From the very beginning, when the concept of online marketing was introduced, many believed it would destroy traditional marketing. They thought that brands would no longer need to focus on radio ads or billboards because they would have in-house marketing departments that would write blogs, create videos, and run ads on social media.
What they didn’t predict was the influence of social media on traditional marketing. Today, social media is so integrated into our daily lives that it’s difficult to imagine marketing without it.
Marketing through social media channels has many advantages. First, these platforms bring together large audiences, which allows marketers to reach more people with their messages. Second, social media allows for greater interaction between the consumer and brand. And lastly, marketing through social media is more accessible to a larger audience.
Despite the many advantages of online marketing, not all brands will succeed on the internet. To ensure your business thrives on the web, you need a strategy.
To help you craft the perfect marketing strategy for your brand, we have compiled a list of essential tips.
Create A Brand Voice
It’s important to note that many companies rush into creating a brand voice without a clear understanding of what it means. Trying to sound like a spokesperson from Starbucks doesn’t make you an expert in coffee; doing a terrible job at impersonating a fashion house doesn’t make you an expert in fashion.
A brand voice is the sum total of everything that your brand does, says, and writes. It is the tone that you establish and maintain in every aspect of your communications, whether you are relying on third-party vendors or in-house staff.
Creating a brand voice that is uniquely your own involves listening to your customers, fans, and potential customers. It requires that you think twice before you speak or act. However, the rewards can be invaluable: customers will become invested in and connected to your brand, and you will have the opportunity to establish lasting and meaningful connections with your audience.
Make Use Of Video
According to HubSpot Blogs, video marketing is a “strong and growing” part of the internet marketing world. Businesses have realized the advantages of video marketing and have jumped on board, creating video blogs, vlogs, and more.
Videos can be incredibly effective for marketing. Not only do they provide a more contemporary form of communication, but they also tend to attract more viewers and generate more engagement than text-based content.
Businesses of all sizes can use videos to reach their audiences. Whether you are selling products or services, explaining a process, or just wanted to provide a helpful how-to guide, videos can be a valuable tool in your marketing strategy.
Make Use Of Infographics
An infographic can be a very effective and eye-catching way to visually represent complex information. The best infographics are highly informative and packed full of data, which helps users gain insights beyond what is readily available in traditional forms of writing or presenting.
Some businesses use infographics to share proprietary information with potential customers. For example, an infographic on the manufacturing process of a particular product can be a valuable tool for a company that specializes in that product.
Use Case Studies
A case study can be a valuable tool in any marketer’s toolbox. A case study is a detailed analysis of a specific situation, usually involving multiple parties. The case study helps the reader understand the difficulties and achievements of a particular business or organization.
When preparing a case study, it is important to define the audience. It is not enough to state that you will provide information on the preparation of a case study to marketing graduates. The reader may assume that you are talking to them, and the writer should assume that the reader is a marketing graduate. However, in the course of the case study, it should become apparent that the audience is actually a whole lot more specialized than that. For example, a case study on Marilyn Monroe’s secret diaries might be of interest to biologists, but it would be useless to a typical consumer of North American cleansing products.
To ensure that the case study is unique and of high quality, it should be thoroughly researched and the sources of the information should be clearly cited. In the case study on Marilyn Monroe’s life, the author should make mention of the numerous books and articles that she read, as well as the fact that she sought out the advice of psychiatrists and other mental health experts in the process of writing her memoir.
Use Complex Lists
Most marketing materials consist of simple lists of items. For example, a list of the top ten shoes for men or the top five laptops for business users. While these lists may seem straightforward, they can often leave out a significant piece of information, which can be difficult to track down. An optimal list would look like this:
Top Five Tips For A Luxurious Sleep Cycle
Top Ten Ways To Add More Than 100 Years Of History To Your Sex Life
It should be noted that these lists are extremely useful. Simply knowing the best and most popular items in a particular category can help a consumer make informed choices. Furthermore, if a business offers a product or service that can be represented in a list, it can be a useful tool for marketing.
Make Use Of Awards
Awards can be a great way to not only recognize your company’s excellent products or services, but also to celebrate your marketing efforts. It is not unusual for businesses to nominate their products for awards (often related to their marketing or advertising campaigns) and then give plenty of notice that they are up for an award. This encourages customers to come back and vote for your product in the end.
Build A Dataset
A dataset is a collection of statistics and information that is useful for future marketing purposes. The statistics can be numerical (i.e., the size of your market), comparative (i.e., how you stand against your competitors), or descriptive (i.e., how your product or service is saying about itself).
A good dataset should be tied to a clear business case and should be prepared with rigorous methodology, which involves looking at multiple data points and triangulating to get a more accurate reading of a particular number.
Use The Internet
The internet is a truly global platform, which provides a range of marketing opportunities from YouTube videos to social media to e-commerce.
The internet is also very accessible. Even people who have never used it completely freely available devices and services like computer and mobile phones that connect to the network. This makes the internet a potentially viable marketing platform, especially for smaller businesses.