Creating Your Digital Future

1. Creating Your Digital Future As Envisioned by Larry Stopa President of E-Power Marketing

2. E-Power Marketing • Clients include eBay, 5-Hour Energy, Océ, International Housewares Association • Oshkosh Full-Service Search Engine Marketing Agency • Search Engine Optimization • Pay Per Click Advertising • Social Media Marketing • Reputation Management • Local Search Marketing • Web Analytics

3. Larry Stopa • Founded E-Power Marketing in 1998 • 30+ years experience in marketing communications with a specialty in technology • Internet marketing since 1995

4. Crystal Ball Gazing • Professor Lynch asked • What I see in the future of Social Media • What companies are looking for • Change • Absolutely guarantee Change

5. Crystal Ball Gazing • Facebook or MySpace? • May 2008, 5-Hour wanted to choose between MySpace or Facebook • User numbers about the same • E-Power recommended MySpace for demographics • Within one year, we adjusted the effort to Facebook

6. Crystal Ball Gazing • Facebook and Twitter • Unbelievable number of eyeballs • Reminiscent of the Dot.com Bubble and collapse • Eyeballs were important – not revenues, much less profit • Start of Dot.com Bubble - Excite • 1998 revenues $154 million – cash flow positive • Bought by AT&T in 1999 for $6.7 billion – 44X revenues • End of Dot.com Bubble - CDNow • Largest selection of music titles, music sampling, reviews • 1999 revenues $130 million - but not profitable • Spring 2000 could not guarantee continuing operations • Became part of Amazon

7. Crystal Ball Gazing Facebook (not public, numbers are guesses) • 2009: $777 million revenue; $100 million profit • 2010: $2 billion revenues; $400 million profit • 2011: $4.27 billion revenues • $3.8 billion from advertising • $470 million from Facebook Credits, a virtual-currency program that lets users buy premium items and content in games (FarmVille, CityVille, Lady Gaga buying FarmVille for a day)

8. Crystal Ball Gazing Twitter (not public, numbers are guesses) • 2010: $45 million revenues • 2011: $150 million revenues • Unknown if there is any profit • Valuation of 100X revenue

9. Crystal Ball Gazing LinkedIn (NYSE) • Business Networking Community • Personal Profiles or Résumés • Company Profiles • Groups • 2011: $450 million revenues • Little or no profit • Highest Price-Revenue Ratio of Any Stock

10. Crystal Ball Gazing Groupon – Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell • Prediction - Gone in about 2 years • Business model is unsustainable • Can’t hold retailers or customers • High cost of customer acquisition • Principles became rich on hype, not from profitable businesses • Google “Starbelly Halo Brandon Apparel Group ” • Starbelly from “The Sneetches and Other Stories” by Dr. Seuss • Ha-Lo once large promotional company that bought Starbelly • Brandon Apparel Group of Columbus, Wis bought by founders of Groupon • “The checkered past of Groupon's chairman” http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/10/groupon-eric-lefkofsky/ • “Starbelly.com founders face flurry of lawsuits” http://adage.com/article/news/starbelly-founders-face-flurry-lawsuits/56783/

11. Value of Social Media to business • Interact with and engage target audiences • Gain market feedback • Build brand • Increase customer loyalty • Promotions • Increase online audience reach • Improve organic search visibility

12. What do companies seek in Social Media Marketing professionals? • Companies still figuring out how to use Social Media • Customers expect companies/brands to use Social Media • Want to ask questions and interact • Brands must manage online reputation • Loss of control is worrisome to executives • Poor measurement of effectiveness and ROI impede further investment • Poor for Website traffic, sales and lead generation • Good for Branding and Customer Loyalty • Advertising on Facebook and LinkedIn look more fertile for measurable ROI • That is advertising, not Social Media Marketing

13. Skills to be effective For a career in Web Marketing • Marketing • Writing • Technology-savvy especially spreadsheets • Web development • People skills • Be the bridge between stakeholders

14. People Skills Bridge Between Stakeholders • Understand the jargon of each stakeholder • Marketing • IT • Executives • Understand the motivations and objectives of each stakeholder • Management: ROI and Cost Control • IT: Control of systems and processes • Web developers: Cool design, slick features • Marketing: Brand lift, integration with other efforts • Sales: Increased sales • Legal: Privacy & terms of service • Site visitors: What do they want?

15. Prompt customer service • Who are your customers? • Your boss • Everyone in the project • Open lines of communication • Reply to emails • Return phone calls • Show up on time for meetings

16. Future outlook for Web marketing careers • Overall spending on Advertising is flat • Exceptions are TV and online • Spending on Interactive advertising is growing fast • Online advertising expected to grow 56% between now and 2014 • By 2016, online spending will equal TV spending at about $77 billion • SEO spending increased 43% this year • Social Media: 80% of Internet users visit Social networks or blogs • Mobile is exploding • Web • Social Media • Advertising

17. How do you take advantage of the opportunities? • Educate yourself across disciplines • Follow your passions • Proactively seek out opportunities, even create your own opportunities • Network • When you land a job • Be on the Ball! • Thoroughly think through every detail • Be creative with your resources • Take assignments to the next level to exceed expectations • Promptly reply to messages

18. Summary • Prepare for change in any career • Hope you pick the right changes • Don’t Believe the Hype • Social communities can grow or lose popularity with little warning • Social media offers powerful interactive marketing opportunities • Prepare yourself with skills across disciplines • Always conduct yourself as a solid professional and you are more than halfway there to success