Are you familiar with those massive fishing trawlers that head out to sea for weeks at a time? They trail huge, miles-long nets behind them and haul in everything that swims, keeping only a few choice specimens. That’s how advertising used to work. We’d cast a huge net over the entire market and then wait for a few fish to walk through the door.

Remember the old phrase, “Only half my advertising is working, I just don’t know which half.” Thankfully things have changed.

Digital marketing techniques have made fishing much more efficient. Now we can stand on the back of the boat with just a handful of bait and the fish come to us. Not just any fish, but only the fish that we want to catch! Because they’re the ones interested in the bait we’re offering.

Traditional, market wide advertising such as radio, television, outdoor and print are still very valuable for creating awareness and building brand. However, your front lobby is no longer located in your building and customers rarely go from advertisement to sales counter anymore. Customers enter your world through your website.

They might find your website through many different avenues such as a specific search on Google or Yahoo for your product or business; they might come across a testimonial about you on one of the many consumer review sites like Yelp or BooRah; they may hear about you on Facebook from an ad or a personal contact; or they may receive an email or blog entry just lifke this one from me. In whatever way you touch the consumer on the internet, if they are familiar with your brand and what it stands for, they are far more likely to link to your website. When that happens you have a FISH ON and your website needs to spring into action!

A well-oiled website will quickly tell the consumer what your brand positioning or distinction is. It will lead them through a quick understanding of what you offer and provide easy access to a “data capture tool.” Because there’s one reason, and one reason only to have a website: to convert visitors into leads. Fishing is fun when you know where the fish are biting and what kind of bait to use. If you need a good guide to help you with bait, equipment selection and finding the best fishing holes, give me a call. I’ve got my waders ready to go!

This fish was caught on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 and is in the Brand Strategy net. You can follow wrap entry through RSS. You can also comment, or link to it from your own site.