Creating successful online marketing strategies is about finding ways to increase the number of clients. It’s also a way to stay in touch with your existing customer base.
There are some key components that can help fuel business growth and take your product or service to its next level.
Just keep in mind that during your marketing journey, you will have to wade through a lot of information. Good information will keep circulating back to the following methods.
Your website is a crucial component and is the face of your company. It needs to be clean, professional, and relevant to your product or service. Step back and look at your website. At a glance, what does it convey about your company?
Is it easy to navigate?
Is your brand recognizable?
Does it have relevant calls-to-action?
Is the site optimized for every type of relevant browser and device?
Mobile Responsive Website
As you know, mobile is hot. Time spent on mobile devices is now at an all-time high of 51%, compared to 42% desktop users. That number increases every year.
Relevant Keywords
And, of course, relevant keywords are still an important element for people looking for your product or service.
Blogging
If you are not blogging, it is time to get on the bandwagon. Blogging companies are getting 55 percent more business than companies without a blogging platform. Integrate a blog into your website that offers useful and relevant information. Blogging works for every type of company. It’s even useful for our ACH Payments business.
Make it easy for readers to subscribe through email and RSS. Make sure that you share your product or service through social media. And definitely make sure that your customers can interact with you through relevant social media channels. Encourage readers to make comments on your posts.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization still matters. Most customers start at search engines to find what they are looking for. In your case, it will be your product or service they hope to find. In fact, you may have a product that people do not yet know they need.
So, the challenge is finding the right channels and crafting the right messages to get the attention of existing and new clients. What keywords are people using to find products in your category? Be aware of long-tailed keyword searches that are specific to your market. This is still a relevant and smart way to gain ranking.
Email Marketing
Email Marketing fills in the gap for keeping your website fresh on the mind of new prospects. You might say it allows you to stay out in front of your customers.
Email templates should embellish the look and feel of your website. Run email campaigns that provide useful and relevant information on a regular basis.
Social Media Marketing
There can never be enough said about B2B marketing with social media.
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+ all have a place for businesses to market. They are not just for individuals. Businesses can use social media to create a community around their company.
The goal is to interact with people who are interested in YOU. It is easy to stay on people’s radar by posting updates, blog and media posts, and company information on a regular basis. It is also possible to reach an exponential number of people.
Defining Your Brand
You can never let up on making sure that your brand is well defined. There are millions of companies with products, websites, logos, and even marketing strategies that still lack the most crucial element—a brand. And where there is no brand, it is difficult for a company to stand for “something.”
Take for instance Apple! They solidify their brand with innovated products that are well designed.
It can never be as simple as build a website or product, and they will come. People associate with a product because they can identify with its brand.
History will attest that companies with brand recognition are companies with powerful brands. Their brand separates them from their competitors. Brand recognition is what keeps people coming back.
Some business owners do not have the resources to invest in expensive brand-building strategies. But, there are people who make a living out of helping companies build a brand through market research, surveys, and focus groups.
For smaller companies, it is always plausible to run lightweight brand-building exercises. Concentrate on the following.
Why did you start your company?
Nail down the reason you started your company. Was it to supply a need? Was it something you were proud of? There has to be something that inspired you to start a company, and it will most likely be reflected in how you conduct business. It is something that makes your company unique.
Stay in tune with your customers.
Never stop talking to you customers—and listening. What is it they like about your company? What do they dislike? Are you certain why they chose you over your competitors? Are you always reassessing their pain points?
Understand what makes people resonate with your company. This will make it easy for them to identify with you through your branded messages.
Do you know your competitors?
Are you researching what your competitors are doing? It does not mean that you should spend all your valuable time watching the competition. After all, what time would you have to focus on your own incentives?
It means paying just enough attention to know what’s done well. What are your customers saying about your company? What are they saying about other companies? Find the holes and plug them.
Compile all your information, analyze the findings, and develop a strong brand. Can you find ways to talk about your products or services that competitors have not been able to? If you can figure this out, you are your way to creating a brand position.
Does your website show what your company does?
Now, circle back to your website. Examine every venue in which your company has a web presence. Review its content and language to make sure your branding is consistent everywhere.
Your audience has to understand your mission. They should immediately understand what your website and company are all about. You may find that once you revisit this area, business will increase.
People are rather unforgiving. If they have to figure things out, you will have lost potential customers.
Does your marketing material have all the information that your target audience needs?
Make sure information contains easy to understand information about what your company does. Also include product or service information, pricing, and contact information.
Companies, both large and small, fail at every opportunity to do these things. A company is so familiar with their own product and service that they assume everyone else is as well.
Are you speaking the language of your target audience?
It is easy to become so wrapped up in your own space that you become unaware that customers are not speaking the same language.
Organic traffic may suffer as a result. You can always nail this down by doing keyword research.
Your brand’s position will always hinge on such language and content. Remember, your audience needs the right content. It is up to you to use your brand’s defining aspects to win over new customers.
These tactics are only “winning” if applied in the right way. Every marketer, like marketing challenges, is unique. Online marketing will never be a one-size-fits-all effort.
Successful marketers like solving puzzles. They never stop learning, are patient, competent and care about customers. Successful marketings are great storytellers. They can make things happen that other people cannot.
Tell your story in a way that the world can hear and receive it.
