EDITORIAL: Swiss & European Online Marketing Trends

Representing the vanguard of a new marketing movement in Switzerland has been a tough but worthwhile challenge for Versio2, largely because the introduction of US-born Inbound Marketing has highlighted some interesting challenges. Some of these stem from obvious cultural differences between the Swiss and North-American way of conducting business, but similar economic pressures are driving an alignment as companies on both sides of the Atlantic seek to gain a competitive edge by reducing marketing spend, growing their worldwide audiences, and increasing ROI.

Our European neighbours also exhibit slightly different attitudes towards the adoption of the latest online marketing techniques than Swiss companies. The UK is a good example of an ‘early adopter’ that  has traditionally been bridging the transatlantic cultural gap. What happens in the UK and other early-adopting countries, such as the Netherlands or Nordic countries, tends to spread to other European nations with time.

In a recent report by HubSpot, a leading provider of marketing software, called the 2013 State of Inbound Marketing – which saw its first European edition this year – Richard Baxtor, CEO of SEOGadget.com, said:

“We see Europe, and the UK especially, as a market where more businesses are making the decision to create an inbound marketing budget for the first time.”

The report has inspired me to write about our experiences in Switzerland, and the trends we think will shape future adoption of internet marketing in our market, while comparing them with the rest of Europe and the US. Swiss-specific data on the use of various forms of online marketing is scarce, but there are some important experiential observations we can make.

• Read: 12 Surprising European-US Internet Marketing Statistics

1. Switzerland is mostly familiar with SEO, Social Media and PPC

Swiss companies often believe online marketing is simply Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), social media (limited to Facebook and Twitter), and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, overlooking the importance of content marketing in the form of blogging, lead management and email marketing as core elements of an Inbound methodology – Versio2 Managing Partner Stephan Burckhardt discussed the Swiss focus on SEM or PPC in last month's EDITORIAL: Beyond Google AdWords and Social Media.

Of the European marketers surveyed by HubSpot, some listed blogging among their top three sources of new leads – in addition to SEO and social media – while the US also ranked email marketing highly for generating contacts as precursors to actual sales conversions.

• Read: How to Generate Leads and Get More Business Online

2. Swiss companies are put off by SEO techno-babble

Jargon in SEO is off-putting to many Swiss companies looking to engage in internet marketing activities and SEO alone has often disappointed. We are often at pains ourselves to tone down technical terminology in our frequent blog articles, also because we are more interested in results and see technology as simply an enabler, no more and no less.

Compare this to our French neighbours, who are far more comfortable with SEO than marketing on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Social media strategist Isabelle Mathieu, as quoted in the HubSpot report, said:

“In France, when a company has to choose between investing in SEO or social media, the priority is too often given to SEO. SEO is now a trusted marketing channel in France, whilst social media still raises a lot of questions such as, where is the ROI, how do I get results from social media without having to allocate huge amounts of time to it, how do we engage with the different communities in our market, etc.”

Her comment about social media will ring familiar to our readers, and leads me nicely to my next point.

• Read: How to Dominate Search Without Paying 

3. Switzerland is missing out on opportunities on LinkedIn and XING

It’s easy to see social media as only Facebook and Twitter, and like the French, there is an uncertainty in Switzerland as to the true value of such dominant networks. Our case study proves otherwise, showing how a well conceived Facebook campaign can yield excellent B2C results. In our example, a hotel client went from 400 followers to more than 12,000 in just one month while creating 22 million impressions.

In Switzerland, especially in B2B, great opportunities await on professional networks such as LinkedIn and XING, of which the latter has recently been over-taken by LinkedIn in Switzerland, is growing much more rapidly and therefore has a more promising future. 

• Read: The 5-Step Strategy Guide to LinkedIn Groups
• Read: Quick Things to Do With Xing

4. Content marketing is not well understood 

The most important aspect of internet marketing today – content creation – is often overlooked. The focus has been on SEO, PPC and social media, rather than on content marketing, despite it being a relatively mature marketing concept. 

Many companies have yet to understand how content – blogs, ebooks or case studies, but also videos and recorded webinars – drive all other aspects of internet marketing today. In fact, recent changes in the Google algorithm have strongly favoured content in terms of SEO effectiveness. They have given new impetus to content marketers placing the concept squarely at the center of search. 

The Swiss aren’t alone in this lack of understanding. The average age of a European blog, according to HubSpot, is less than twelve months compared to three years or more in the US. In the study, “Creating quality content” was only listed fourth among five marketing priorities, both in the US and Europe – strange when “reaching the right audience” was hailed as the top priority in both markets. Are we failing to see the obvious link between content creation and audience engagement?

• Read: Content Marketer or Publisher, What’s the Difference?

5. Economic pressures will drive adoption of Inbound Marketing

Switzerland has so far remained relatively unscathed by the economic woes of our European neighbours and the US. Culturally and politically too, the Swiss have enjoyed comparative stability throughout modern history. However, adversity drives innovation and a desire to adopt new trends, as we’ve seen in the US, UK and other European countries more susceptible to global economic head-winds. 

In a global market, the very same wind is blowing our way. If and when economic pressures do indeed arise – which some here see as inevitable – Swiss companies will look for more effective ways to lower marketing costs and increase ROI while growing their global market presence. Early adopters will gain a competitive edge.

We expect that effective methodologies in marketing and sales will be sought out, and that Swiss companies too will adopt Inbound Marketing strategies that have helped many  companies on both sides of the Atlantic lower their cost per customer acquisition, generate leads and get more business online.

Responsible for the French speaking part of Switzerland, Versio2 Partner Julien Renaud molds client visions into well-defined digital solutions. His taste for the Internet started 15 years ago when studying at Syracuse University, where he was among the first graduates to receive an education in digital marketing. He founded an online branding agency in Estonia and joined forces with Clinton Hailey. They bonded over a passion for technology and a desire to help businesses grow online.