As clients and agencies convene at the start of the year, many clients are likely looking for new ideas as they design their strategies for the coming year. Should they keep their resources allocated the same way for 2017 or should they reprioritize some resources this year? As successful agency executives, Forbes Agency Council members predict which areas are best worth clients' time and money. Below, seven Forbes Agency Council members suggest where clients should plan to invest their money this year.
Clockwise from left: David Shiffman, Craig Cooke, Colin Lange, Leila Lewis, Michael Mogill, Nicole Rodrigues, Joey Kercher. All photos courtesy of individual members.
1. Video, Video, Video
Video is far and away the winner when it comes to online marketing spend. Video can help increase conversion rates on landing pages by 80%. Video is also great for brand engagement on social media. We have seen some great success on Facebook as well with average video views costing less than $0.01! - David Shiffman, Brandamos, LLC
2. Integrated Digital Experiences
The philosophy we share at Rhythm is there is no sustainable silver bullet. An integrated marketing approach is critical for long-term success. To narrow it down though, marketers should focus on how they can deliver integrated digital experiences. A mobile-first approach is recommended for designing modern experiences in an integrated digital context. Customers in 2017 will be digital; be there. - Craig Cooke, Rhythm
3. Brand Engagement
Today, the single greatest long-term competitive advantage is a company's talent, yet nearly all marketing dollars are still being spent outside of the company. Invest in marketing inside. Tesla is a great example of what you can accomplish when you focus inside: They spend nothing on advertising, yet have turned all of their employees, customers and prospective customers into sales evangelists! - Colin Lange, Monaco Lange
4. Social Media
Social media is the best and most organic way to market your business worldwide. If you don’t have the time to manage it effectively, set aside a budget to hire someone to do it for you. Studies show that accounts have less than 10 seconds to capture the attention of followers before they scroll to the next, so you want to make sure you have engaging content that keeps them following and liking. - Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR
5. Their Own Website Or On Video Content
It depends on the client’s goals, but I would suggest investing in your website or investing in channels that offer premium video content. Creating content for your website leads to optimized search engine results, greater traffic, and keeps your audience on your site rather than on a platform. Video is a great opportunity for brands to capture new leads and build social media channels. - Joey Kercher, Air Fresh Marketing
6. Strategic Public Relations
Strategic PR, of course. Because if your competitors have it, you’ll need to be doing a lot more with your other marketing tools to stand out. Make it easier on yourself. The art of great storytelling through media isn’t going away. - Nicole Rodrigues, NRPR Group, LLC
7. Great Content
Content marketing and creating great content. The more valuable and engaging your content is, the better the conversion as a result. Now that things are so saturated, having good, high-quality content can be a big differentiating factor. - Michael Mogill, Crisp Video Group
