed a communications strategy that addressed their business objectives, clearly distinguished their value proposition and refocused the company on the stewardship their people provide. It goes beyond the usual website strategy. It’s written to inform all of HM’s marketing efforts. AND THEN we created a new brand position for HM: “Guarding Financial Health.” These 3 words communicate the higher purpose of their B2B product and service offering. AND THEN we … Continue reading
Posted in: insurance company website design
A new generation of talent recruitment is upon us. Recruitment 1.0: Run classified ads in the Help Wanted section of newspapers. Recruitment 2.0: Run job postings on third party sites like Monster, Indeed and Jobs.com. Recruitment 3.0: Take control of your own destiny. Manufacturers are increasingly challenged by a national talent shortage for the new jobs they’re creating. Instead of relying on tired old ways, Recruitment 3.0 demands a better digital strategy. One that doesn’t commoditize businesses by constantly putting them side by side with everybody else looking to fill seemingly look-alike roles. After all, the best person for your opening isn’t just looking for a job, they’re looking for a better career. The answer begins with an overlooked part of many manufacturing websites—the Careers and Job Listing pages. Look at yours through the lens of smart SEO practices like optimizing your code, “baking” keywords into your job listing pages, and spreading them with social media share buttons. Every job … Continue reading
Posted in: talent shortage in manufacturing
As I waited in the supermarket checkout lane the other day and took in the tabloid headlines, it occurred to me that fake news isn’t new at all. We’ve been inundated with it for decades. However, given our recent election, it appears that what’s new is that more and more of us are beginning to believe it. I grew up in the 60s and 70s. Many called it the age of skepticism, and given the era we had every right to not accept at face value everything we read, heard and were told. In high school “Skeptic” magazine supplemented my History classes and Social Studies discussions. We were taught how to read between the lines, look for bias, and understand how context and events shape points of view. Somewhere along the way our skepticism has devolved into a willingness to believe. How in the world did this happen? Things began to change in the 80s. Waiting nervously in the lobby … Continue reading
Come January 20th hate will have a new home. It’s called the White House. Not every person or even the majority of people who voted for Donald Trump is hateful, but haters do love him. They see a guy who is now leader of the free world, and they believe that deep down he’s just like them. They feel empowered. They’re emboldened. And they’re starting to act out. At a lunch counter a few days ago, I met a priest who told me that spray-painted swastikas are already springing up on churches near his home of Carlisle, PA. Just over a week ago, student demonstrators at a high school in York, PA could be seen and heard shouting “White power!” The moment was captured on You Tube and prompted our Governor to convene Pennsylvania’s public school’s leadership for a special strategy session. It’s not even Christmas yet, and haters are overjoyed. They’ve been busy on the brand front too. Last … Continue reading
Last week I toured the factory of a mid-sized OEM Manufacturer, and was blown away by what I saw. Robotic plasma cutters were going through huge 4-inch thick steel plates like hot knives through butter. I was told they also cut 10-inch thick plates with the same ease. Huge parts were being moved from station to station. They were being drilled, stamped, machined, folded, welded, blasted clean, assembled, powder-coated and baked. With every step, I could feel the enormity of their investment in automation. I could also see their investment in skilled workers who were keeping it all running smoothly and safely. I was truly impressed by how this third-generation company was staying with the times and evolving with their customers’ needs. I was also very surprised by something; I learned that after all they’ve put into their business they have some excess capacity. It turns out that there’s a significant perception gap in what new prospects think about them … Continue reading
I joined Elliance 6 months ago, and am learning something new every day. The one big thing I’ve learned, which sets us apart from anywhere I’ve worked in the past, is that marketing is no longer just about persuading human beings. It’s also about persuading Google Bots. The differences in what appeals to humans and robots are obvious, but what I find fascinating are the similarities. Here are 3 important ones for marketers: A Shared Vocabulary People often group together around mutual interests and beliefs. At the core of their interests and beliefs is a common language. So it’s only natural that Google Bots are built to recognize keywords and key phrases. Once you really know your audience, you can develop a SEO-informed lexicon and bake it into all your digital marketing, so the robots bring the people you want to your door. Credibility People rarely respond to a persuasive story they only hear once. It’s only after we see … Continue reading
Posted in: Search Marketing
There’s a valuable thing that inexperienced people bring to the table, that more experienced people are often lacking. It’s the gift of seeing through beginner’s eyes. This June will mark the 35th year of my career, and the lesson I’m continually learning is this: The more experienced I become, the more important it is to keep my outlook fresh. I never want to become that grey, old ad man clutching his double Manhattan, longing for the good old days and grousing about how the business has changed. If you feel the same, here are some suggestions on how to keep that old guy at bay—even if you like double Manhattans as much as I do. 1. Never Sit Still. Move. Ride a bike, run, go for walks, cut your own grass, play tennis, play softball, join a volleyball league, lift heavy stuff. Whatever it is that makes you tired and happy, just do it. It fuels your joy, and makes … Continue reading
Posted in: creative inspirations
I don’t like the term “UX Design” and this is why. Back in the day, when the Internet was still emerging and I was studying Design at Carnegie Mellon University, we didn’t call people “users”. We called them “people”. As designers we were taught to set our egos aside, and deeply consider the lives of those who would experience what we were designing. This is where I see an important distinction between what’s called “User Experience Design” and what I call “Human Experience Design”. In too many circumstances, UX focuses too narrowly on simply making the tool easier, instead of making lives easier. Here’s a real-world example of what I’m talking about: A person takes an online, professional certification course. At the end of the course they’re alerted that they’ve passed via email. The email takes them through a multi-step process to obtain their certification card. User Experience Designers work to make these steps easy to understand, and user friendly. … Continue reading
Posted in: human experience design, user experience