Marcom A to Z — K for Keywords

A few of you have asked if I’ve disappeared. Thanks for the inquiries. No. My thoughts and I are back, after a short hiatus. Deadlines got the best of me!

I’ve been noodling on “keywords” for weeks. Certain words can make an advertisement, brand or company more memorable. More than that, these simple marcom elements have the power to define, connect, measure, search, analyze and forecast. Good strategic planning incorporates a keyword evaluation. Here’s a starting point.

First, review these five ways marketers use keywords to push information out to audiences:

1. Brand Development – Our brand experts work with company leaders to identify keywords that define a brand’s offering, benefits, values and ultimately its essence. These words find their way into all communications, from creative to press materials.

2. Search Engines – Creating a Web site without an SEO strategy is like trying to garner leads at a networking event without speaking or handing out business cards. Using Meta tags helps search engines understand a site’s contents to appropriately link information. Keywords are also crucial to a pay-per-click initiative.

3. Media Relations – Keywords are used in press materials to consistently describe a company, brand, product or solution. If used effectively, they can improve search results to further leverage media relations efforts.

4. Twitter – Keywords preceded by hash tags (“#”) create searchable hyperlinks that allow users to see who else is talking about that topic and what they’re saying.

5. Advertising – Creatives and copywriters incorporate keywords into materials either in the copy itself or through visual representation of a keyword.

But the real power of keywords, these days, lies in the ability to pull information from audiences by monitoring their online conversations. Therefore, I’ve added a sixth item to the list, and it’s arguably the most important:

6. Listening – Tracking terms and listening to relevant discussions can elevate business and marketing strategy. Which other companies are using your keywords? Through what channels are they using them and at what frequency? It’s important to understand overlap of keywords between competitive brands, uncover opportunities to “own” certain keywords and identify new audiences interested in specific topics.

As you plan for 2010, incorporate a keyword assessment into the mix. Use brand planning experts to (re)evaluate keywords that represent and reinforce your brand. Then watch and listen. Use available tools like surveys, Twitter hash tags, Alterian/SM2, Techorati, Tweet Scan, Cloudtracker or other traditional or social media analysis tools to see who is saying what, when and where. Finally, assess how to use those terms in outgoing messaging.

Following these steps will help you harness the power of one of the smallest but most influential elements in a marcom program — keywords.

This weekly series discusses marcom concepts by the letter — from A to Z. The next post: L for Length.