We’ve been talking quite a bit about how businesses can set themselves up for success as 2019 approaches; from streamlining your SEO strategy to crafting the perfect blog post to optimizing your website, our blog is chock-full of advice for making the New Year your brand’s best. But the time for preparation is over, because 2019 is officially here! While we’ve gone in-depth on a wide range of topics, we’re now taking some time to focus on your overall marketing strategy, which you can still make positive changes to throughout the year!
Evaluate and Update Your Current Strategy
Nothing stays the same for long, particularly in the volatile world of marketing. New technologies and smarter approaches make updating your marketing strategy essential to your businesses’ continued success. So if January 1 came and went, and your 2019 marketing strategy looks exactly the same as all the strategies that came before it, take some time to sit down with your team and dig into what has been working and what hasn’t. Consider bringing in a digital marketing agency to provide a fresh perspective on your approach and to help your business grow and adapt to the ever changing sphere of the internet with SEO services.
Use Emails to Target Return Customers
Never underestimate the power of a well-crafted email. With 91% of U.S. consumers checking their email at least once every day, your business has a huge opportunity to target specific audiences with email campaigns. You don’t need to get fancy with gifs, videos, or endless pictures, either; people receive a huge amount of emails each day, and will appreciate a simple message that is easy to read and doesn’t take long to load in their inbox.
The key to using email correctly to target return customers is matching your message to your audience. When the two don’t line up, all you’ll get are annoyed consumers and a large amount of requests to unsubscribe. But when you’re able to use your subscriber list to send messages that resonate with your consumers and encourage action, you’ll know you’ve nailed this low-cost, high-power form of communication. And since your subscribers have provided information about themselves, you’ll be able to find those all-important commonalities. If your demographic consists of younger consumers active on social media, for example, consider sharing a call to action in the form of a simple email that lets them know what your social media account names are, and where to find your business. Older consumers might appreciate a targeted message around the holidays or other significant events.
Build Trust in Your Brand with Social Networking
Social media sites and apps are constantly evolving to become friendlier and more accessible to businesses. Instagram, for example, recently introduced a feature that lets accounts link directly to websites where products are sold in their visual posts. This feature makes it easy for brands to post entertaining content while subtly showing off their products. And if followers are interested in a certain item, they can simply tap the picture to see the price and navigate directly to purchase it!
But taking advantage of social media doesn’t begin (or end!) with plugging products. Different networking sites like Facebook and Twitter provide unique opportunities for consumers to interact directly with their favorite brands. In order to build public trust in your brand, be sure to be consistent with your posts and interactions. That means keeping up with your posting schedule, setting parameters for what kinds of comments your brand will respond to, and maintaining tone across platforms. It may sound like a lot of work, but setting up and running social media accounts delivers results by humanizing your brand and even opening it up to potential new consumers.
Utilize SEO and PPC to Capture First Interactions
Assuming that your business has a website, your brand is floating in the vast sea of the internet. Millions of sites exist, from beautifully designed e-commerce stores to homemade WordPress blogs. What’s a business to do? How on earth can you hope to make your brand stand out and draw in new visitors online? This is where search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) come in–those magical practices that somehow result in better search engine rankings and more eyes on your site.
As it turns out, SEO and PPC aren’t magic; they’re the hard work of marketing professionals that help push your brand into the spotlight. SEO involves tracking keywords and filling your site with content to help it perform better when search engines offer results for a query. PPC directs traffic to your site in a different way, by utilizing ads to capture viewers. Both practices are invaluable when it comes to generating new visits to your website and making your brand stand out!
Become a Thought Leader with Stellar Content
Populating your website with high-quality content benefits your business in a number of ways. As we mentioned, content that makes use of keywords will improve your site’s rankings with search engines. But it’s not enough to publish a half-hearted blog for the sake of your Google results; don’t forget that people will want to read what you have to say! If your business has never had a blog, consider starting one and planning to insert your voice into any relevant spheres or conversations. This is a place for smart creativity–while you should be referencing your business or products, you should also focus on making your content entertaining or helpful to your viewers. With consistent, well-written posts, you may just find yourself becoming a thought leader in your industry.
Build a Successful Marketing Plan with Snap
Marketing is a complex beast, but you don’t have to try to wrangle it alone. The experts at Snap can help you determine the best possible marketing strategy for your business, starting now with the New Year and beyond! We’re pleased to offer a range of services that can set your business up for success, from search engine optimization to website design. Whatever your specific digital marketing need, we’d love to help you tackle 2019 with confidence.