Whatever your level of online marketing savvy, you’ve no doubt noticed that every year, you have more options for promoting, advertising, and selling to online customers. Here’s a breakdown of some of the online marketing strategies currently trending so you can get an idea of whether they might work for your business.
- Deals / rewards / coupons: Because the economy is still in a slow recovery, shoppers are hungry for anything they perceive as a “deal.” Capitalize on this mindset by offering discounts, bonuses, or freebies to attract value-minded prospective clients, possibly connected to engagement with your content (e.g. posting comments on a blog). Make sure to maintain a healthy balance, though: you don’t want to attract clients who aren’t willing to invest in you once they recognize your value.
- Mobile pull marketing: The ubiquity of smart phones means that most potential clients can interact with your advertising materials wherever they are. Encourage engagement by offering a discount when users send a text message, post a photo from their phone, or otherwise interact with your marketing materials.
- Mobile push marketing: Some marketers have started texting or sending voicemails directly to users’ phones, either as reminders or as offers in themselves. While this may be effective, depending on your industry, it’s not within the reach of many small-business owners just yet because of cost.
- Local online marketing: Sure, you have ads online, but have you considered targeting local readers of nationally recognized publications? It’s entirely possible, and could provide a nice complement to your existing paid advertising online if you aren’t already using it.
- Social earned media: Set up a Google Alert to track what people are saying about your business or your products. When you find a positive comment, politely ask the commenter for a review or a rating to help boost your brand through social proof.
- Social CRM (customer relationship management): In addition to tracking purchasing behavior with a CRM database, you can keep track of your clients’ other social interactions, meaning that if you notice trends, you can compose super-targeted marketing materials.
Your business’s overall marketing strategy will likely include some combination of these and more traditional marketing maneuvers.
Not sure which campaign elements to focus on for your business? Schedule a time to talk with Michelle about your goals and how you can achieve them!
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