Are You Marketing or Marketing Effectively?

When it comes to getting the word out about your business, you have two options: you can market your company, or you can market it effectively. These are two very different things. In the first instance, you spend time and money developing a strategy. In the second, you do everything you did in the first but also make sure that it’s effective and yields a return. Marketing isn’t just something that you can throw out there and wait for people to bite. It takes hard work to get it right, and you’ll be making it easier for you to get correct if you take the time to learn what you’re doing. Are you marketing effectively?

Online Everywhere

Yes, it’s absolutely imperative that your business has a strong presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but while these are the most important social media networks they’re not the only places you should exist online beyond your website. The demographics of each website is different, but you might find that Pinterest users are responsive to your content, or that you have something to say to the LinkedIn community. Also, other spaces such as your Google Business Page should be filled out fully. Leave no online stone unturned!

Paid Advertisements

In terms of instant return on your investment it’s hard to look past paid advertisements online. Like with everything else, however, it’s not enough to just set up an ad and pay for it to be seen by internet users. There are correct ways of doing things, and you should have a clear strategy when it comes to preparing your paid advertisement. For starters, you’ll need to determine when the ad is placed. Facebook and Google are both popular, but which one is better for your business? Before deciding, take a look at this website for a side by side comparison of the two internet giants. Spend some time really thinking about your ad and it’ll pay off; don’t and it won’t!

Let’s Talk About Your Blog

When we say, ‘let’s talk about your blog’, we’re cutting off the first sentence, which is: ‘we really hope you have a blog!’. If you haven’t, then you’re missing out on one of the easiest, most cost effective ways for you to connect with your customers – both present and potential. It’s a great way to get people interested in your brand and get people to your website. For example, did you know that websites that post a blog multiple times a month receive as many as four times as many visitors as those who don’t? Of course, your blog needs to have value for the incoming visitor. Posting about topics that your customers will be interested in (and not just what you’re interested in) is something to keep in mind.

Your Website is King

Some companies pay so much attention to their Facebook page that they forget that actually, the important part of their online presence is actually their website. That should always come first. If you have a watertight website then the rest will follow. But in this day and again, what actually constitutes as a watertight website? Well, making sure that your SEO is all in order is the first thing to take care of. If you haven’t updated your web content in a while, it might be time to look at it again. Your website should be a blend of topical and evergreen content, and also a mix of media types. If your website is lacking in videos and images, you’ll want to add them.

Straight to the Inbox

Of all marketing strategies, few are as underrated or underused as email marketing. If you already have a database full of your customer’s email addresses, then you should be making sure you use that information to send out the occasional email about what your company has been up to, as well as any exciting offers you have. There are rules to email marketing; for example, you need to allow people to unsubscribe, and as a general rule you shouldn’t be sending them too many. Sending no emails is better than sending too many! Have a clear click through and monitor your campaign closely, as it’ll help you determine what works and what doesn’t, which you can incorporate into your next email campaign.

Going Offline

You hear a lot of people talking about the best online marketing strategies, but don’t forget that there’s a real world out there too. Even companies who operate exclusively online can gain something from having an offline strategy. Of course it depends what your business is, but doing things like having a pop up giveaway stand, sponsoring local events, and attending trade shows are good ways to get the word out. Take a look at which areas locally to you is frequented by your target demographic and try to be an active presence there.

Give the User What They Want

Some marketing can be difficult, and some can be easy. Giving the people what they want should be easy. For example, on your Facebook page it isn’t enough to just talk about your company. Unless there’s something inherently fascinating and unique about what you’re doing, the customers won’t be interested if that’s all you’re posting. Instead, post interesting and entertaining videos, share content your customers will like, and so on. Also, people are pretty hot on mobile apps: could your business have one, too? They’re quite easy to build and get out there!

Your Biggest Asset: Reading

Your marketing job is never finished, purely because the marketing game is always evolving. What’s correct today might not be correct in a year’s time. To stay abreast of all that’s happening in the world of marketing, read blogs and articles on the topic and try to get a sense of the general trends that are dictating the marketing movements. For instance, videos are due to explore as a marketing go to tactic; what will come after videos? If you know that, you’ll have a sophisticated marketing strategy waiting to be rolled out.