The year of 2019 will be here before you know it, and along with it comes the inevitable letdown of the excitement that was created by the incredible growth experienced in 2018.
The good news is that we live in a world full of possibilities, and although the last 12 months were probably challenging, they also offered up some great insights that can help guide your marketing efforts in the coming year.
Here’s a quick overview of the top 5 online marketing tips for 2019.
1. Build A Recognizable Brand.
You’ve heard the saying ‘you only get one chance at a first impression’. Well, in the world of digital marketing, that first impression can either be a lasting one or one that quickly turns into a cold, hard reality.
According to HubSpot Blogs research, 66% of consumers have a negative impression of a brand or business they’ve never heard of; while 22% have a positive one. So, if you want to create a positive impression, you’ve got to do more than just show up and try to sell your product. You need to brand yourself and create a memorable identity to give your customers for the first time.
To build a recognizable brand, you’ll want to consider using the following strategies:
- Product Research
- Persona Development
- Customer Analytics
- Content Marketing Strategy
- Marketing Automation
- Social Media Marketing
- And More
By understanding your target audience’s needs and wants, you’ll have enough information to craft compelling messages that resonate with them. Plus, with every message you craft, you’ll be able to measure the effectiveness of your efforts in real time.
2. Measure The Right Things.
In order to generate the most revenue and profit, you’ll want to focus on growing and keeping customers. However, as discussed in the previous point, your customers can either be your greatest asset or your biggest liability.
If you’re not measuring the right things, you could be losing out on the vital information that will help you grow and prosper. But, with the wonderful world of digital marketing, we have amazing tools that can help us measure nearly every step of the way.
According to HubSpot Blogs research, customers who had a bad experience with a brand or business are 4x more likely to think poorly of that company than those who had a good one. So, it’s important to track the things that make up your customers’ experience with your brand and the products you sell in order to have a more positive one. The following are a few ways to measure the things that matter:
- Customer Satisfaction
- Product Rating
- Product Review
- Order History
- Payment Methods
These are all important metrics that you’ll want to track in order to grow your business successfully. By measuring the right things, you’ll be able to draw the right conclusions and make the right adjustments to your strategy.
3. Test, Measure, Learn, and Adjust.
As a business owner or marketer, you’ll be excited about all the growth you’re able to see. But, as with any other piece of software or system you build, there’s always room for improvement. And, just like any other tool or skill you need, you’ll also want to constantly be learning and testing to figure out what works best for you and your business.
According to HubSpot Blogs research, customers who have a bad experience with a brand or business are 3x more likely to have a poor opinion of that company than those who had a good one. So, it’s important to track these types of experiences in order to have a positive one. You do this by testing. We’ll discuss how to test and learn from experience in a bit.
4. Increase Customer Retention.
As a business owner or marketer, you’ll be excited about all the growth you’re able to see. But, as with any other piece of software or system you build, there’s always room for improvement. And, just like any other tool or skill you need, you’ll also want to constantly be learning and testing to figure out what works best for you and your business.
According to HubSpot Blogs research, customers who have a bad experience with a brand or business are 3x more likely to have a poor opinion of that company than those who had a good one. So, it’s important to track these types of experiences in order to have a positive one. You do this by testing. We’ll discuss how to test and learn from experience in a bit.
5. Create A Culture Of Growth.
In order to create growth, you’ll want to consider setting some specific goals and creating a plan to meet them. But, in order to make these goals a reality, you’ll need to consider what makes your team excited about working hard and meeting these goals. Create a culture of growth by setting some specific and measurable goals, and making sure to reward your team for meeting them.
According to HubSpot Blogs research, customers who have a bad experience with a brand or business are 4x more likely to have a poor opinion of that company than those who had a good one. So, it’s important to track these types of experiences in order to have a positive one. You do this by testing. We’ll discuss how to test and learn from experience in a bit.
Now, let’s get to the good stuff….
How To Test And Learn From Experience
As a business owner or marketer, it’s important to track the things that make up your customers’ experience with your business and the products you sell. To do this, you’ll first want to set up a measurement program; specifically, one that can track purchase behavior, product usage, and customer experience. It’s important to note here that simply putting in the work to measure something doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to learn from your results.
In order to test, you’ll need to consider what hypotheses you have about how customers relate to your brand and what you’re trying to achieve with your marketing strategy. For example, perhaps you think that your target audience is motivated by your promotional offers, so your hypothesis would be that these incentives drive purchase behavior. You could test this theory by running a promo code campaign and seeing how much actual revenue you’re able to generate with a smaller target audience.
An equally valid hypothesis could be that your target audience is inspired by your product’s quality, so your hypothesis would be that excellent product quality drives purchase behavior. You could test this theory by running a series of A/B tests with different product variations and see how much actual revenue you’re able to generate with a specific audience.
The important thing to remember about testing is that you should always be ready to learn and adjust your strategy. For example, after you run a promo code campaign and see that your target audience is not responding as you expected, you could take this as a sign that your audience is not motivated by the incentives you’re offering. In this case, you might want to try a different approach and see if it generates more responses from your audience.
To learn from experience, simply track the things that make up your customer’s experience with your business and the products you sell. Then, when you run into trouble, you’ll be able to look back and see what you might have missed or overlooked. With every experience you have, you have the opportunity to learn and adjust your strategy. Never be afraid to try something new. Customers will appreciate it if you are willing to try something new that makes their experience better. Just be sure to test it out thoroughly before you make any major adjustments to your strategy.