Some of the principal players in the waste management industry gathered at Google’s St Giles Street office in London in early February to participate in a Digital Marketing Masterclass. The event was run in collaboration with Adtrak – a web design and marketing agency – and RWM – the UK recycling, water, energy and waste management event.
Over 100 RWM exhibitors came together to discuss digital marketing and its importance for waste management and recycling businesses. They heard that it is no longer just advisable for these businesses to be implementing a digital strategy, but necessary. As more consumers go online in the hunt for products and services, it is vital to cater to this need and ensure brands are visible, accessible and engaging.
The event included sessions from Prysm Group (the new owners of RWM), Google and Adtrak. Speakers discussed the various ways waste management firms can use digital marketing to promote their brand, generate leads and increase profitability. The attendees heard, from Google and Adtrak, about the rapid increase in people using mobile devices to begin their search online, and the challenges this brings to more traditional business models. 53% of global website traffic currently comes from a mobile device – and data experts have predicted this will skyrocket over 2018 to 79%.
Xavier Hodgetts, Account Director at Adtrak, said: “The fast-paced change in the way people conduct searches means it’s more important than ever for businesses to invest in website design that functions seamlessly across all devices. People are impatient when it comes to searching online. In fact, research has shown that if your website takes longer than three seconds to load, 53% of people will abandon it completely. That’s a staggering statistic and means that a slow website could mean you’re missing out on hundreds of leads.”
The importance of video content was also highlighted as being a great way for businesses to expand their reach and amplify their message. 90% of people think video actively influences their buying decisions and placing a video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80%.
The Digital Marketing Masterclass also looked at a variety of ways businesses can gain more exposure online, from Google paid advertising to social media and video content. Participants were advised to use a combination of them to reach and engage with target audiences.
The event was also a chance to see what Prysm Group has planned for the RWM exhibition. This includes increasing the speaker content and a SMART Exhibiting process, to help exhibitors market their presence more effectively.
Chris Robinson, Managing Director at Adtrak, said: “The Digital Marketing Masterclass was a massive success. It was our third event like this at Google and it’s always great to get like-minded people in a room and give them advice that will help their business to grow online.”
