Canadian Business’ Paul Brent recently suggested in Dewing It Alone that the power of social networks could render traditional marketing departments obsolete. It certainly seems to be putting the nail in the coffin.

Marketing spend is rapidly shifting online as businesses are realizing they can get more bang and reach through the Internet. To be sure, the Internet has already killed the old music institution and transformed TV. Case in point: the appeal and effectiveness of traditional 30-second commercials are fading fast, and new players and methods are taking over.

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Thanks to the Internet, businesses no longer need to outspend their competitors to outperform them on the marketing front. Small companies can go toe-to-toe with established, deep-pocketed enterprises, virtually overnight.

But how? By leveraging the value a well-versed website designer brings to the table. Regardless of a business’ size or industry, a proficient website designer can help:

• Achieve a desired image and appeal to specific markets
• Enable prospects and customers to quickly find relevant information and easily complete tasks
• Build a customer base and increase leads, sales and revenues

Oddly, businesses frequently fork over significant marketing budgets to PR firms, radio, TV, and print publications. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, businesses spend about $400 billion on advertising annually, much of the money going to traditional channels, like television commercials. However, when it comes to their website — the marketing hub that pulls all marketing operations together — business owners often tighten the purse strings.

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Someone in the printing business recently suggested to me websites are “overrated.” I was blown away. A website is not just a piece of the marketing pie; it’s the actual hub that connects all the marketing strategies and tactics, online and offline.

Regardless what business or industry you’re in, websites have evolved into the base of operations, where prospects and clients inevitably go to gain product, service, and company information.

Of course, other marketing elements play a role: postcards, e-mails, PR, commercials and much more. But these sources frequently push people to a website. Even TV commercials are trading in 1-800 numbers for website addresses.

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Harrison Hot Springs has invited Colbert Nation’s Stephen Colbert to embark on an official search for the Sasquatch during his upcoming trip to British Columbia for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Harrison Hot Springs, a 90-minute drive from the Vancouver International Airport and the Richmond Olympic Oval, has been the focal point of the mysterious ape-like creature, also called Bigfoot, for more than a century.

If Colbert accepts the invitation, he will be provided transportation, accommodations and special training (which could include spa treatment) to help him prepare both physically and mentally.

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Finnish design strategist Sami Viitamäki put forth an amusing list entitled Eight Ways to Kill an Idea.

Here they are:

1. 1. New marketing manager
2. 2. Idea sent by email
3. 3. Legal department recommendation
4. 4. Creative review
5. 5. New creative director
6. 6. Global brand guidelines
7. 7. Client thinks he’s creative
8. 8. Budget

A few others that might fit:

• It’s been done
• It’s never been done
• The boss gets wind of it

Check out the illustrated list.

Forrester Research recommends that customer experience professionals use personas founded in ethnographic research to guide the design of products, channels, and messages.

However, organizations often struggle to use personas effectively. To overcome common barriers to persona use, Forrester’s Jonathan Browne suggests customer experience professionals should brainstorm with key stakeholders to create roughly sketched profiles of target customers, called “assumption personas.”

This exercise helps build the case for creating real personas, gets stakeholders to think about their business goals in customer-centric terms, and generates hypotheses about target customers for testing in subsequent ethnographic research.

“Customer experience professionals must ensure that assumption personas are viewed as a step toward customer insight rather than an end in themselves,” noted Browne. “They are valuable tools for kicking off persona projects, but they aren’t fit for guiding design decisions.”

Businesses looking for writers often ask what’s the difference between a copywriter and a web copywriter.

In a nutshell, a copywriter is a generalist, and typically writes for print, radio or TV. A web copywriter specializes in writing website content (also known as web copy and web text).

Can web copywriters write for print and other ‘offline’ communication vehicles? Sure. The web copywriters at Webcopyplus have vast experience in everything from corporate and employee communications to media relations and journalism. Our web copywriters might specialize in writing for the Web, but we have the ability produce articles, brochure copy, annual report material, speeches, video scripts, and much more.

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Your web copy needs to define who you are and what you sell, catering specifically to your market’s needs. Plus, your web copy requires a clear voice that expresses the value of the relationship you’re seeking.

To build your brand with web copy, it needs to take into account:

• Existing perceptions of your products, services and company
• The actual position you currently occupy on these fronts

Recognize the gaps between the two points, and how they measure up to where you want to be. Then can you can tackle the differences.

To learn how web copy can foster a relationship between your brand and your audience, check out: Building your online brand with words.

Adding a blog to your website is a simple and affordable way to enhance your online marketing efforts. By following a few guidelines, you can create a blog that helps strengthen your connection with both current and potential clients, while improving your search engine rankings.

Add personality to your brand. A regularly updated blog introduces your website visitors to the real people behind your business. Since blogs are often written in a casual, conversational style, you can let your personality shine through. Don’t be afraid to express your professional opinion on new developments in your industry, offer useful tips, or share something entertaining in your blog posts.

Demonstrate your knowledge. Blogging can also help you establish yourself as a source for information on current developments in your industry. If your blog content is relevant and well researched, your visitors will view you as an authority and keep coming back for more. They might even share links to your blog with their social networks, increasing your visibility among potential clients.

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