Improving your brand and business is predicated on attracting and maintaining customers, and methods of effective marketing change as rapidly as the technology does. As of 2016, nearly 90% of companies used social media marketing, a technology that barely existed a decade ago.
Not too long before that, the only method of marketing for many businesses was an attractive storefront, a few flyers, and if they were lucky – maybe a commercial or two.
The modern marketing landscape has changed dramatically, granting great opportunity for the savvy business-runner, but also placing increasing pressure on them to adopt these technologies, lest they go the way of Borders and Blockbuster.
It can be overwhelming to rummage through the massive amount of tools available for use in marketing in 2018; for example, there are currently around 2 million apps on the Apple App Store. However, an of understanding some of these technologies is well-worth the time investment they necessitate.
Below, this article will break down methods of garnering attention for your brand and shed light on methods that tend to work best.
Understanding The Potential of Online Marketing
Obviously, the advent of universal access to the high-speed internet was revolutionary in terms of brand expansion and building a customer base. With online marketing, companies are now able to put their brand in front of a bigger audience than a commercial or billboard could ever manage. This grants unprecedented ability to cultivate a relationship with customers.
Clinical research tells us that something as simple as mere exposure to something is enough to foster familiarity and in turn preference. In the context of internet presence, the potential of online marketing becomes clear.
Strategy #1: Survey Implementation
The use of surveys online has experienced an upward trend – and for good reason. Research indicates that online surveys have significant advantages over other formats. They also demand attention because they facilitate interaction, thus building a relationship and encouraging input, direction, and dialogue.
Surveys and questionnaires are effective because of their ability to pick the brains of your audience and use that information to fine-tune your brand’s approach. The path to the success of your business is paved by customer satisfaction, yet problem areas may not present themselves as visibly to the runners of the company as they do to the customers of the company.
The ability to use surveys to gauge the experiences and thoughts of large swaths of people is one of the most valuable things that the internet has to offer a business owner. If a large number of survey respondents list the same grievance, it is a good sign your customer service model or product could use some tweaking. These opportunities for constructive criticism should be regarded as a valuable gift, not an insult to be ignored.
Another major advantage of online surveys is the benefit-cost ratio when compared to other methods of surveying or data collection. The costs of conducting an online survey are minimal, yet yield information that is highly valuable.
Strategy #2: Fine-Tune Your Social Media Approach
A well-curated social media presence rewards diligence in the form of a massive following. Decide which social media platform best fits what your company has to offer for optimum utilization. If you are a realtor or chef, the image-based structure of Instagram might be a good way to flaunt your offerings, while other companies may prefer the dialogue-friendly mainframe of Twitter.
Dedication to the upkeep of a social media presence is obvious to online viewers. It is effective in grabbing attention for the same reason that a clean, well-maintained restaurant generally attracts more patrons than a shabbier counterpart. People notice and respect when you put time and effort into something, and social media is no exception.
Strategy #3: Embrace Mobile Technology
Trends project that mobile device usage will only become increasingly prevalent in the years to come. Knowing this, you can position your brand’s trajectory to accommodate this likely forecast.
Mobile technology is effective in grabbing the attention of customers since it grants you a direct line of 24/7 communication to customers. Television is only a viable form of advertisement for a few hours a day at most, whereas Youtube, social media, and email are accessed on a far more frequent basis.
It also offers yet another opportunity to utilize survey technology, with far more sophistication than the dreaded telephone surveys of yesteryear. Since people increasingly use their phones or mobile devices to check email, surveying within this context allows for a convenient way for customers to complete surveys on their own time as opposed to during a poll or phone call.
Strategy #4: Use Video
Using video is one of the best ways to grab the attention of potential customers. It can be used to demonstrate or explain with clarity that far surpasses that of text. In today’s world of constant stimuli, video marketing also offers one of the better chances of sustaining a person’s attention for long enough to facilitate genuine interest.
Using video also helps to grab customers by decreasing the amount of effort required on their part to understand exactly what you are offering. Some brands even employ the use of auto-playing videos once a user enters a certain webpage.
Finishing Note: Never Forget Customer Satisfaction
While marketing effectively online may grow your following and customer-base to colossal proportions, benefits quickly wane if you can’t hold up your end of the bargain. Be careful not to overextend yourself to the point that you are delivering a subpar product or service because negative reviews can spread like wildfire in the world of social media.
Thankfully, there are also software innovations that can better allow you to keep pace with a larger customer base. One such example is inventory management software, which automates many of the tediousness that has traditionally been inextricable from keeping track of your wares.
