1) What is GTS Services and what is your role there?
GTS Services is primarily a software solutions company focused on the auto and flat glass industry. In short, their goal is to build profitability for each of their clients in the glass industry by offering business solutions that cut cost, increase margins, and make doing business easier.
I am the Director of Internet Marketing Strategies, so my role is to develop strategies for these businesses to succeed online. Some are large companies with full-blown marketing plans and budgets. Others are one location glass shops with very little budget or forward looking strategy development. Its my goal to build success for each, and find ways to overcome the challenges that each faces in their respective markets.
In other words, I research, develop, and implement online marketing plans, and integrate them with current offline marketing strategies and business models.
2) What is the business case for search engine marketing?
Other than a few large companies, the glass industry has been slow to adopt the Internet as an effective marketing medium. The business case here is not just for SEM, but for Internet Business Management in general; to get the (mostly privately owned) glass companies to embrace the Internet and use it effectively to increase their respective market share.
3) When a business owner outsources SEM, how much oversight should he/she maintain over the SEM process?
If the SEM consultant is worth the cost, the business owner should need to give very little oversight. That’s not to say they shouldn’t be involved. It’s important for principles to be involved to ensure everyone is going down the right path.
That said though, a good SEM/SEO/Internet Marketer…should have a total handle on the company’s online business. they should be able to proactively see problems, find solutions, and consistently drive online success.
Todd Mintz knows PPC…knows Social Media…knows SEO…knows Blogging…knows Domaining…and knows them all real well. He runs growth marketing for )and is also a Director & Founding Member of SEMpdx: Portland, Oregon’s Search Engine Marketing Association, and he can be found here on Twitter and Facebook.