United Business Media announced the launch of DeusM, a marketing organization that creates online communities for its clients, on October 14. The company offers marketing products that combine social media with original, targeted content to engage consumers based on their profession or geographic location.
At the highest end, DeusM offers Community in a Box (CiaB), which develops a website and social network for clients, with regularly updated content.
For example, IBM used CiaB to create Internet Evolution, a site aimed at IT professionals at large corporations, with independent editors posting blogs and videos about the future of the Web. Members can comment on the blogs and videos and interact with them by signing up.
DeusM’s most basic offering is the Social Networking Amplification Program (SNAP!), which leverages existing social networks including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This option puts DeusM in charge of building a client’s social networking presence, developing and updating content, and seeking potential members and fans.
“This isn’t a marketing campaign set at a three-month or six-month buy — we’re building communities for these companies, which are ongoing and highly qualified,” said Stephen Saunders, managing director for DeusM.
Clients that contact DeusM provide information about what kind of target market they want to connect with, whether real estate professionals or residents of St. Paul, MN. They work with the company to develop the marketing campaign to draw in readers, through e-mail lists supplied by the client or large-scale advertisements.
The company then reaches out to writers and editors to create regular content for readers to check out and respond to.
“For all of the marketing activities that we do, 90% of the people coming to our sites get there because they’ve been sent a link to one of the articles on the site by a colleague or a peer,” said Saunders. “These days, people aren’t looking to make an impression in a couple of minutes. Major advertisers are trying to create a content-driven relationship, which lasts for years.”
