Interview with Ulv Michel, Board Member of Online Marketing Solutions AG
With several thousand successfully completed customer projects, Online Marketing Solutions AG (OMSAG) is one of the most experienced online marketing agencies on the German market. The company offers flexible and customized solutions to increase sales via digital channels and the associated increase in digital company value. OMSAG has been one of Germany's leading full-service agencies for digital marketing for over 15 years. The range of services is wide-ranging and, in addition to core competencies such as search engine optimization (SEO), search engine advertising (SEA) and social media marketing (SMM)/social media advertising (SMA), also includes areas such as conversion rate optimization (CRO) as well as web development and design. In an interview with Ulv Michel, Board Member of Online Marketing Solutions AG, we talk today about the trends of 2020 and the most important elements that decision-makers in SMEs should definitely take into account for their future marketing activities.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Even though print ads have declined sharply in recent years, there are still many companies that spend a horrendous amount of money on this area. Does print still have a future?
There is no doubt that print media is experiencing a sharp decline in demand. This particularly affects national daily newspapers. Experience shows, however, that flyers, brochures, posters, brochures and the like are still being produced in large quantities and are well perceived and accepted. The optics, haptics and aesthetics of printed matter play a particularly important role in print. All indications are that the internet will not completely replace print media. Publishers should, however, respond to changes in terms of the function of the medium and readership. In my opinion, the solution lies in a cross-media networking of online and offline offerings.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Which trends do you currently see emerging in the online marketing sky?
- Online video advertising is the fastest-growing digital advertising channel. According to a Zenithmedia forecast, users in Germany will spend an average of 44 minutes a day watching online videos in 2021. Moving images are therefore becoming increasingly relevant.
- SEO is becoming more demanding and complex, particularly with regard to featured snippets and zero-click search queries. Many search queries (already more than 50%) are answered directly by Google, so it is no longer actually necessary to visit the actual website. There is a conflict of interest for website operators: if they structure their data properly, it may happen that a snippet already answers the search query on the SERP. If they neglect data maintenance, they may lose their ranking. Search volume alone is no longer decisive, but also the click potential.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: That’s quite a lot. Which trends do you consider the most important for SMEs to keep an eye on?
Content remains a top topic in online marketing. Authentic content reaches your audience. Interested parties prefer to gather information themselves before making first contact or requesting an offer. This means the customer journey begins long before the first contact. The key is to be discoverable and clearly demonstrate to potential customers that you have the right solution for their problem.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: It seems marketing is becoming much more complex. What recommendation would you give SMEs to position themselves well in this environment?
We recommend relying on experts in each field. In our view, the individual online marketing channels are already far too complex for a single person to fully understand, apply, and coordinate them effectively. Specialists from each sub-area are required to find an optimal solution. Those who gather experience independently often pay a high price in terms of costly lessons learned. Our recommendation to SMEs is to seek support early and build experience in small steps. Once the first successes are achieved, it becomes much easier for customers to invest larger budgets in digital marketing.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Many, especially smaller or medium-sized companies, often have no in-house marketing department and rely on external help. What criteria should an online marketing agency meet to optimally support explanation-intensive SMEs?
The extent to which a product or service requires explanation depends on the customer's level of knowledge. What is logical and simple for one person may be uncharted territory for another. Therefore, it is important to know the target audience precisely and address them individually. No one enjoys studying complex products using lengthy texts. The best results are achieved by introducing the website visitor to the product in the most personal way possible. A successful online marketing concept therefore requires a comprehensive target group analysis that highlights the added value and benefits for the target group. Another important criterion is experience. A high level of technical know-how is particularly crucial when setting up and maintaining a successful online presence.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: In your opinion, what speaks in favor of relying on an agency like OMSAG for marketing rather than building your own marketing resources?
The added value of an agency like OMSAG lies in the experience our employees bring. We focus on online marketing all day long and have likely seen almost every business model before. Our employees quickly navigate even complex situations and find the optimal solution for every customer. Nevertheless, it may make sense for the customer to build their own resources. This is particularly true if the business model relies heavily on the internet as a sales channel; in this case, you should hire your own employees. Then you only need support from an agency for specific topics – keyword: sparring partner and best practices. In most other cases, it is not advisable to employ staff who focus solely on online marketing. Generally, it is much more cost-effective in such cases to purchase the necessary skills and services from an agency.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: New business models are of immense importance for SMEs to protect or grow their core business in the long term. How can online marketing help support existing business models while simultaneously building new ones?
The digitalization of companies creates many opportunities, and Industry 4.0 is becoming an important topic. A crucial success factor for companies is anticipating customer needs and serving them with relevant offerings. It doesn’t matter whether you are producing a new product, developing an app, or adopting a platform idea – the added value and ease of use are always at the center. Developing digital business models requires reorganizing the company – from strategies to new processes. We have access to data from which we can identify many new trend developments very early on and help our customers improve existing business models and master new challenges.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: What role do you think social media marketing with Facebook, Twitter etc. currently plays for SMEs?
Social media marketing has played a significant role in the online marketing mix for years. Companies can benefit from measurable advantages, such as reaching new target groups or increasing brand awareness. To succeed in social media, it is essential to define your own objectives and understand the needs and information requirements of your target audience. Based on this, the appropriate social media channel can be selected. This means that even small and medium-sized enterprises can achieve their business goals with social media. It is crucial that the customer's message aligns with the channel used and that the customer's target audience is found in the right context (private or professional – depending on the product) on the platform used. Unfortunately, many conceptual mistakes are still made here, which ultimately cost the customer money without delivering results.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Thank you very much for the informative discussion. I wish you every success and many good contacts at the next Digital FUTUREcongress.