Contrary to popular belief, marketing isn’t magic, it’s a science that works when you’re consistent with your efforts. If you have time to put these basic principles into use, you can get the ball rolling on improving your digital marketing strategy.
1. Can you Google that?
Think of the last question you had about a product or service. Where did you turn? It was most likely Google, and odds are you’ve recently uttered the words, “Can you Google that?” Since you’re (hopefully) an expert in your field, you should have a fairly strong idea of the types of questions your average customer asks or what information they usually seek out. By starting a blog and creating regular content that answers these questions, you’ll naturally begin to attract more traffic to your website.
2. Invest Some Time In Social Media
If you’re creating content, you might as well share it. Not only will sharing your content help make your brand more visible, but it will also help you engage directly with your community. Set aside an hour or two a week to post any content you’ve created and to respond to questions, comments, or messages you receive (feel free to ignore the social media trolls). If you stay consistent you’ll build a strong presence and see referral traffic back to your website.
3. Build Your Email List
On average, it takes around 7 interactions for a customer to purchase a product or service. Your indecisive customers may take up to 20 or more, which, if we’re being frank, it’s time they just made up their minds.
Odds are, the first time someone visits your website will not result in a sale. So, how do you get around this problem? Sign up for an email service, such as MailChimp, and add a newsletter signup to your website. Once your email list starts to build, send out regular emails to your newsletter list with offers and deals to help drive sales and leads. Over time you’ll reach that magic 7th (or sometimes 20th) interaction point with more customers than you would have prior to your email list.
4. Learn From Your Competitors
Have you noticed your competitors are attracting a lot of attention? Think of the last time you wanted to get back in shape. There wasn’t some magic fix to reach your goals, it was rather simple: Exercise, eat healthier, see results. When it comes to marketing, there’s no reason to recreate the wheel. Find out what is yielding results for your competition and then put those practices into action. You should maintain a level of originality and keep your messaging on brand, but by all means, there is no reason to reinvent something that already has an effective solution. If you see something you like, find a unique way to make it your own!
5. Get Online Reviews From Your Customers
If you’ve ever searched for a restaurant or service online, you’ve probably made at least one or two purchasing decisions based on a customer review. You’ve also probably noticed when a company has generated a handful of fake reviews to improve their reputation (Hint: Don’t do this, it’s blatantly obvious that these reviews are fake). Make the effort to encourage your actual customers to leave you a review. Whether it’s on Google, Yelp, Facebook, or any other online platform, getting customer reviews has a lot of value. They will even help improve your Google Search Rankings!
6. Add Calls-To-Action To Your Website
There’s a reason they have candy and soda at the checkout line at the grocery store – people are impulsive and if you ask them to buy candy and soda, they’ll buy candy and soda. It’s surprising then, how many websites don’t ask you to buy or do anything! Whether your goal is to drive sales, leads, social media shares, or anything else under the sun, one of the best ways to increase your conversions is to ask for them while you have their attention! Buttons that offer the user the option to “schedule an appointment”, “buy now”, “get your offer” will all encourage a user to take action.
7. Keep Your Contact Info Consistent
Imagine you’ve worked up the courage to ask someone out at a bar, only you gave them the wrong number. How much effort do you think that person is going to put into tracking you down? In most situations, they’ll think you’re a bozo and move on. The same applies for your business.
It’s important to make it as easy as possible for a customer to find your contact info. Doing so includes keeping your contact information consistent across all platforms. From your website, to your social media pages, and any other listings that feature your contact info, this information should be the same no matter the platform. Not only does this make life easier for your customers, but consistent contact info can also have a positive impact on your search rankings.