The world of marketing is ever changing, ever growing, and most of all, ever competitive. Think about it, there are millions of companies throughout the world, many of which have a similar product, service, or goal as you. So what is the secret to standing out and engaging with customers in this crazy storm constant advertisement?
Follow these tips to get the most out of your marketing.
1) First Things First – Get Everyone On The Same Page
Marketing is a lot to keep up with. Is your website updated? Is your social media being followed through with? Do you need a new logo? Are your links all up to date…?? It truly never ends.
To make sure that your marketing team is working as efficiently as possible and that you are maximizing your campaign efforts, establish a content calendar. This calendar should break down your objectives and goals for every form of marketing your company invests in and have a day by day agenda of what products will be pushed out when and to whom.
By having all of this written down and consolidated, you will set your team up for success and ensure that no marketing opportunities are falling through the cracks.
2) Encourage Conversation
The thing about marketing, as we mentioned before, is that it is constantly changing. There are always new platforms and ideas that can be utilized for your company. It is important to take advantage of young team members and to be open to new opportunities. By encouraging dialogue and conversation amongst your employees, you’ll be able to collaborate and share ideas about new technologies. This will keep you young, fresh, and relevant from a marketing standpoint, which is an absolute need in today’s millennial-driven market.
3) SEO, SEO, we cannot say it enough, SEO
The Google algorithm shifted this year, and now value websites that are easy to navigate and provide knowledgeable and thorough material on various topics. The thought process behind this is that Google wants to make the user experience as easy as possible- which means only visiting one website to get all of your answers if possible.
To account for this, it is important to bolster your SEO. It is also important to load up your website with knowledgeable content so that users will seek out your site for any questions they have that at all relate to your company. You can create dedicated landing pages, blog contents or can even offer comparisons for the services. This will drive more traffic, bolster more leads, and keep your company at the top of the search listings.
To do this, consider revamping your web pages. Each webpage should answer thorough questions and provide factual information on any topic that even remotely relates to you. Another idea is a company blog. A blog is a great way to weekly/ monthly/ bimonthly distribute information about new and related topics. Again, make the blogs relatable and long. The more information they have the better.
4) Clean Up Your Platforms
Another shift resulting from the above mentioned Google algorithm change is that Google will now be favouring websites with a good mobile index. The idea is that more people are going to websites now on their phone instead of their computer, so it’s important that a website be easy to navigate via a smartphone.
Go through all of your social media and web pages and make sure that they are mobile friendly. If not, CHANGE THEM ASAP. This will help with your Google rankings and will prove to be easier and more user-friendly to any potential clients and customers looking at your page via their cell phones. This is also an important thing to consider in terms of social media. Are all of your cover pages mobile friendly? Do your Facebook posts look good from a cell phone users perspective? The name of the game is mobile friendly, so adjust your efforts accordingly.
5) Be Open To A Possible Rebrand
If you haven’t caught on by now, it’s important to stay young and relevant in this ever-changing game of marketing. If you have not updated your logo, websites, slogans, and company photos in a while, you may be long overdue for a rebrand. Hiring a graphic designer to make new, fresher looking logos and to update your online presence is a wise investment. People like attractive things and web pages are no different. So make the call and update your work.
A rebrand is also a great marketing opportunity in general. For instance, how much attention did IHOP’s recent “IHOP” name change garner? If you don’t recall, the restaurant claimed they were changing their name but would not verify what the new letter stood for. This garnered a lot of attention via social media. While you do not have to do something so dramatic, a name change and a large social media campaign surrounding the new look and name can be a great way to drive attention and viewership to your web page.
6) Relatable Content
People love what they can relate to, so pull from the humanistic side of your company. Post photos of your employees enjoying an activity sponsored by the company. Make sure to do Facebook shoutouts for birthdays and anniversaries. These posts are likely to garner attention and get likes and shares, driving more potential clients back to your social media and website.
Overall, the name of the game is to work smarter, not harder. Make sure that you are taking full advantage of your marketing efforts and getting your “bang for your buck”.
Marketing can be challenging, but keep up your efforts and stay relevant and you are sure to stand out and see great success!