Ignition One Went From Being A Digital Marketing Pioneer To Being Sold Off In Parts. Here's The Story Behind Its Rise And Fall.
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In 2013, marketing tech firm IgnitionOne spun out of holding company Dentsu in a management-led buyout with the goal of creating a company that could change digital marketing.
That idea came to an end this fall, when IgnitionOne sold for pieces to Zeta Global and Publicis Media when it wasn't able to renew a line of credit. The company also faces lawsuits from investment firm Progress Partners and adtech firm PubMatic alleging they're owed a total of nearly $2 million in unpaid bills.
Business Insider spoke to 12 former employees and eight others including investors and shareholders about what happened at IgnitionOne. Key takeaways:
Read the rest of the story here: The cautionary tale of IgnitionOne, a onetime digital marketing pioneer that ended up selling in a fire sale
Read more of Business Insider's coverage of IgnitionOne here:
Five Tips For Selling Digital Marketing To Local Businesses
Local businesses that hope to stay competitive in 2020 and beyond would be wise to invest in digital marketing. However, many small business owners don’t have the time to sit down, learn and implement the best digital marketing tactics for their needs, several of which I share here.
That is where an experienced digital marketing agency comes in. The right kind of agency — that is, one with a cohesive team of like-minded employees who are always hungry to take their clients’ SEO to the next level — can generate tremendous amounts of income and growth for local businesses through digital marketing. The trick is knowing how to sell those services.
Though some small business owners are interested in learning how to handle the marketing themselves, others have no idea where to begin. Platforms such as Google and Facebook have many easy-to-use advertising products, but there is nothing like having an experienced, full-time marketing team behind a business to drive up sales and revenue.
For you longtime digital marketers out there, I would bet you have found it challenging to “sell” local business owners on what you have to offer. Their perspective is understandable; after all, if they know nothing about SEO, PPC, social media management or web design, why would they purchase those services from you?
This is exactly my point. You must not let a miscommunicated or otherwise poor sales approach limit the number and quality of clients you are able to bring in. Below are some tips on how to sell digital marketing to small business owners and convert them from skeptics to raving fans.
Stop being a ‘traditional’ salesperson.
Even the best-known digital marketing companies out there rely on outbound sales to bring in clients. What separates a good agency from an amazing one is how it goes about doing that. Cold calling, desperate pitch attempts and mass digital spam do not work. People are smarter than that, and, quite frankly, they are tired of it.
Companies will also try to sell particular packages or services without knowing what the business owner wants or needs. This approach can be off-putting to potential customers and diminish your credibility.
Just selling a product or service isn’t enough. To succeed in landing that next client, you need to earn their trust, build loyalty and develop a relationship that goes beyond basic buyer-seller mentality.
Help them; don’t sell them.
Smaller businesses are under constant attack by marketers trying to sell them products they may not need. Don’t be another attacker. Business owners tend to build up walls so high to fend off the vultures that it is sometimes nearly impossible to get through to them right away. They have heard the same spiel pitched to them more times than you have changed your Gmail password. Be a solution, not just another problem.
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Selling your digital marketing products and services to local businesses allows you to meet with potential clients face to face. Speaking to them in person will instantly set your agency apart from the endless onslaught of virtual assistants and spammy emails. This gives you the advantage and helps potential clients feel listened to when you ask them about their business and marketing needs.
Ask them everything.
You want to figure out what people’s business and marketing goals are. Ask business owners as many questions as necessary to pinpoint what they want. Then, pitch the solutions your agency can provide.
Ask them what parts of their job, especially when it comes to marketing, they find most tedious. If they have used marketing services in the past, why did they not work out?
Your ultimate goals are to figure out what has failed them previously, to build a trustworthy and equal relationship and to help them feel involved in their own marketing efforts.
Sell to their aspirations, not their bank accounts.
Small business owners love what they do. Though profits are certainly a huge part of their day-to-day, they primarily want their freedom. It can be much easier to talk about business owners’ aspirations than to try to sell hard numbers.
You probably have intimate knowledge of all the services your agency provides, from SEO to website design standards. Most local clients do not care about the fine details, however. Learn what they would rather spend time doing, whether it’s golfing, traveling or even getting more than four hours of sleep every night. Then, show them how your services can help them obtain that.
Seal the deal with value.
Do not just talk about all the good your company can provide — demonstrate it. Design your products so you can deliver results before even asking for payment. For example, send over a few leads or a website audit before asking for a financial commitment. Many small business owners do not mind spending money; they just need to know it is worth their while.
Try not to get caught up in explaining the process. Instead, talk to possible new clients about generating leads, expanding their market share or providing a steady flow of business. Prove to them that your digital marketing expertise can make their life easier, not more complicated.
The Importance Of Email Marketing And Digital Marketing Strategy For Your Brand
Have you ever opened a marketing email and not immediately recognised what company it’s from or the purpose of the email? It has no sales pitch or story or maybe it doesn’t even match their website? Sometimes it’s not their fault, they test their emails on desktops but don’t realise their emails don’t render correctly on mobile, the device that the majority of people now open emails on. Believe it or not, some companies don’t even use email marketing and have no idea of the opportunity they are missing out on.
Fundamentals of Email Marketing and Digital Marketing Strategy include an optimised website and great emails, even mobile-friendly ones. Said to have the biggest ROI and be the most cost-effective form of digital marketing, email offers a direct form of communication allowing you to keep a constant touchpoint on all customers. 94% of us use email. Convenient, personal and instant, it’s no wonder it is the preferred form of communication, allowing a wider reach of customers, a high level of personalisation and the ability to track performance.
Brand strategy: Awareness, communication, conversionIncreasing awareness should be a top brand marketing goal. Email frequency, delivery and content all influence the customers perception of a brand and can greatly enhance their awareness. Getting your story, mission and brand goals across to your grown and trusted audience at the right time with email enables customers to appreciate your brand, boosting loyalty and keeping customers engaged.
“Email is still the most widely used method of business communication”, according to Email on Acid. Building a relationship with customers is next on your priority list. Welcome emails, content personalisation, re-engagement emails and storytelling are the way to go here. You want to make your customers feel exclusive, included and with you along the journey, not just marketed to. Customers like to be engaged with and feel affinity with a brand.
With a recognised brand, an aware, informed and receptive audience, your emails CTA’s are sure to lead to the ultimate goal. Conversions.
What kind of emails should you be sending?It’s important that your emails represent your brand’s personality. Finding the correct balance of types of email marketing for your company is imperative so as to not harm your brand. According to a 2016 Hubspot survey, 78% of people unsubscribe from promotional emails because a brand was sending “too many emails”. It is important to listen and know what your existing customers want and potential customers are looking for from your emails. Email marketing is not “sell sell sell”, it is much more. Your email marketing strategy should consist of a balance mix of promotional, informative, triggered and transactional emails.
Email on Acid believe in a ’70/20/10’ rule for brand emails. This means 70% of emails should be educational demos, tips, storytelling or advisory information. 20% should “centre on content from thought leaders, creating a feeling across your list that your brand is giving them exclusive access to content” and the remaining 10% should be product-focused. This rule is said to establish valuable relationships with your customers making them feel important, which they are!
Cadbury Roses and Heroes brand manager Aislinn Campbell states “What used to be really new and different can become wallpaper quite easily now. It takes a lot more to cut through and to catch people’s attention. The value of a campaign and a brand connection is so important”. Campbell explains “we are pushing something out that’s a bit more entertaining rather than a pure advertising message because engagement has never been as important as it is now”.
What content to include?With 68% of people reading about brands that interest them and 80% of people enjoying learning about a company through custom content, meaningful email content is crucial. You need relevant and personalised content that engages the customer. Whether it be a sales pitch, the latest news or the story behind your latest product development, as long as your content holds value, your email is on the right track. Content can be in the form of text, images, GIFs and so on. Different displays of your content should be chosen based on your audience, whether they need to see a product or just hear about it briefly, or in depth etc. You could ramble on about the specific red of a lipstick, or you could just show it and use the text to explain the texture.
For example, Uber’s ‘simple’ emails have brief but valuable text, their logo, a clear CTA and nothing else. No distractions, no ‘waffle’ and most importantly, they are consistent.
In another example, Space NK give their product images centre stage, accompanied with short and to-the-point text to provide readers with easily digestable information.(Who does Space NK’s great email marketing I hear you ask, we do of course!)
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Brand consistencyConsistency across all platforms is key to brand strategy. A customers transition across email campaigns, social media and website should be seamless and with all aesthetic style and branding being the same across the board. With content, images and email design matching, this enlists a psychological connection with customers and helps them recognise and trust your brand on any online or offline platform. When email is used as a tool of trust between customer and company, communication, engagement and e-commerce are improved – as is the longevity of the relationship.
From frequency, delivery, formatting and aesthetics, a consistent email enhances a special brand experience and therefore brand loyalty.
Your audienceThe beauty of email marketing for your brand is your audience is already engaged as they have signed up to receive your emails so marketing via email is a mainstay in strengthening your brand’s relationship. Unlike the consumers that see a sponsored ad for your brand on social media or paid ads, email marketing is specifically requested, making it the most successful marketing channel.
Successful email marketingA great example of the Virgin Holidays brand successfully using email marketing was to increase sales across many touchpoints across a customer journey whether it be pre or post-booking and post-holiday. Their successful campaign involved working with AI for better subject lines and relevant content unique to each customer. According to Marketing Week, results included a 31% increase in site traffic, 37% increase in CRM communications and a 65% increase in brand awareness.
My final tipEmail marketing is at the forefront of your brand on the internet. It is imperative to be transparent to customers that receive your company’s emails. This means a clear and easy accessible unsubscribe link, no hidden links or signing in to a website to be removed from your list.
So there you have it. Done well, email marketing helps to both establish your online presence as a brand and help continuously improve it. Brand awareness, reputation, loyalty and overall sales are all affected by your digital marketing strategy and easily enhanced by using this time-honoured channel.
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