WHAT ONCE WORKED MIGHT NOT WORK AGAIN
Sometimes we reflect on the past as a way to determine what will happen in the future. What may have been an effective means to advertise your business five years ago may not be relevant now. Ask colleagues in your network about where they connect and learn about new marketing trends, and keep an eye on the marketing efforts of your competitors to see how they are dynamically adapting to new marketing technology.
DON'T FOCUS TOO MUCH ON PRICE
Our team constantly hears horror stories of marketing blunders from our clients. When outsourcing campaigns, they accepted the lowest bid to control costs, and realized too late that the money spent provided little, if any, return on investment. If you get something for free or at little cost, do not expect miracles. Think of it this way… If a doctor offers you a free or deeply discounted treatment, would you be willing to accept all risks associated and be comfortable with the procedure?
YOU GOTTA DO IT!
There's a misconception that because your competitor is participating in a new social media outlet, then you have to do it too. Before you make the leap into any new marketing channel make sure you've completely analyzed the overall benefits of the platform. Is your target audience participating in the network? Do your marketing efforts compliment the channel or does it come across more like advertising? Find the platform that works best for your business, make it great, and only then branch out to a new social outlet.
STAY IN TUNE WITH YOUR BRAND
Companies like Coca-Cola and Apple have done a fantastic job with their branding, marketing and advertising – Not only are these companies a household name, they're also brand consistent through all media types. You don’t have to spend a billion dollars a year in advertising to utilize their practices. Keep the look and feel of your ads consistent across all mediums or you may confuse the people you want to attract by giving the impression the ads are from two different companies. Find a designer or Charlotte marketing agency that you love (YES, we can help!) and entrust them/us with giving you a strong, appealing, and consistent message that can be well received across all advertising platforms.
DIVERSIFY
In today's marketing world, our social and communication culture is scattered and our attention spans are being taken in multiple directions. Here is a fun factoid: When one logs on to a website, their attention span averages 3.5 to 5 seconds. That's not a lot of time to make a bold statement. Again, do your homework and really find out where your customer and client base resides online. Are they active on LinkedIn? Do most come from search results? What are their online patterns? Are they responding well to your navigational cues and web design? Once you receive a baseline of information, you'll be able to make worthy decision of what's best for your business' marketing and advertising.
TRACK, TRACK, TRACK
Once you use an advertising source, are you doing anything to see how the campaign was received? At a minimum you should have Google Analytics, or a similar reporting source, integrated into your website. This can give you insight into who your visitors are, where they live, what device they use to access your site, and more. Research which websites are sending you the most web traffic and try to boost those numbers each month. You can also survey your site visitors via your enewsletter. Did site visitors make a purchase? Why or why not? How did they hear about you? How was their experience on your website? This customer experience intel will give you valuable intelligence for your future marketing initiatives.
GIVE IT TIME
On average, it takes people seven exposures to your business before they will take the step to engage. Keep providing consistent content across all your marketing channels and allow time for these efforts to flourish. Most brands do not see overnight success with their marketing channels. It requires thoughtful and long term strategies to get to your end goal. Be patient, post consistently and don't give up.
Looking for help? Connect with the CC Communications team to chat further. After two decades of providing online solutions in Charlotte and across the Southeast, we're confident we can serve your business effectively and in tune with your brand and combined goals!
