Grow business with strategic plan

Strategic Marketing: How to Grow Your Business with a Strategic Plan

by with No Comment BusinessMarketingMarketing Strategy

Do you want to take your business to the next level? If so, then you need a strategic marketing plan. A strategic plan is a document that outlines your business goals and the steps you will take to achieve them. Without a strategic plan, it’s difficult to make decisions that will help your business grow. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of having a strategic plan and how to create one that works for your business.

What is strategic marketing and why do you need it for your business growth?

Strategic marketing is a strategic planning process that includes setting long-term goals and choosing which marketing strategies to use to achieve the desired results. Then, taking specific steps to achieve those goals. Unlike traditional marketing, which focuses on immediate results, strategic marketing takes a big-picture view of the business and includes strategic planning cycles. To be successful requires a deep understanding of the market, the competition, and the unique needs of the business. While it can take some time to see results from a strategic marketing campaign, the payoff can be significant. A well-executed strategic marketing plan can help a business to attract new customers, enter new markets, and achieve sustainable growth. In short, if you’re serious about growing your business, strategic marketing is essential.

How can you create a strategic plan that works for your company’s unique needs and goals?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best strategic plan for your company will be tailored to its unique needs and goals. However, there are some general principles that any successful strategic plan should take into account. First, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your company’s strengths and weaknesses. This will help you identify opportunities and threats that need to be addressed in the plan. Second, you need to set realistic goals that can be achieved within a reasonable timeframe. Trying to accomplish too much in too short a period of time is a recipe for disaster. Finally, you need to have a clear understanding of the resources that are available to your company and how they can best be used to achieve your goals. By taking these factors into account, you’ll be well on your way to creating a strategic digital marketing plan that works for your company.

What are some common pitfalls to avoid when implementing your strategic plan?

Any business owner knows that developing and implementing a successful strategic plan is essential to the long-term success of their company. However, there are a number of common pitfalls that can trip up even the most experienced business leader. One of the most common mistakes is failing to involve all relevant stakeholders in the planning process. Another is underestimating the resources required to execute the plan. Perhaps most importantly, though, is failing to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments along the way. By being aware of these potential pitfalls, you can increase your chances of developing a strategic plan that will help your business achieve its long-term goals.

The benefits of having a strategic marketing plan

Any business that wants to be successful needs to have a strategic marketing plan in place. Without a plan, businesses can quickly find themselves floundering as they try to figure out what to do next. A good marketing plan helps businesses to focus their efforts, set realistic goals, and track their progress. It also provides a roadmap for how to allocate resources and reach potential customers. Perhaps most importantly, a well-crafted marketing plan can help businesses to avoid making expensive mistakes. By taking the time to develop a sound strategy, businesses can increase their chances of achieving their marketing goals and realizing lasting success.

How to execute your strategic marketing plan for maximum results

A strategic marketing plan is a roadmap for your business that defines your objectives and how you plan to achieve them. To create an effective strategy, you need to understand your customer base, your competition, and your unique selling proposition or USP. Once you have this information, you can develop a plan of action that will help you achieve your goals.

Here are 4 ways to execute your strategic marketing plan.

1. Set clear goals and objectives. Without a clear destination, it can be difficult to know whether you are on track. Be specific about what you want to achieve, and make sure that your team is aligned on the goals.

2. Research your audience. Knowing who you are trying to reach is crucial for effective marketing. Take the time to understand their needs and desires, and craft your messaging accordingly.

3. Choose the right channels. There are myriad marketing channels available, but not all of them will be right for your business. Consider your budget, target audience, and desired outcomes when choosing which channels to use.

4. Test and measure. As with any other business initiative, it’s important to test and measure your marketing efforts in order to continue improving results. Try different tactics and track the response rate to see what works best for your business.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are as effective as possible. By taking the time to plan and execute strategically, you can maximize your chances of success.

How can you track the success of your strategic marketing efforts and make necessary adjustments along the way?

Any successful marketing campaign requires careful planning and constant adjustments. Otherwise, you run the risk of putting all your effort into a campaign that fizzles out without ever reaching its potential. But how can you tell if your marketing efforts are bearing fruit? And how can you make necessary changes along the way?

Once you have a goal in mind, you can develop specific metrics to track progress. Are you trying to increase brand awareness? Then track measures like web traffic and social media engagement and if you practice corporate social responsibility, then mention that. Are you trying to boost sales? Then track measures like conversion rate, average order value and how many customers take advantage of your customer loyalty program. By tracking the right metrics, you’ll be able to see whether your campaign is on track and make necessary adjustments along the way.

The only way to achieve success is to keep learning, keep adjusting, and keep moving forward.

Tips for measuring the success of your strategic marketing plan

There’s no one size fits all answer when it comes to measuring the success of your strategic marketing plan – it will vary based on the specific goals and objectives you’ve set out to achieve. However, there are some general tips you can follow to help you track and measure your progress. 

First, make sure you have a clear and concise goal for your marketing campaign, and that this goal is aligned with your overall business strategy. Once you have your goal in mind, you can start to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you track whether or not you’re on track to achieve it. 

Your KPIs should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based so that you can track your progress over a defined period of time. For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, your KPIs might include measures such as social media engagement or website traffic. If you’re looking to drive sales growth, on the other hand, your KPIs might focus on measures such as conversion rate or leads generated. 

Finally, don’t forget to review and adjust your KPIs on a regular basis as your marketing campaign progresses – what works in the early stages might not be as effective further down the line. By regularly monitoring and measuring your progress against specific goals and objectives, you’ll be in a much better position to adjust your strategy and ensure its success.

Tips for growing your business with a strong marketing strategy in place

There are a number of other important things to keep in mind when you’re looking to grow your business with a strong marketing strategy in place. As all small business owners know, it’s important for you to remember that your marketing efforts should be targeted at your ideal customer.

Figure out who your target customer is and what they want, and then craft your marketing message accordingly. Also, ask what your existing customers have in common.

It’s also important to make sure that your marketing message is consistent across all channels. You want potential customers to instantly recognize your brand, no matter where they see it.

A successful marketing campaign is always evolving, so make sure you’re constantly working to stay ahead of the curve.

Summary

A strategic marketing plan is key to growing any business. By taking the time to develop a plan that outlines your goals and strategies, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are focused and effective. To be successful, make sure you set clear goals from the outset and establish metrics to track your progress. Additionally, don’t forget to review and adjust your plan on a regular basis as your business grows and changes. By following these simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to growing your business with a strong marketing strategy in place.

Optimize business ROI

How to Optimize Your Business Marketing Efforts for Increased ROI

by with No Comment BusinessMarketingMarketing Strategy

Looking for ways to optimize your business marketing efforts? If so, you’re in the right place! This blog post will discuss some of the best ways to get the most out of your marketing dollars. We’ll talk about how to optimize your business marketing efforts. By following these tips, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are providing a high return on investment (ROI) for your business.

Determine Your Core Metrics

Trying to grow a business without paying attention to key metrics is like driving with your eyes closed. You might be able to move forward for a little while, but eventually, you will crash. That’s why it’s so important to identify the metrics of your marketing plan that matter most to your business and track them closely. But how do you know which metrics are worth tracking?

The answer lies in your company’s core values. What qualities are most important to your business? Once you’ve identified those qualities, you can develop metrics that will help you measure and improve them as part of your overall business strategy. For example, if one of your core values is customer satisfaction, you might track things like customer retention rates, net promoter scores, or first-time buyer rates. If another core value is innovation, you might track the number of new products or features you launch each year or the percentage of revenue that comes from new products.

By regularly measuring and evaluating these key metrics, you can ensure that your business is on track to achieving its long-term goals.

Experiment with and test out new channels, but do so cautiously

As any marketer knows, there are always new social media channels popping up. It can be tempting to want to experiment with every single one, but it’s important to remember that not all of the social media marketing platforms will be a good fit for your target audience or even your marketing strategy.

You also don’t want to end up spreading your resources too thin. That’s why it’s important to carefully consider each new channel as it relates to the customer journey before investing too much time or money in it.

Use A/B testing

A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a web page to see which one performs better. A/B testing can be used to test anything from the text on a button to the layout of a page. By comparing the two versions, businesses can learn which design elements are most effective at achieving their goals.

For example, if a business wants to increase the number of people who sign up for its email list, it can create two versions of its sign-up page and use A/B testing to see which one converts more visitors into subscribers. A/B testing can be used to test any element on a web page, from the headline to the call-to-action button.

Most importantly, A/B testing can help you avoid making changes that could actually hurt your business. So if you’re looking for ways to optimize your website, be sure to give A/B testing a try.

By constantly testing and tweaking their web pages, small businesses can ensure that they are always providing the best possible experience for their customers.

Test different offers

Trying out different offers can be a great way to see what works best for your business. It can be difficult to know what will appeal to your customers, so it’s important to experiment with different options.

Testing different offers is a great way to figure out what works best for your business. It can be difficult to know what will appeal to your customers and you might find that a certain type of discount is more popular than another, or that a certain type of product is more likely to generate repeat business.

The only way to find out is to try out different offers and see what works best for your business. Not every offer will be a success, but by testing different options you can maximize your chances of finding the right mix for your business.

How to measure your marketing ROI

Any business owner knows that marketing and marketing initiatives are essential for driving growth. But with so many different marketing channels and strategies to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to invest your limited resources.

This is where ROI comes in. ROI, or return on investment, is a measure of how much revenue your marketing efforts are generating relative to the amount you are spending. By calculating your marketing ROI, you can make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources for maximum impact.

Three of the most important metrics are conversion rate, cost per lead (CPL) and cost per acquisition (CPA). Conversion rate measures the percentage of visitors to your website who take a desired action, such as signing up for your email list or making a purchase.

CPL measures how much it costs you to generate a new lead, while CPA measures how much it costs you to acquire a new customer. By tracking these metrics, you can calculate your marketing ROI and make sure that your marketing efforts are providing a positive return on investment.

CPA, on the other hand, measures how much it costs you to generate a sale or lead. Together, these three metrics can give you a good sense of your marketing ROI and help you make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources. So if you’re looking to get a better handle on your business’s marketing performance, start by tracking your conversion rate, CPL, and CPA. They just might be the key to unlocking your next big breakthrough.

How to improve marketing ROI

Any business owner knows that marketing is essential to success. After all, how can you sell your product or service if no one knows it exists? However, effective marketing can be expensive, and it can be difficult to know if you’re getting a good return on your investment. If you’re looking to improve your marketing ROI, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

  • Make sure you’re targeting the right audience. There’s no point in spending money on advertising that no one will see.
  • Track your results carefully and adjust your strategy as needed. Keep an eye on your website traffic, sales numbers, search engine ranking and any other relevant metrics, and use that data to fine-tune your approach.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment. Trying new things is the only way to find out what works best for your business.
  • Optimize your Google business page. It’s a free listing that appears in search engine results when people look for businesses like yours. By claiming and optimizing your page, you can make sure that potential customers are able to find you.

So go ahead and try out a few different marketing angles or marketing strategies – worst case scenario, you’ll learn something new.

Following these tips, you should be able to see a significant improvement in your marketing ROI.

Customer lifetime value

The lifetime value of a customer is the estimated total revenue that a business will generate from a single customer over the course of its relationship. Lifetime value is important because it allows businesses to track and forecast revenue, and it also provides insight into how much to spend on acquisition and retention.

There are a number of factors that can influence lifetime value, including customer behavior, product mix, and churn rate. Lifetime value is also an important metric for businesses with subscription models, as it can provide insight into the company’s overall health. By understanding lifetime value, small business owners can make better decisions about acquisition, retention, and pricing for their business operations.

Leverage marketing automation tools

In today’s competitive marketplace, businesses need to be smart about their marketing efforts. One way to do this is to leverage marketing automation tools. These tools can help businesses to automate repetitive tasks, such as email marketing, social media campaigns, and targeted ads.

Email marketing CRM’s

  • Hubspot
  • Active campaign
  • Clickup
  • Infusionsoft

Social Media Campaigns

  • Hootsuite
  • Later
  • Buffer

Targeted Ads

  • Google Ads
  • Facebooks Ads

In addition, marketing automation tools can provide valuable insights into customer behavior. This information can be used to improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and make them more targeted and responsive to customer needs. By investing in marketing automation tools, businesses can save time and money while improving their marketing results.

Summary

There are a number of ways to optimize your business marketing efforts in order to increase your ROI. Some tips include targeting the right audience, tracking your results carefully, and experimenting with new approaches.

Additionally, it can be helpful to leverage marketing automation tools in order to save time and money while improving your marketing results. By following these tips, you can ensure that your digital marketing efforts are providing a high return on investment for your business.

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Nine Tips to Improve Your Online Advertising

by with No Comment MarketingMarketing Strategy

How do you improve your online advertising and what are some tips to follow?

In this blog post, we will discuss nine tips that will help you get the most out of your online advertising. By following these tips, you’ll be able to generate more leads and sales for your business and increase your ROI.

Know and target your audience

One of the most important aspects of effective communication is knowing your audience. Different audiences will have different needs and interests, and it’s important to tailor your message accordingly. For example, if you’re giving a presentation to a group of high school students, you’ll want to focus on keeping them engaged and interested. On the other hand, if you’re giving a speech to a group of business people, you’ll want to make sure your language is clear and concise.

The key is to think about what your audience is looking for, and then make sure that your message hits the mark. By knowing your audience and tailoring your message accordingly, you can ensure that your communication is as effective as possible.

Search engine marketing (SEM)

SEM is a digital marketing strategy that involves using paid search ads to reach potential customers. SEM can be an effective digital advertising strategy to reach out to new customers, especially those who are actively searching for products or services like yours.

When done correctly, SEM can be a cost-effective way to generate leads and drive sales. However, it’s important to note that SEM requires ongoing effort and monitoring in order to be successful. You’ll need to continuously adjust your keywords in your Google ads and ad copy in order to stay ahead of the competition and ensure that your online ads are being shown to the right people.

Additionally, you’ll need to track your results closely in order to see what’s working and what isn’t. But if you’re willing to put in the work, SEM can be one of the types of online advertising and internet advertising to grow your business.

Use clear and concise calls to action (CTAs)

When you’re writing a call to action, it’s important to be clear and concise when you advertise online. After all, you want your reader to understand exactly what you want them to do, and why it’s important.

There are a few things to keep in mind when crafting your CTA. First, make sure your verb is active and direct. For example, “Buy Now” or “Sign Up.” Second, keep it short and sweet – you don’t want your reader to feel overwhelmed.

And finally, make sure your CTA is relevant to the rest of your content. If it feels out of place, chances are it is. A well-written CTA can be the difference between a successful campaign and a flop – so make sure yours is up to the task.

Optimize your Social Media Profiles

On social media platforms, your profile is one of the first things potential customers will see when they visit your page, so it’s important to make a good impression. Here are a few tips:

  • Use keyword-rich descriptions to help people find your page.
  • Include a call to action on your profile, such as “Follow us for the latest news!”
  • Use high-quality images that represent your brand.
  • Regularly post fresh content that is relevant to your audience.

By taking the time to optimize your social media profiles, you’ll be able to attract more leads and be able to convert more customers.

Use testimonials and client reviews on your website

If you’re looking for ways to build trust with potential customers, adding testimonials and client reviews to your website is a great place to start. Hearing from other happy customers can help prospective buyers feel more confident about doing business with you. And when it comes to reviews, numbers don’t lie. Seeing that you have a large number of 5-star reviews can be incredibly persuasive.

If you don’t have any testimonials or reviews on your site yet, now is the time to start collecting them. You can reach out to past clients and ask them to write a brief testimonial that you can post on your site. Also, encourage your customers to leave reviews there as well. With a little effort, you can quickly boost your website’s credibility – and your bottom line.

Use coupons, discounts, and promotional codes

Any business owner knows that attracting customers is essential to success. One way to do this is by offering coupons, discounts, and promotional codes. By offering a discount on a product or service, businesses can entice customers who might otherwise be reluctant to purchase. In addition, coupons and codes can also be used to drive loyalty among existing customers. By offering a special discount to loyal customers, businesses can encourage them to keep coming back. Finally, promotional codes can also be used to generate buzz and excitement around a new product or service.

By offering a code that gives customers access to exclusive offers or early access to new products, businesses can create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to act quickly. In short, coupons, discounts, and promotional codes are powerful tools that any business owner can use to attract new and loyal customers.

Retarget your website visitors

You’ve put a lot of work into getting traffic to your website- but what happens once they leave? A high rate of website abandonment can be frustrating, but there is a way to bring those visitors back. Retargeting (also known as remarketing) is a powerful marketing tool that allows you to show display ads or display advertising to your target audience who have already visited your site.

By targeting these individuals, you can increase the chances that they’ll come back and make a purchase. And best of all, retargeting is relatively easy to set up. All you need is a list of email addresses or cookies, and you’re ready to start reaching out to potential customers. So if you’re looking for a way to boost your conversions, consider retargeting your website visitors. It’s a simple, effective way to get more out of your marketing efforts.

Track key performance indicators (KPIs)

When it comes to running a successful business, there are a lot of factors to keep track of. From sales and profit margins to employee satisfaction and customer retention, it can be tough to know where to focus your attention. However, one of the most important things you can do is to identify and track key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are a valuable tool for measuring progress and determining areas of improvement. By tracking KPIs, you can get a clear picture of how your business is performing and make decisions accordingly. Some common KPIs include revenue growth, conversion rate, revenue/sale, and customer satisfaction. By carefully tracking these and other KPIs, you can ensure that your business is on the right track to success.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

These days, it seems like everyone is talking about search engine optimization (SEO). But what is SEO, and why is it so important? In a nutshell, SEO is the process of making your website more visible to search engines like Google. By optimizing your site for relevant keywords and phrases, you can help ensure that your site appears higher in search results, which can in turn lead to more visitors. And since traffic from organic search is typically high-quality and highly engaged, this can be a great way to attract new customers or clients. In addition, SEO can also help to build brand awareness and reputation; after all, if your site is one of the first results that comes up for a particular keyword, people are more likely to remember your brand. So whatever your goals may be, investing in SEO can be a smart move.

Summary

Following these nine tips will help you improve your online advertising. By careful planning, retargeting website visitors, and tracking key performance indicators, you can get the most out of your online advertising and generate more leads and sales.

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The Top 8 Marketing Strategies to Increase Conversions

by with No Comment MarketingMarketing Strategy

[8 strategies to increase your conversion rate.]

As a marketer or business owner, you’re always looking for ways to increase conversions and close sales. Luckily, there are several powerful marketing strategies you can use to achieve this goal. In this post, we’ll outline the top eight marketing strategies that have been proven to boost conversions. 

Write persuasive copy

Strong copy increases conversions and is essential to any successful marketing campaign. After all, no matter how eye-catching your visuals may be, it’s the words that will ultimately persuade your audience to take action. But what makes for persuasive copy? Here are a few tips:

  1. Keep it clear and concise. Your readers should be able to understand your message quickly and easily. Avoid unnecessary words and jargon.
  2. Make a strong case and be credible. For your readers to believe you, you need to establish yourself as an expert on the subject matter. Use testimonials, case studies, and concrete facts to support your claims.
  3. Be persuasive, not pushy. Respect your reader’s intelligence and don’t try to force them to do something they don’t want.
  4. Appeal to emotion. A well-written piece of copy should evoke an emotional response in the reader. After all, it’s our emotions that drive most of our decisions.
  5. Use power words. Power words are persuasive words that trigger an emotional response. They can be used to increase your message’s urgency or tap into our primal desires.
  6. Take a stand. Be bold and confident in your convictions. People are more likely to trust someone passionate about their beliefs.

Use strong calls to action on your website and social media platforms

If you want people to take action on your website or social media platforms, you need to use strong calls to action. A call to action is a statement that encourages your audience to do something, such as “Sign up now!” or “Download our free eBook!”. While calls to action can be soft and subtle, using a strong call to action can be more effective in getting people to take the desired action. Here are some tips for using strong calls to action:

  • Use persuasive language: Use language that will convince your audience to take action. For example, instead of saying “Sign up for our newsletter”, say “Sign up now and get exclusive deals and discounts!”.
  • Images: A well-designed image can be very effective in getting people to take action. Make sure the image is relevant to the call to action, and use a clear and concise text overlay.
  • Urgency: Urgency can be a great motivator for taking action. For example, if you’re running a time-limited promotion, include countdown timers in your calls to action.

Implement a smart use of pop-ups on your site

If you’ve ever been browsing the internet and had a pop-up window appear out of nowhere, you know how annoying it can be. Nevertheless, when used sparingly and judiciously, pop-ups can be an effective way to capture leads or promote special offers.

The key is to strike a balance between being intrusive and being helpful. For example, you might consider using a pop-up on a blog post to promote a contest or survey that requires only a few seconds to complete as part of your marketing strategy or marketing plan. Or, if you have an e-commerce site, you might use a value proposition pop-up to offer a discount code for first-time buyers.

The key is to make sure the pop-up appears at a point when the user is likely to be engaged with your content, such as after they’ve been reading for a few minutes or when they’re about to leave the site. By using pop-ups thoughtfully, you can avoid frustrating your visitors while still achieving your desired results.

Increase the appeal of your product or service with a buy now, pay later plan

Many businesses offer their customers a buy now, pay later plan as a way to increase sales and appeal. By allowing customers to make purchases now and pay for them over time, businesses can attract more buyers, even if they may not have the funds available upfront. This type of financing can also help to build customer loyalty, as buyers are more likely to return to a business that offers convenient payment options. In addition, a buy now, pay later plan can help businesses to stand out from their competitors by offering a unique and appealing financing option. As more businesses begin to offer this type of financing, it is important to consider how it can benefit your own business. When used correctly, a buy now, pay later plan can be a powerful tool for increasing sales.

Create authority-rich video content

When it comes to creating engaging video content, one thing is for sure: you need to have authority. Whether you’re talking about your industry, your product, or your service, your viewers need to feel like they can trust you. After all, if they don’t believe that you know what you’re talking about, why would they bother watching your video?

There are a few ways to build authority in your video content.

First, make sure that you’re articulate and confident in what you’re saying. If you come across as wishy-washy or unsure of yourself, that will reflect poorly on your authority.

Second, back up your claims with data and research. If you can cite reputable sources to support what you’re saying, that will go a long way towards establishing your authority.

Finally, be sure to dress and speak in a way that projects confidence. If you look and sound like an expert, chances are your viewers will perceive you as one too. By following these tips, you can create video content that packs a punch – and establishes your authority at the same time.

Interactive Email marketing

Email marketing is a powerful tool, but it can be tricky to get right. You want to make sure your emails are engaging and relevant, without coming across as spammy. One way to do this is to use interactive elements in your email marketing campaigns.

Interactive elements can help to grab attention and keep recipients engaged. For example, you could use a quiz or survey to collect data about your subscribers, or include a call-to-action that encourages them to click through to your website. You could even use an animated GIF to add a little bit of fun and personality to your emails. Whatever you choose, make sure it aligns with your brand voice and tone.

Sending potential customers to a landing page where your target audience can buy your products and services is a good strategy. Landing pages can increase conversion so make sure to implement A/B testing, which will help to increase conversion rates later on.

Invite your best customers to share their experiences on social media and ask if you can use their experiences for marketing purposes

As a business owner, you know that your best customers are invaluable. They’re the ones who keep coming back, year after year. They tell their friends and family about you. They sing your praises to anyone who will listen. In short, they’re your biggest advocates. And what better way to show your appreciation than by inviting them to share their experiences on social media? Of course, you’ll want to get their permission first – after all, you don’t want to violate their trust. But once you have their permission, you can use their stories and testimonials to reach an even wider audience. This can also help with search engine rankings.

Conversion rate optimization

It’s important to pay attention to your conversion rate – that is, the percentage of visitors who take the desired action. There are several ways to improve your conversion rate, but it generally boils down to making it as easy as possible for visitors to find what they’re looking for and take the desired action. This might involve redesigning your website, streamlining your checkout process, or adding relevant call-to-actions. Conversion rate optimization can be a complex process, but it’s worth taking the time to get it right. By doing so, you’ll ensure that more visitors to your site end up becoming customers or leads.

Summary

There are a lot of marketing strategies out there, but not all of them are equally effective. If you’re looking to increase your conversion rate and boost sales, these eight strategies are a great place to start.

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How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy That Gets Results

by with No Comment MarketingMarketing Strategy

If you’re looking to create a digital marketing strategy that actually gets results, you’re in the right place. In this blog post, we will walk you through the steps that you need to take in order to create a successful strategy for your business. We’ll cover everything from setting goals and to developing effective content strategies. So whether you’re just getting started with digital marketing or you want to improve your current strategy, this post is for you!

Define your business goals and target audience

Your business goals will shape every aspect of your company, from the products you sell to the way you market them. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to define your goals clearly from the outset. What are you hoping to achieve? Who are your buyer personas? What needs does your target audience have that your business can address? Once you have a good understanding of your goals, you can start to develop a plan for achieving them.

Of course, your goals may change over time as your business grows and evolves. That’s perfectly normal – just be sure to revisit your goals periodically and adjust them as needed. After all, if your business goals don’t match up with your current reality, it’s time to make a change.

Research your competition

Any business owner worth their salt knows that a key part of running a successful digital marketing campaign is understanding the competition. After all, if you don’t know who your competitors are or what they’re offering, how can you hope to stay ahead of the game?

There are a few different ways to go about this. First, you can simply Google your potential competitors and see what comes up. Take a look at their websites and see what they’re offering. Then, try to find customer reviews online.

Sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor make it easy to see how customers rate their experience.

In addition, social media can be a valuable tool for tracking competitor activity and gauging customer sentiment. By taking some time to research the competition, you can gain invaluable insights that will help you keep your business one step ahead.

Finally, if you know anyone who has used the services of your potential competitor, ask them for their thoughts. By taking the time to research the competition, you can avoid making costly mistakes down the road.

Choose the digital marketing channel that is the best fit for your target audience and create content for them.

Marketing is essential for driving growth. But with so many different digital marketing channels to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. The key is to choose the channel that is the best fit for your target audience.

Selecting the right marketing channel

If you’re selling products or services to other businesses, LinkedIn may be the best platform for you. But if you’re targeting consumers, Facebook and Instagram are likely to be more effective. Once you’ve selected the right channel for your marketing campaign, you need to create content that resonates with your audience. That means crafting messages that address their needs and pain points. It also means creating visuals that are attention-grabbing and engaging. By taking the time to select the right channel and create targeted content, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals for your digital marketing strategy.

Creating the right content for your audience

Creating digital marketing content can be a daunting task. After all, there’s so much to consider when crafting a message that will reach your target audience.

  • What tone should you use?
  • What topics should you cover?
  • How can you make your content stand out in a sea of similar messages?

Fortunately, there are some tried and true methods for creating effective digital marketing content. First, it’s important to understand your audience and what kinds of information they’re looking for. Second, make sure to deliver your message in an engaging and attention-grabbing way. Third, don’t be afraid to mix things up from time to time and experiment with different formats and styles of content.

Set up tracking and measurement tools

Tracking and measurement tools are essential for any business, large or small. Without these tools, it would be impossible to know how well your business is performing or where improvements need to be made. There are a number of different tracking and measurement tools available, and the best one for your business will depend on your specific needs. However, some essential tracking and measurement tools include website analytics, social media analytics, and sales data.

Google Analytics

By setting up Google Analytics, you’ll be able to get a better understanding of your business and how users interact with your site so you can make informed decisions about where to focus your efforts.

Social media

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media marketing management platform that enables users to track all their social media channels in one place. With Hootsuite, users can see who is talking about their brand, what they’re saying, and where the conversation is taking place. Additionally, Hootsuite provides users with insights and analytics about their social media activity, enabling them to measure their performance and improve their strategies. In recent years, Hootsuite has become one of the most popular social media management platforms on the market, used by businesses of all sizes to better manage their online presence.

Sprout Social

Sprout social is a social media management platform that helps businesses grow their online presence. With Sprout, businesses can monitor brand mentions and track conversations across all major social networks. In addition, Sprout provides users with detailed analytics, so businesses can see which posts are resonating with their audience and make informed decisions about their social media strategy. Overall, Sprout social is an essential tool for businesses that want to take their social media presence to the next level.

Use search engine optimization (SEO) on your website to rank in the search engines

If you have a website, you want people to find it. And one of the best ways to make sure your site is visible is to optimize it in the search engines. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of making your site more visible in search results. And while it may seem complex, there are a few simple things you can do to get started. First, be sure to use keyword-rich titles and descriptions. This will help potential customers find your site when they’re searching for relevant terms. Second, take advantage of social media. Share your content on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, and be sure to include links back to your website. Finally, don’t forget about backlinks. Ask other websites to link to your site, and you’ll improve your chances of appearing high in search results. By taking these simple steps, you can help ensure that your website is easy to find by potential customers.

Use social media to reach new audiences

One of the most effective digital marketing strategies is to have a strong presence on social media. Not only does social media provide a great way to connect with existing customers and build relationships, but it also offers an excellent opportunity to reach new audiences. By creating engaging content and using targeted advertising, businesses can reach a wide range of potential customers that they might not otherwise be able to connect with. In addition, social media provides a great platform for product promotion and word-of-mouth marketing. When used effectively, social media can be a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes.

Facebook

By creating a strong presence on platforms like Facebook, you can connect with potential customers who might not have otherwise heard of your business.

Of course, simply having a Facebook page isn’t enough. You need to make sure that you’re regularly posting engaging content that will interest your target audience. That could mean sharing blog posts, images, special offers, or anything else that you think would be of value to your potential customers.

It’s also important to interact with customers and followers who leave comments or questions on your posts. By responding promptly and politely, you can create a strong relationship with your social media audience and turn them into loyal customers.

Tiktok

With the rise of TikTok, businesses now have access to a whole new generation of potential customers. TikTok is a video-sharing app that allows users to create and share short videos. The platform has quickly become extremely popular, especially among younger users. For businesses, TikTok presents a great opportunity to reach a new audience. By creating engaging and creative videos, businesses can introduce themselves to a whole new group of potential customers. And since TikTok is all about having fun, businesses can also use the platform to show off their personality and connect with users on a more personal level.

Instagram

With over 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram provides a huge opportunity to reach people from all walks of life. Plus, Instagram is highly visual, so it’s a great platform for promoting products or services that are visually appealing. And with the ability to post videos and photos, you can really show off what you have to offer.

Youtube

YouTube is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. And it’s not just for watching cat videos—YouTube can also be a powerful marketing tool. By creating engaging content and using targeted keywords, businesses can reach a whole new audience of potential customers. Thanks to YouTube’s vast user base, businesses can also get their message out there quickly and easily. In addition, YouTube offers valuable insights into who is watching your videos and what they’re interested in which is one of the benefits of digital marketing.

Analyze and adjust your digital marketing strategy as needed

Like any other type of marketing, digital marketing requires regular review and adjustment in order to be successful. With so many different channels and tactics to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. However, there are a few key indicators that can help you determine whether your digital marketing strategy is on track. First, take a look at your website traffic. Are you seeing an increase in the number of visitors? If not, it may be time to invest in some targeted advertising or content marketing. Next, check your conversion rate – that is, the percentage of website visitors who take the desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. If your conversion rate is low, it could be a sign that your website is not user-friendly or that your offers are not compelling. Finally, keep an eye on your ROI – that is, the return on investment you are seeing from your digital marketing efforts. If you’re not happy with the results you’re getting, don’t be afraid to experiment with new tactics or channels until you find what works best for your business.

Summary

Digital marketing is a complex and ever-changing field, but by following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can develop a successful strategy that will help your business reach new heights. Keep your goals in mind, create engaging content, and track your progress so you can continue to fine-tune your approach. With a little effort, you can create a digital marketing strategy that gets results.

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The Value of Email as a Marketing Tool

by with No Comment MarketingMarketing Strategy

With a return on investment of $36, on average, for every dollar spent, email marketing provides one of the highest ROIs in the digital marketing sphere. However, what exactly makes it so valuable, and why is it so effective? 

This article will explore the value of email as a marketing tool and how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected engagement. Here are eight reasons email marketing must be part of your digital campaign. 

1. Everyone Uses Email

Social media might seem trendy, but email is the only medium that everyone uses consistently. Even many young people are no longer using Facebook — they’re switching to platforms like Instagram or deleting their accounts due to privacy concerns and the impact Facebook has on their productivity. Depending on your target audience, most of it might not be on social media at all. 

Even fewer people take direct marketing mail seriously anymore. People are switching to electronic bank statements and bills, and when marketing materials come in the mail, many throw them out without a second glance.

Email, on the other hand, is universal. Even young students use email for university, for example, to communicate with professors. 

Also, people are using email more since the start of the pandemic. According to Mailchimp, email marketers in almost every industry saw an increased engagement rate compared to the previous year. Not only were subscribers opening emails and clicking on links more frequently, but they were also unsubscribing less often. 

Smaller businesses were the ones with the highest increases in engagement, but larger businesses enjoyed better conversions as well. Some industries fared better — for example, restaurants were among those with the highest increases in engagement. 

What may surprise you is that businesses, at first, started sending emails less often as the pandemic began. Nonetheless, consumers showed that they did want to see more emails from the brands they love. 

2. Mobile Devices Make Email Inboxes Accessible

People can now access their email inboxes from anywhere via their mobile phones. Most smartphones come with some sort of email client or app installed, especially Android phones, which often come with the Gmail app installed. 

Screen time has increased dramatically during the pandemic. Among adults, it has increased by 60-80%. When people spend more time on their phones, they tend to check their email apps more often as well. Now’s your chance to boost your email marketing campaigns and reach more people. 

3. It Is Personalized

One major difference between social media marketing and email marketing is that you can personalize each email. Email service providers like Aweber allow you to add details such as the subscriber’s name to each email. Not only that, but you can go beyond that and send each subscriber a happy birthday email on their birthday. To do that, you’ll need to collect their birthdate at some point. 

Thus, email allows you to connect better with your subscribers and create deeper, longer-lasting relationships. 

4. Personalization May Lead to Better Conversions and ROI

Personalization can increase your conversion rate and improve your ROI. Did you know that personalized emails get 2.5x more clicks? Not only that, but they are 6x more likely to drive a conversion. 

There are other ways to personalize an email other than including your subscriber’s name. You can send them emails tailored to their tastes, interests, age group, and more. For example, you can segment your list based on which product they bought or where and how they signed up. 

When sending automated email follow-ups to subscribers, you can tag subscribers based on their actions. For example, if a subscriber didn’t open an email, you can resend it with a different subject line. If they opened an email and clicked on a link but didn’t make a purchase, you can send another promotional email with that link, this time with a special discount. 

This kind of targeted customization isn’t possible on social media. Social media is like blogging, just on a microscale — there’s nothing personalized about it. You create only one version of each post, and that is the one that gets shown to all your followers. Email is one of the few mediums that allow you to automate personalization. 

5. Its Analytics Are Accessible

Tracking your email analytics is easy and will give you deeper insights into your audience and what they are looking for. Regardless of which email service provider you use, you’ll be able to view open rates, track clicks, see how many people are unsubscribing, and more. 

That can help you understand what your audience wants and what makes them tick. The accessible analytics you get from email marketing helps you improve both your email campaigns and your other marketing campaigns. 

For example, if you see them responding to subject lines that mention a specific product or service, you might want to talk about it more on your blog as well or create more social media posts about it. 

6. It Doesn’t Care About Algorithms

While SEO remains important, regardless of which industry you are in, it has a major drawback: You are forever at the mercy of the algorithms. Marketers who have been in the game long enough will remember how major sites like JC Penny were devastated and experienced major drops in their rankings when updates like Google Penguin and Panda came out. 

Even smaller updates can push your top-performing articles off the first page of Google. A drop of just a few positions can make a huge difference in how much traffic and conversions you drive. There is also always the possibility of a competitor outranking you. 

Social media is not much different. Each social media platform uses a unique algorithm to determine which posts and pages show up in the Discover pages and get more exposure. 

Not only that, but on sites like Facebook and Instagram, your posts won’t even get shown to all your followers. Facebook’s algorithms, for example, might decide that your followers would be more interested in another page’s content than yours. It might place your posts further down in their news feeds, and they might not scroll down far enough to see you. 

However, email doesn’t care about algorithms. Inboxes aren’t sorted in a specific order based on what Gmail thinks the user would be interested in, unlike Facebook and Instagram feeds. All emails are shown in the order they came in. 

Some emails might go to the Promotions folder or even the spam folder, so try to avoid that by telling subscribers to whitelist your address and avoiding over-promotional keywords like “free” or “sale.” 

7. Barrier to Entry Is Low

SEO is complicated. As the algorithms are always changing, you need to always be on top of the latest updates and know which strategies are currently working.

You need to know how to write awesome content, create incredible infographics, use the right images, and find the right keywords. The last part can be particularly difficult for some — you need to find keywords that not only get a lot of searches, but don’t have a lot of competition either. That can be hard in competitive niches. 

You also need to know how to do technical SEO, optimize metadata, and do off-page search engine optimization. You’ll need to build backlinks and know which strategies to use to do so. There’s a lot of skill and knowledge that goes into SEO, which is why the best SEO agencies charge so much. 

Social media marketing also requires a certain level of expertise. You need to know how to get followers, what type of content to post, and so on. 

The reason both social media and SEO require special expertise is that with both of them, you’re trying to beat the algorithm. Since email doesn’t involve that type of competition, the barrier to entry is a lot lower. You still need to know how to stand out in your subscribers’ inboxes, so they click on your email instead of others, but it’s easier to get started and see results. 

8. It Can Boost Website and Social Media Traffic

Finally, even if you see results from your SEO and social media campaigns, email marketing can boost them even more. Using email, you can drive repeat traffic to your blog posts and product pages and get more conversions over the long term. 

Also, you can use your email list to increase your follower count. Cross-promote your social media profiles and posts in your emails to boost engagement. For example, if you want to boost a specific social media post, so the algorithm starts showing it to more people, send your email subscribers to like and comment on it. 

Final Thoughts

Email marketing is still underrated, despite what you might see on some blogs. It’s one of the most effective marketing channels and has benefits that no other channels provide, such as personalization and the lack of an algorithm determining who sees which posts. 

Email marketing complements your SEO and social media campaigns perfectly. As engagement has gone up during Covid-19, now is the perfect time to send out emails. 

Bill_Ted_Excellent_Adventure_1989_12-H-2020-1598397756

Welcome to the Golden Age of Marketing

by with No Comment MarketingMarketing Strategy

Back in 2020, I wrote this article in the Business Journal about marketing your business during COVID-19. Since then, I’ve been blown away by how quickly marketing tactics have evolved.

Consider the digital shift our culture has recently experienced: 

  • You can now meet with your doctor over a Zoom call 
  • Children can stay at home and still go to school
  • Many businesses restricted to geographic boundaries are now sourcing new customers across the US

So how has this impacted your marketing?

Since many people are now accustomed to using Zoom or Facetime, doing business with a local company isn’t as important as it once was. This means that many local businesses are now competing with companies across the country, for the same customers.

One example of this trend is the increased competition that attorneys are facing. Just two years ago, most law firms wouldn’t target potential clients outside of their county because it would mean having to repeatedly go out of town to show up in court. But today, most courts use video conferencing which allows attorneys in Los Angeles, for example, to aggressively market in other cities.

This example has played out across numerous industries and it’s resulting in local businesses becoming more strategic and data-driven with their marketing.  

The crazy thing is, this national/local dynamic has resulted in a golden age of marketing where the average local business is optimizing their marketing campaigns based on CAC (cost to acquire a customer), LTV (lifetime value), and CPL (cost per lead). These are things savvy marketers have been doing for years, but many local businesses traditionally lacked the time, knowledge, and budget to get the most out of their campaigns.

And this is what has drastically changed the most in the last year and a half!

Where should you start?

Every small to medium-sized business that has had a ton of success with its digital marketing has done two things better than most:

  1. Create tactics around the top, middle, and bottom of their sales funnel
  2. Define multiple conversion points (or KPIs), track their performance, and optimize based on the success

Top of the sales funnel

When advertising to potential customers, you should consider their stage in the sales funnel. Potential customers at the top of your funnel usually haven’t heard of your product or aren’t very familiar with it. So the primary goal of marketing at the top of the funnel is brand awareness. Top-of-funnel marketing channels include traditional outreach like TV, radio, and billboards; and also generally-targeted digital banner ads, Facebook, and Instagram ads as well.  

Middle of the sales funnel

Potential clients that make it to the middle of your funnel have heard of your company or the product you sell, and they’re doing research, comparing you to your competitors. So the goal to reach potential clients in the middle of the sales funnel is to educate and persuade them – but not yet ask for the sale. Targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are great middle-of-funnel marketing channels enabling you to reach potential customers.

Bottom of the sales funnel

Finally, the bottom of the funnel is where someone is ready to purchase; they’ve done their research, and they are focused on getting the best deal—this is where your company asks for the sale. Popular bottom-of-funnel channels include Google Search Ads and Bing Search Ads. Ads on these channels can appear when your potential customer is ready to buy based on their search query’s intent.

To make the most of your target audience spending more time on their devices, your marketing strategies must focus on building brand awareness at the top of your funnel and educating your potential customers in the middle of your funnel.   

Importance of building trust

No matter how you’re reaching your target audience, people prefer to do business with companies they trust. This is why focusing on top and middle of the sales funnel strategies is so important because once you’ve built trust, your marketing will produce more customers.  

As an example, Google “Los Angeles personal injury attorney,” click on a few of the Google Ads, then take a look at the websites those ads are promoting. Most of the sites won’t win any design awards, and yet those attorneys are gaining a lot of clients with Google Ads because they’ve taken the time to build trust among their target audience with top and middle of the funnel strategies.

Ways to build trust

Most people don’t just click on an ad and buy since buying a product or service always has risk associated with it. So they mitigate their risk by looking for contributing factors to support their decision to purchase. This is where a blog post (like this one!), a video, or a podcast can really convey your value and expertise. Specifically:

  1. Write a blog post or a new web page on how your industry is affected by COVID-19 and the specific steps people are taking.  
  2. Then create Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ads around this blog post to inform your target audience, but not sell them. This could even become a series of blog posts, depending on how long the pandemic and its effects last. It could first discuss who/what is affected by the virus, and then, later blog posts could explain how your industry is recovering from it. 
  3. You will also want to install a remarketing pixel that enables you to stay in front of your potential customers throughout the sales funnel.
  4. Now that your audience is aware of your business, develop the middle of your sales funnel ads (both static and video ads) that detail your company’s value, experience, some case studies, and further industry insights. The goal of these ads is to only appear to people that have seen your COVID-19 related ads and have read your content.  
  5. Over time, as your potential customers consume your content, your company will become an industry expert in their eyes.

Trust = New Customers

After three to six months of running your top-of-funnel and middle-of-funnel ads and reaching thousands of people multiple times with timely and helpful messaging, you’ve finally created some powerful brand awareness and trust.  

Then, once the COVID-19 pandemic has receded, you can then target all of these potential customers with bottom-of-funnel channels like Google Search & Bing Ads. These search ads will be even more effective because you’ve educated your potential clients, so they’re now aware of your product or service, they’ve already compared you against your competition, and many of them are ready to buy.

Creating a Post-pandemic Marketing Strategy

For companies with an established marketing strategy, the good news is they don’t need to start over. And for companies without a plan in place, it’s the best time in the last 50 years to create a marketing strategy!

When companies hire us as their CMO (chief marketing officer), we always start with a competitor analysis and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis to understand our clients’ services, products, values, goals, and competitors. So this will also be an excellent place for your company to begin, in light of our new economic realities.

After gaining a better understanding of how your company is positioning itself and where your competitors stand, it’s time to assess every available customer outreach channel to determine the best ways to convey your message.

There are twenty client acquisition channels to consider:

  1. Business development
  2. Referral programs
  3. Public relations
  4. Unconventional public relations
  5. Content marketing: blog posts, social media ads, display ads, video ads
  6. Search engine marketing: Google, Bing, and Yahoo ads
  7. Offline/traditional advertising: TV, radio, billboards, newspaper, direct mail, etc.
  8. SEO (search engine optimization)
  9. Email marketing/marketing automation
  10. Viral marketing
  11. Engineering as marketing (ex: creating lead capture forms)
  12. Hiring a sales force
  13. Blogger targeting
  14. Trade shows
  15. Offline events: meet up’s
  16. Swag products: branded promotional material 
  17. Webinars
  18. Influencer marketing: hiring a brand spokesperson
  19. Networking 
  20. Guerilla tactics

Here’s a more in-depth description of every customer acquisition channel.

When going through every channel, we create one to three ideas for each. Once they’ve been recorded, we grade them based on their ICE score, which rates the idea’s impact, confidence, and ease of implementation, on a scale of 1-10. The top-scoring ideas then become phase one of the new marketing strategy.

This pragmatic approach to growth requires a company’s stakeholders to all contribute to the formulation and ranking of each idea. It’s only when there’s complete buy-in by every department head that the best ideas can be identified and implemented.

After managing thousands of marketing campaigns and over $24m on the Facebook and Google advertising platforms, we’ve learned the hard way how to ensure a successful campaign. So by employing the same measures we use above, your business can be confidently positioned as a market leader in the new economy.

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What is the Best Form of Content?

by with No Comment MarketingMarketing Strategy

Marketing gurus always talk about the importance of creating content to grow your brand and attract your target audience, but what kind of content will actually help you do that?

The simple (and complicated) answer is that it depends. 

It depends on your business goals, your budget, and whether you’ve built any kind of content library to date. 

Businesses CAN drive more traffic to their website, create a buzz about their product or service, and improve their conversions with great content.

However, a lot of businesses churn out boring or disconnected content because they feel like they should be creating content, not because they have a clear strategy behind it. All that does is create a glut of unread blogs, social media posts, and videos that don’t actually help your customers and waste your marketing budget.

Instead of creating blogs and videos “just because,” we’ll show you how to build a foundation of content that meets your customer’s most pressing needs and also provides an endless fountain of ideas for other advanced, engaging forms of content.

Foundational Content

The power of content marketing is that it provides information that engages your target customer and meets their needs 24/7. Great content is at work even when you aren’t. 

The two most foundational types of content are blog posts and case studies. Not only are they great lead generators in their own right, but they’re also a fountain of ideas from which you can later create other types of content. In our opinion, they’re worth investing in upfront and getting right. 

Blogs

Blogs should be the foundation of your content strategy because they:

  • Are flexible and can provide a wide range of valuable information for your website visitors
  • Pre-answer questions about your product or service to speed up your sales process
  • Build relationships with your customers so they’re already familiar with your offering when you reach out by email or use ad retargeting
  • Combat misconceptions and provide counterarguments for any objections customers may have about using your product or service
  • Provide an endless bank of ideas for other types of content

Great blogs delight and engage your audience and create a sense of camaraderie with your brand. They can make your target audience feel understood and valued.

The issue with how many companies approach blogs is that they don’t invest much time or money into them because they don’t understand the true value and power of great content.

If you create boring, generic blogs that don’t provide a unique viewpoint or information specific to how you solve your customer’s challenges, then no one will read them. Many businesses have invested in blogs half-heartedly with no strategy, then concluded that blogs were a waste of their budget.

Make no mistake — they certainly can be. But done right, blogs are one of the most effective places to spend your marketing budget.

So where do you start?

Think about the most common questions you get from customers about your company, product, service, philosophy, etc. Anything you get asked repeatedly makes a great topic for a blog post.

Your sales team is a great source to tap for blog topics because they usually spend the most time talking to customers and answering their questions.

With just a little bit of brainstorming, you can probably think of at least 10 – 15 common questions, so start there. Make those 10 – 15 blogs detailed and in-depth, and they’ll be WAY more effective than 100 generic blogs that are identical to what’s on your competitor’s website.

You can add more content to your blog over time as you have other ideas for how to engage your audience and provide value, but 10 – 15 provides a solid foundation to start with. 

Case Studies

Case studies are super powerful because they let you show prospects exactly what it’s like to work with you AND they tell the story in your customer’s own words.

Effective case studies will:

  • Answer questions a prospect may have about your company
  • Break down your processes so prospects know what to expect when working with you
  • Show how you and your team solve client issues as they arise
  • Include glowing customer quotes
  • Highlight your expertise and skill
  • Provide social proof that others have used your product and service to great benefit 
  • Share concrete examples of how you fulfill the promises you make in your ads or on sales calls

The best case studies begin with a client interview so you can get real quotes and deeply understand how your customers experience your partnership. 

The added benefit is that they provide great data points to help your company understand what you’re already doing great, AND help you identify any areas where you can improve your customer service and/or product.

Advanced Content That Builds On Your Foundation

Once you have a firm foundation of content, you can start taking that same information and repackaging it into new, bite-sized chunks that are perfect for sharing in emails, on social media, in traditional print formats, as videos, audio, and a nearly endless array of other formats. 

Afraid that sharing the same information in new formats will get redundant? Don’t be!
Today’s consumer is exposed to between 4,000 and 10,000 ads every day. You need to repeat your message loud and clear many times before it sticks in the minds of your target customers.

The more consistent you are with your message, the better, so don’t be afraid to go back to your foundational content, again and again, to transform it into new formats.

Infographics

Infographics are a visual, engaging form of content that your online fans can easily share with others. They break down complex information and processes into a few steps so viewers can absorb the information quickly. Below is an example.

*Image courtesy of Firefighters Community Credit Union

Types of information that work great for infographics are statistics, processes, timelines, comparisons, lists, specialized information, overviews of in-depth topics, etc. If you have any of that type of content in your foundation (and we bet you will!), then you have the start of a powerful, shareable infographic. 

Because the visual element of an infographic is so central to getting the content right, we recommend using a professional graphic designer to help you create them. If you don’t have one in-house, you can hire a freelance designer for a modest price.

Infographics are perfect to share on your social media channel as organic posts or ads, and they also work great inside marketing emails. You can even add them to related blog posts to make them more visually appealing to your website visitors. 

Some companies even print their infographics to use as handouts for customers as part of the onboarding or relationship-building process to help them understand the experience they’re about to have as a customer of the company.

Podcasts & Audio Interviews

Like blogs, podcasts can take a wide variety of forms and discuss a range of topics. A landscaping business, for example, may use podcast episodes to discuss common lawn care challenges, solutions, products, and processes.

There’s no right way to create a podcast, and the form offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to script and structure. Businesses have found success with long-format interviews, short episodes about industry news, and discussions between team members. So long as you have the right audio equipment, just about any format, episode length, or topic can work. 

If you’re not sure where to start with podcasting topics, go back to your foundational content. You can begin by creating episodes that answer common customer questions and interview a few satisfied customers. 

Keep in mind that the topics need to be relevant and engaging to your target customer, not just tangentially related to your industry or overly salesy. All the better if you have a unique perspective or approach compared to your competitors. 

If you want to make your audio sound particularly professional, you’ll need to invest in audio mixing and mastering. This is especially true if you want your podcast to be widely distributed. Mastering helps ensure your podcast sounds great, regardless of the streaming platform. 

Some simple DIY tools for producing your podcast are Riverside, Zencaster, and Descript. You don’t have to be an audio guru to get started, you just have to have the courage to put your voice out into the world.

If you’re not quite ready to dive into producing your own podcast, you can appear as a guest on existing industry podcasts. They can give you a taste of the experience and expose your brand to hungry audiences.

Video

Like infographics, video content is highly sharable. With the average adult spending about 78 minutes per day watching video content on their digital devices, it’s a great place to put some of your marketing budget.

Many businesses have cracked the code of creating affordable, effective videos by using stock video footage rather than spending tens of thousands of dollars on custom video shooting and production. Our article about optimizing your Facebook video ads has all of the information you need to start turning your foundational content into high-end, engaging videos without breaking the bank. 

Longform Writing

Many companies benefit from pieces of content that are longer than a traditional blog and provide a deep dive into company or industry topics. 

For example, you could compile the most important information from a related series of blogs plus some extra graphics, statistics, and commentary into an informative ebook that you use to generate leads. You may want to gate the ebook by requiring an email address from visitors to download it.

Gated, high-quality content can be a great strategy for building your email list and also providing outstanding value to your website visitors.

Other types of long-form content you may want to consider are white papers and articles for industry-specific magazines or publications. Both of these options position your firm as an expert and expose you to new audiences that you may not encounter in your current marketing strategy.

Creating the Right Content for Your Business

Content can be effective in a variety of formats. What matters most is that it is unique, valuable, and thoughtfully created. High-quality content is still an extremely powerful tool for attracting new visitors and generating warm leads.
If you’re ready to start creating powerful content but aren’t sure where to begin or don’t feel that you have the time and expertise to do it right, get in touch with our team. We’ve helped many businesses like yours create and execute a cohesive content strategy that grows their bottom line.

top-2021-digital-marketing-skills

The Top Digital Marketing Skills for 2021

by with No Comment MarketingMarketing Strategy

Marketing online might sound pretty simple on the surface. Create a few ads, make sure you have an amazing website, and interact with users. However, the skills required to be good at marketing are a bit more complex if you want to have a good return on investment (ROI). 

Salesforce surveyed more than 8,200 marketers in 37 different countries. They found 75% of marketers feel the pandemic changed the way they communicate and collaborate at work. The skills helping professionals excel a couple of years ago may no longer do the trick.

What Makes a Successful Digital Marketer?

If you want your digital campaigns to thrive, you should focus on developing the skills needed to move forward in a post-pandemic world. Here are the top skills all successful digital marketers have and how you can embrace them in your efforts. 

1. Understand Your Audience

All the work you do as a marketer isn’t very effective if you don’t fully understand people. Excellent promotional specialists know how to dig into analytics and figure out the demographics of an audience. 

They also understand the way people tick. Top marketing gurus dig deep into the psychological aspects of why people do the things they do. They understand the emotions driving individuals to make a purchase. 

Learn about topics such as color psychology and how simply changing the shade of your call to action button can lead to higher conversion rates. 

2. Learn Good Communication

Good communicators know which words elicit a response and what questions people might have. They’re intuitive about their audience and they listen more than they speak. Think about the last time you had an amazing conversation with someone. Did they listen to what you had to say? More than likely, the answer is yes.

Take time to study the intricacies of the English language. Why does a word like “snatch” have a stronger impact than the word “get?” Utilize language to drive user action. See higher success rates with your ads simply by focusing on your verbs. 

3. Utilize SEO

You might create the most amazing ad anyone has ever seen. Unfortunately, if it isn’t placed correctly, no one will see it. Figuring out how to optimize your website and your social media presence for search engines gets you in front of potential customers. 

Learn about position zero for search engine placement, study which ads on browsers and social media have the highest response rate and seek keyword phrases your audience is most interested in. 

You can learn a lot by looking at Google’s “People Also Ask” section and utilizing those questions to cover topics on your website. Content marketing becomes much more effective when you solve pain points for your audience. 

4. Get Social Media Standards

Each social media platform has a different feel and personality. Excellent marketers have a firm grasp on the ins and outs of each site. They know beautiful photos work best on Instagram, while a short, fun video reaches people on TikTok. 

The only way to develop skills on various social platforms is by engaging people and learning how each one works. Spend some of your free time following your favorite brands and see how they keep their followers involved. 

5. Stay on Top of Trends

Trends in marketing change constantly, so staying on top of what’s current is a vital part of being a successful marketer. In Criteo’s State of Digital Marketing report, 87% of marketers say they’ll use an omnichannel approach this year. 

The ways people interact with brands varies from what it did even five years ago. People expect a consistent experience, so knowing how to reach them on different platforms makes a big difference in how well received your marketing efforts are. 

6. Get the Right Tools

As a digital marketer, you’ll utilize paid advertising via pay-per-click and impressions. You want every penny to bring results. Make sure you understand the tools available on various platforms. 

Pay attention to the effectiveness of each ad. How many clicks result in sales? Are the ads bringing in qualified leads? If you aren’t reaching the audience you wish, you may need to tweak images, messaging, keyword targeting or even where you’re spending your money. 

7. Learn to Tell a Story

People see and hear thousands of ads in a week. They’re practically bombarded with marketing messages. After a bit, most consumers tune out a lot of the noise just to make it through the day.

Your job as a successful digital marketer is to stand out from the crowd. Tell a story that captures their imagination and makes them want to hear more. Storytelling isn’t natural for everyone, so it is a skill you may need to develop.

If you have a hard time coming up with interesting scenarios for your users, consider bringing in a professional writer to help your team brainstorm ideas and get the language just right. 

8. Develop Agility

The best marketers understand if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. You must learn to think on your feet and change things up at the last minute. 

Some examples include a client who suddenly decides they want to promote a different product than the one you’ve prepared all your materials for. How do you handle the situation? Knowing some tactics ahead of time allows you to adapt and keep your client happy without driving yourself crazy.

Always have a Plan A, B, C and maybe even D. The more prepared you are for possible contingencies, the better you’ll adapt to changes. 

Play Well With Others

Marketing professionals must work with a wide variety of individuals. You’ll need to talk to blog owners about featuring your brand’s story or publishing content. You’ll enlist the help of graphic designers, writers and ad placement specialists. You’ll also have to talk to clients and coordinate efforts with the sales department. 

All successful marketers know how to talk to people without offending. Think before speaking, take a deep breath when you’re frustrated and try to be a people person as much as possible. The relationships you develop today will drive the success of your brand tomorrow. 

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7 Effective Mobile Marketing Strategies

by with No Comment MarketingMarketing Strategy

Picture credits: Wikimedia.org

According to Statista, mobile devices made up 58% of global internet traffic in early 2022. That number has been rising steadily for years, with no sign of decreasing. If you ignore mobile marketing, you’re missing out on a huge portion of potential customers. 

Mobile marketing is any tactic you use to reach customers on their smartphones, tablets, or even smartwatches. With an effective mobile marketing strategy, your business can reach people any time of day (because nearly everyone has their smartphone close by at all times), and it also feels more personal and tailored than a display ad on Google.

There are many unique and effective ways to integrate mobile marketing into your overall marketing strategy. Keep reading to learn some of our favorites. 

Optimize Your Current Website For Mobile

Before you put time and money toward driving traffic to the mobile version of your site, you should make sure that it looks great and functions well. Start by visiting your website on your smartphone to see how it performs. Is the site easy to read on a small screen? Do pages load quickly? Can you click on items easily, or are they too small? 

By spending just a few minutes on your site, you may be able to identify some quick fixes you can make to improve smartphone and tablet-user experience right away. If your website needs a bit of help to be more mobile-friendly, here are some places to focus your time:

Mobile First Design

According to Google, mobile-friendly sites will show up higher in search results and if a site is not mobile-friendly, users are five times more likely to leave. Because of that, many developers are now operating under a “mobile first” philosophy, meaning they design websites for mobile screens before designing them for desktops. 

The rationale is sound: mobile is the way of the future. Plus, designing for a small screen means you can only fit the most essential information and features on the page, eliminating any fluff that will cause visitors to become disinterested and click away. 

Your developer can add additional features for larger screens that improve the user experience, like extra visual effects and animations, but starting with the smaller screen means that the most important aspects are a priority for all screen sizes.

Going mobile first is a smart strategy if your entire website needs an overhaul because it means rebuilding the entire site from the ground up.

Responsive Design And Navigation

When a website is “responsive,” it means the content and design automatically adjust based on the size of the screen your visitor is using. Common screen sizes include desktop, tablet, and mobile phones. 

If your website is not responsive, it’ll be tiny and very hard to navigate on a small smartphone screen. If your navigation menu is also not responsive, it’ll be hard to read and even harder to click on the links. 

When your website is hard to use on mobile, users will bounce away quickly and you’ll miss out on any potential conversions that your other mobile marketing strategies queued up.

Improve Load Time

Did you know that about 50% of mobile users will leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load? Reducing your mobile site speed by just 0.1 seconds results in an 8% increase in conversions, so you can’t afford to ignore your speed.

A few things you can do to improve load speed are:

  • Keep your design simple — Your site can be visually appealing, but overly complicated designs just take longer to load. Reduce or eliminate animations and pop-ups on the mobile version of your site.
  • Use fewer images or reduce their size — Images beautify a site, but they also slow it down. Focus on images that really enhance your pages and make sure they’re compressed or a small file size. 
  • Hire a rockstar coder — A pro can reduce bloat in your code that’s slowing down your load speed.

Make Your Content Skimmable

While we’d like to think that website visitors carefully read every word we publish on our websites, that’s simply not the case. Most people skim articles in search of the answer to their questions. They’ll read headings and the bits and pieces that catch their attention. 

There are several things you can do to make your content quicker to digest, which is beneficial for mobile and desktop users. Try these strategies:

  • Instead of long paragraphs that fill the entire smartphone screen, break text into shorter sections
  • Include bullet point lists because they stand out and are quick to digest
  • Make sure you use headings and subheadings that are engaging and brief
  • Include graphics or images to break up the text (but make sure they’re compressed or small file sizes so your load speed doesn’t suffer!)

Optimize For Voice Search

Today, 71% of consumers prefer to use voice search rather than type their question into a search bar. A great way to improve your mobile marketing is to optimize your site for voice queries. Here’s how:

  • Use conversational keyphrases — Instead of optimizing your content for an isolated keyword (which is actually an outdated strategy anyway), focus on full phrases or questions, like “What’s the difference between a bank and a credit union?”. 
  • Include an FAQ section on your website — Think about the questions people may ask about your product or service, and include them on your site. FAQ sections are really the heart of voice search. 
  • Speak your customer’s language — Instead of using academic rhetoric or industry jargon, try to speak about your product or service using the same words your prospective customers use.
  • Claim your Google My Business (GMB) profile — Many voice searches are for local businesses like, “restaurants in San Diego,” so make sure you claim and optimize your GMB so it’s easier for local customers to find you. 

SMS and MMS Marketing

Now that your website is ready to be viewed by mobile users, it’s time to dive into the real meat of mobile marketing. 

SMS (text) and MMS (multimedia video or image) marketing mean sending marketing text messages to your customers. A popular way to use text message marketing is to share discount codes or other special offers with your loyal customers. The best part? SMS open rates can be as high as 98%! That’s nearly unheard of in the marketing world, making it a great place to invest some of your marketing dollars. 

A word of caution though: you don’t want to overuse SMS marketing. It’s best to have people opt-in before ever sending them a text and to send messages sparingly. Since people often have their phones right at hand, it can feel invasive to get too many text messages from a brand. Stick to time-sensitive promotions for this type of mobile strategy.

Social Media Ads

The most popular social media platforms have billions of users, so creating content and ads for social media is a part of your mobile marketing strategy that you really shouldn’t overlook. Many businesses are having great success with boosted posts on Facebook, shoppable pins on Pinterest, and influencer marketing on Instagram. 

Social media ads help you target a specific type of customer and reach them in the places they spend a lot of time online. It doesn’t require that they type a search query into Google that relates to your brand, so it gets you in front of them more often and more easily. 

Some social media best practices to follow include:

  • Don’t try to be on every social media platform. Prioritize the main channels that your target audience is on and put your efforts there for the best payoff. 
  • Repurpose your content to multiple channels, but customize it. For example, hashtags really aren’t relevant on Facebook, but they can help boost your reach on Instagram. 
  • Be responsive! If your customers reach out to you through a direct message or leave a comment on your posts, make sure you get back to them. 
  • Size your images and videos correctly for the platform you’re on.
  • Monitor and test your content and ads. If things are working, great! If not, make adjustments. 

If your ads lead to any landing pages, make sure that the pages are optimized for mobile using all of the mobile-first strategies we described above.

After all, it would be a shame to entice a social media user to your website, only to lose them because the landing page isn’t mobile-friendly. 

Location-Based Marketing

Location-based marketing (also called geofencing) uses the GPS on a person’s smartphone to show them ads relevant to their current location. When you create a geofenced ad, you can set boundaries based on the city, state, or specific area code. Then, only people who enter your predefined area will see your ad.

Geofenced ads are highly effective because of how relevant they are to users. When you share a promotion for your store or restaurant with people who pass by your storefront, you entice them to stop by and take advantage of the deal. 

QR Codes

QR codes work like a barcode that you scan with the camera on your smartphone. They may go to a landing page, a restaurant menu, a social media profile, make a phone call, send a text message, or many other things. 

They’re great because you don’t need any specific expertise to make them (you can easily find a QR code generator online) and you can change what they’re linked to if necessary. 

Some great ways to use QR codes are:

  • On your packaging —Help buyers quickly access a how-to video about the product they just bought
  • To get reviews — Have your QR code link to wherever your business collects reviews to remove friction from the process
  • To share discount codes — Increase customer loyalty and satisfaction by offering a discount code for their next purchase
  • As a replacement for a paper receipt
  • To connect customers to your social media profiles
  • To get users to download your brand app

And much, much more. 

Optimize Emails For Mobile

Nearly half of all emails are opened on mobile, so you want to be sure your design takes mobile into consideration. The strategies for making your emails mobile-friendly are similar to how you make your website mobile-friendly:

  • Make them responsive
  • Reduce image file size for quick loading 
  • Make sure links and buttons are large enough to click easily (and lead to mobile-optimized pages)

You should also keep the text brief and skimmable and put your most important information above the fold. Mobile users are often on the go and may delete the email if you don’t get to the point quickly.

Make An App

Mobile apps can improve a customer’s experience with your product or service and increase engagement with your brand, but not every business will benefit from creating its own app.

Before you hire an app builder, consider what you can potentially offer to your customers through an app.

  • Would it help them book an appointment with your business more easily, or get reminders about existing appointments? 
  • Do your users have accounts with your business that would benefit from a quick mobile sign-in option? 
  • Are you selling products that they may want to buy quickly when they’re on the go and thinking about your brand? 
  • Are you offering educational content that they may want to consume during their commute?
  • Would they want to place a to-go order on their phone and pick it up curbside at your business? 

If you think any of these use cases fit your business, then it may be time to consider building your own app to better serve your target audience. 

Be Strategic About Your Mobile Marketing

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the mobile marketing tactics at your disposal, which is why it may help to have a trusted professional in your corner. If you’d like to learn more about what Nettra can do to help your business reach more mobile users, get in touch with our team.