Play on, Play off: The Game of Digital Marketing

Today I attended another seminar at Bryant University. This seminar was on understanding online marketing trends in today's technologically and digitally-driven society...and how this shapes business marketing trends and strategies.

To the average user, sounds riveting, huh? I can imagine...however, to a small business owner and entrepreneur, online marketing is the very essence of what keeps businesses alive today. In fact, today's digital landscape looks a little something like the image you see here in this blog post. This chart was provided in our hand outs. As a fellow attendee humorously claimed, this looks more like the map of the T than our digital landscape.

But the fact is, each small business owner with any level of online presence needs to consider these channels and avenues to play the game of digital marketing. If you are a start up small business operator and entrepreneur that doesn't have an online presence, the chances of you being around in five years is slim. This is the hard and fast truth we all deal with today. Part of the game of digital marketing is keeping ahead of the competition with only one drive: to come out on top and win.

Within minutes from walking in the door, I was greeted by a friendly and engaging instructor, who asked me to introduce myself and what my purpose was for attending the seminar. I explained that I owned and ran my own business and this topic was something I was super excited about and thought that it could really help me to increase my online presence as well as help my clients with their content management and marketing goals. She asked me what types of services I offered, to which I explained translation, content and web marketing and management, and editorial services. After chatting for a few more minutes, I grabbed some breakfast and coffee, and the presentation began a short while later.

Then, in the middle of the presentation, the instructor called out, "Julie operates a services entity that offers a translation service...so if anyone is looking for that, reach out to her" ...which I responded graciously with my dashing smile and beauty queen wave. And while I very much appreciated the shout out, as well as the opportunity to talk to some great prospects after the seminar was over, I realized on my drive home that I learned two important things today: 1) My digital program should be thoroughly planned out and should involve more on how I provide "translation" solutions, and 2) my listeners and audience only pick up on one or two of my services.

But why is this? Is it because translation is "foreign" and "interesting", which is why it easily resides in audiences' minds? Or is it because it's the only real "service" that I offer that they understand? So whenever I give my pitch on my services in content marketing and web management, in addition to translation, as I did when I first met the seminar instructor, I realized that most of my audiences really aren't sure on what "content marketing and web management" really is. But the truth is? While I provide translation services in the conventional sense (Spanish to English, English to Spanish, and localization), I also spend a great deal of time "translating"...meaning translating clients' content ideas for their blogs and websites into written copy, and "translating" customer requirements and specifications into a physical product, and even "translating" what it is J. H. Language Solutions actually does into a tangible service that also provides solutions.

 

So, in closing, my digital plan? Spend more time learning, understanding, and really getting to the root of clients' challenges, and REALLY think about the words I use to describe my business and services in my pitch, and how I seek to provide more translation solutions rather than just "translation". Let the games begin.

Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J.H. Language Solutions