The fast-moving world of IT means that successful software companies not only need to keep abreast of changing software trends – they have to follow trends in marketing as well. And with innovation in our genes, BSL is no exception. Recognizing the growing importance of social media in the business world, we’ve been learning from social media experts, attending a series of international training courses. Over the last couple of years we’ve been honing our online marketing skills, developing our own online marketing strategy. Learning how best to employ platforms such as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and the Google AdWords/Display Network as part of an integrated marketing campaign.
Social media platforms such as Facebook are familiar to everyone. Linkedin is an almost ‘de facto’ business standard. But just how can they be used effectively for business…. both for BSL, and on behalf of our clients? Just how can we get the best “return on investment”, the best “bang-per-buck” from online marketing?
Online marketing skills for different goals
Online marketing is an important part of the marketing mix within the Bright Side of Life. We have launched a number of campaigns using the Google Display Network, as well as on Facebook and LinkedIn. As part of this strategy, bloggers post a whole range of articles via social media channels: about the software we deliver, technological or social developments that may affect our customers, what BSL can offer new customers, and of course news about people and events at BSL. Our blogs contribute to the marketing campaigns, improving the SEO performance of the BSL website, and social platform pages. Yes, you’ve guessed it – we post items pretty regularly at BSL 😉
We also have three websites dedicated to each of our in-house apps (Canon van Nederland, Boekwijzer and DilemmaMatch). Take a look at these sites if you have the time, and if you want to see good examples of responsive sites optimized for SEO. You can also find Facebook and LinkedIn pages for each of these apps, which we use for social media marketing.
Using video on social media
We haven’t stopped there. Video content can have a dramatic impact online, as part of a campaign mix. So what better way to tell potential new employees about our company than to make a short promotional video for use on social media? One that can be used as part of an Adwords, Facebook and LinkedIn campaign. We’ve already had a bit of experience creating our own video – our successful social media app DilemmaMatch was launched with the help of a promo video made by Videobird. No surprise then that we invited the Videobird crew back to produce a new film shot on location here in Breukelen. With the help of a drone, outside shots above and around our great offices will show its unique location alongside the Rhine Canal, with easy accessibility by car or train. Inside footage taken throughout the day will give an impression of a normal day at BSL. And with a name like ‘Bright Side of Life’, what better way to end filming than with the BSL team enjoying an end-of the-day beer.
The final cut is nearly ready. So watch this space, and social media – you’ll soon be able to experience ‘A Day in the Life of BSL’ for yourself! And our film ambitions don’t end there. We’ll shortly be working on a second video, this time promoting our work with many large accounts here in the Netherlands, including ABN and PWC.
What BSL’s online marking skills can do for you
But we’re not only using our online marketing skills to help promote BSL – we can do the same for your company too. We can help with your SEO, optimizing your websites to make them more attractive to Google searches. Did you know (for example) what impact your url’s, responsive design and performance can have on the number of users that find your sites? Do you know how to use Google Analytics to analyze traffic to your sites, learning how users view and use your site contents? And if organic traffic is not enough, we can help you create and manage online marketing campaigns using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and of course Google display/text ads. Best of all: using these platforms doesn’t have to cost as much as you may think. Compared with ‘traditional’ marketing, online campaigns are much easier to manage effectively than many older platforms. You can modify/fine-tune campaigns as often as you wish. And you can monitor the effect of campaign changes on your web-traffic in real-time. We at BSL can provide all the tools you need to get the best return on investment, and maximize the results of each campaign.
More information about BSL
Alongside these exciting new developments, BSL’s core business remains software development. So take a look at just some of the projects our engineers and designers have carried out for customers over the years. Or if you’d like to use your own online marketing skills – or development skills as part of the BSL team, check out what we can offer you at our Work at BSL page!
