Effective marketing may be the key to an outstanding year for your business. If you’re using social media, email, and video without success…the problem might be how you’re using it. How can you change a few things to make this year better? Here are six ideas to up your marketing game.
Think content not ads
For several years, studies conducted by such companies as Nielsen have shown customers are not looking at ads first before making a purchase. Instead, they’re relying on reviews, recommendations from people they know, and editorial reviews. Providing authentic, useful content on your website, through social media, and email helps build your business’s reputation.
Build relationships
Digital marketing can come off as impersonal, so it’s essential to add a human touch whenever possible. This might be through an online help desk, or offering related content and articles that help your customer feel you care.
Improve branding
This is more than making sure you have keywords that will help you appear in Internet searches. Good branding has a consistent voice. What emotional words best describe your product or service? Is your company serious or casual? If quirky is where you’re at, maybe something like a prank app could become a marketing tool.
Target the best marketing avenue
Know how your customers want to communicate. Is it through social media? Video? Email? According to the Email Addiction Report, 65% of people check their email more than three times a day. More than a third of those people are tuning in to their email more than ten times every day. So building a customer email base is essential. How? In surveys, two-thirds of customers say they would be willing to provide their email address in exchange for free shipping or a $5 gift card. Whatever digital marketing avenue you choose, be sure you have a way to track its effectiveness. Even if you have only a small amount of money to spend, make sure it is well-spent.
Increase visual content
Visuals, especially video content, is a great way to get your message to stick with customers. Experts say good visual content focuses on the benefits of a product or service rather than its features.
Provide customers with something of value
Stores have used the idea of loss leaders for decades, but that same idea can carry over to digital marketing. Consider a giveaway, but it should be something that aligns with your product or brand. Another way to build customer engagement is through what’s called a tripwire, or front end offer. You provide a product at low or no cost, just asking the customer to pay to ship. In return, you have a lead to add to your customer base.
Finally, remember there is not one right way to market your company. Your efforts need to fit your business, but one thing is essential—be persistent. Regularly changing your strategy doesn’t allow time for your efforts to take root. The goal is to build customers who will come back again and again.
