A full day seminar presented by Paul J. Gibler. This workshop is being coordinated by Dr. Atish Sinha, Associate Professor in the MIS area at the Lubar School of Business, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Overview

Web 2.0 tools and techniques like blogs, podcasts, vlogs, wikis, RSS, social tagging and mashups are joining “older, but freshened” e-marketing techniques like e-mail permission marketing, search engine marketing and online advertising to attract and engage customers online. In addition, companies are re-investing in their web sites to strengthen their brands online. This workshop is designed to help you better understand consumer’s motivations, desires and subsequent behavior driving the utilization of these techniques. We will also explore how leading organizations are incorporating these techniques into their business and marketing strategies to connect with customers and how your organization might do the same. In addition to these attraction and engagement tools, we’ll look at ways to refresh and enhance your website by benchmarking some of the best practices being used today to build and support online customer relationships.

Topics

Topics The Internet Today & Tomorrow We’re moving away from a consumption economy to a participation economy as American consumers and businesses increasingly join in conversations online. This conversation is at the heart of what has come to be known as Web 2.0. Some analysts have called Web 2.0 yet another bubble similar to that seen in 1999, but others claim that this new era foretells even greater internet utilization and connections than we’ve seen in the past. This segment will explore how the usage expectations for the worldwide web have changed due to consumers increasing online engagement and the demographic and psychographic reasons for these changes. Supporting technological drivers for these changes reviewed will include higher broadband utilization and newer open source technologies facilitating this evolution. Newer Strategies to Attract Customers Online – Social Computing Blogs, vlogs, mashups, podcasts, wikis, word of mouth marketing, etc. are all part of the tools and techniques of successful Web 2.0 businesses. While they are getting lots of buzz, many companies have been hesitant to incorporate them into their business strategies. This hesitation stems from lack of familiarity, fear and uncertainty about what these are and how to use them. In this session, we’ll learn more about each of these topics starting by learning what they mean, then reviewing how they are being used by businesses and finally exploring how they might fit with your business strategies. Other Strategies to Attract Customers Online While hot Web 2.0 techniques are getting noticed, other techniques to attract customers continue to play a role among your business tactics. In this module we’ll re-visit some of the “old” standards of e-marketing including e-mail permission marketing, search engine marketing and online advertising. Specific attention will be focused on how they are being used, what is new with each of these techniques and exploring how they might fit with your marketing initiatives. Engaging & Retaining Customers Online Your customers might find you and be ready to initiate a dialogue, but if your online presence doesn’t engage them, you’ll lose them over time. Many organizations have failed to reinvigorate their web sites to facilitate and create this customer connection. In this closing session, we’ll explore ways to refresh your online presence by focusing on strategies to connect with customers using tools and techniques specific to commerce, community, content, customer service and creative.

About the speaker

Paul J. Gibler, “the Web Chef,” e-Marketing Strategist and Principal Consultant, founded CONNECTINGDOTS in 2000 to provide clients with strategic consulting to attract, engage and retain customers. Paul’s web marketing experience began in 1996 and is complemented by 20 plus years of multi-channel marketing, communications and Internet management roles with a range of corporations operating in multiple sectors. His consulting engagements have been in both the B2B and B2C categories and have included Internet start-ups, associations, consultants, medical group practices, telecommunications firms, online retailers, universities and medical packaging firms. He is on the faculty in the University of Wisconsin System and at Marquette University and has delivered e-business and marketing keynotes and seminars to corporate, trade and professional associations around the country. In addition, Paul writes two blogs – the Web Chef’s e-Bytes and PPT – Powerful Presentation Techniques; and a periodic column “Buzz Networks” for Wisconsin Technology News. Paul is a member of the Madison Advertising Federation, International Association Business Communicators, American Marketing Association and American Society for Training & Development. He holds a BS, Marketing/Accounting from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and MBA, Marketing from the University of Michigan.

Who should Attend?

This workshop is designed for a range of individuals interested in learning about Web 2.0 techniques and how to define and optimize their e-marketing strategies to attract, engage and enhance customer relationships. The seminar will be of interest to e-business, marketing, IT and communications professionals at various levels of their organizations.

Coordinator

Dr. Atish Sinha, Associate Professor in the MIS area at the Lubar School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will coordinate this workshop.