Marketing strategies and trends in 2018
Implement this: Marketing strategies and trends in 2018
It’s nearly a new year, which means new opportunities for you to improve your business are just around the corner. While nothing was predominantly disruptive in the marketing world during 2017, digital and content marketing tactics continue to dominate.
Before the advent of digital advertising, we weren’t so glued to measuring our marketing efforts through impressions, reach or click-throughs. And while having these metrics is great, sometimes we get so focused on producing measurable results, we miss out on key strategies that are harder to measure but just as effective to growing your business.
In 2018, it’s time to get back to basics. Instead of limiting your budget to strictly ads, market your product or service using these often-forgotten strategies.
Identify and leverage micro-moments.
When you have a question on the go, how do you find the answer? According to Google, 96 percent of people use their phones. This provides an opportunity for businesses to implement resources that provide answers to their customer base. Audit your website. What common questions does your audience usually have? Could these questions be easily answered on a mobile friendly website? Are those answers easy to find through a Google search? By providing content directly related to your audience’s queries, you’ll establish trust among your customer base.
Update your website at least once a week with valuable content.
If you’re hoping new customers discover you online, you better give Google a reason to rank your website high in search results. Google’s algorithm for ranking search results is constantly being tweaked, but one thing is clear: Great content wins. Or remember the adage from Bill Gates: “Content is king.”
There is no surefire way to develop great content. But experimenting with a variety of forms and seeing what prompts the most engagement from your audience should be a long-term strategy if you want conversations.
Establish an internal communication strategy.
Your employees can be your biggest assets. Giving them the tools they need to effectively communicate the value of your company is essential. Take a lesson from Coca-Cola. The beverage company highly values employee engagement, calling employees “ambassadors of our brands to the world.
Communicate your vision. If your workforce feels as though they’re contributing to an overall goal — the more measurable, the better — they are more likely to work with you rather than for you. In that same vein, providing easy benefits, like free snacks, can build a positive and loyal workforce happy to say great things about your brand. In order to take full advantage of a content workforce, you’ll need a communication plan that organizes the flow of messages to keep information accurate and on target. By aligning internal communication with your business strategy, you’ll improve overall efficiency and reduce message conflicts.
Build follow-up checkpoints.
There’s no denying converting customers drives profit. And while strategic ad placement, well-timed e-blasts and easy-to-understand offers play a pivotal role in your organization’s success, it’s the follow-up game that really counts. Data shows for every $92 spent on collecting prospects, only $1 is spent turning them into paying customers. On average, it takes seven touchpoints to convert. Even if prospects give you a verbal agreement, it’s your job to ensure they stick to their word – and that often takes more than $1.
Review your previous follow-up procedures to establish where your team left money on the table. On average, how many days, weeks or months have you gone without touching base with a lead? How are you adjusting your message to meet their needs? By creating a follow-up strategy for your team, you’ll bridge gaps and close more deals.
Survey your customers.
When was the last time you actually heard from your customers? Did you reach out at any point after you made a sale? Previous customers can be great referral sources, but if you don’t connect with your customer base from time to time, they might not be interested in helping you promote your business.
If you have no idea what your customers think, consider these options: mass surveys, focus groups or both. Depending on your industry and budget, gaining insight into your audience’s habits, ways of consuming information and thoughts on your brand or industry will help you reach them more efficiently.
Should I use influencers, chatbots or virtual reality tactics?
Maybe. These are trending right now in the marketing world because they’re new. But new doesn’t always equal strategic or effective. If you need a way to vet prospects, chatbots might be for your organization. Do you have the budget to develop interesting virtual reality content that connects with your brand? And if you develop it, does your audience have access to the necessary equipment to view it? Or the time? As for influencers, they can be great tools for getting the word out about your product. But would an influencer get the word out to the right people? That’s where it gets tricky.
If you need advice for laying out your 2018 marketing strategy, we’re just a contact page away.