When it comes to Social Media, a business person must decide whether to be seen and heard or whether to stay completely out of sight. Staying off the grid can be a valid decision but If you are trying to make a name for your business then you need to be found and be seen. Influencer marketing is becoming a significant part of advertising budgets for corporates therefore it is something we all need to consider. The higher your profile on social media then the stronger your brand becomes. Your posts need to be often and regular like 2 or 3 times per week, but you don’t have the time and maybe not the creativity. The answer is to retain an expert to create your posts for you. This ensures a regularity that gives you the branding and profile you need, to show you are serious about your business.
I started on the digital marketing journey about 12 years ago with a focus on marketing through websites. It has been a fascinating journey which brings me new revelations every week. I have observed a pattern from campaigns how different types of products and services produce different results on the various media. Facebook is great for introducing new people to products while Google Adwords connects with customers needing services. Neither of these platforms are silver bullets for success. Facebook is an excellent platform to create brand awareness but to gain sales, your product must be in immediate demand or be a high-end product. Google Adwords will certainly locate potential clients however if you are in a very competitive market place then deep pockets are needed to pay for the cost of clicks.
My rule of thumb now, is, Facebook for products and Google Adwords for services. To achieve results, the same budget must be allocated to either one, therefore it is not a case of one being more economical than the other. Marketing studies have shown that 80% of sales come from referrals. If you have an existing customer base, then using this is a more economical way to grow your business through regular email marketing to your existing clients. The number of emails that you receive each day is testament to this. When I mention email marketing, the first question my clients ask me is: “Aren’t customers tired of these emails therefore don’t open them?”. That is true, in part, but customers will open your email if the heading is interesting enough. Another important point is that customers don’t need to open every email you send them. Even if they open and act upon only one email per year then this is success. Simply seeing your company heading, in their email stream, keeps your company front of mind. Knowing how to write eye-catching headings and winning content is the secret to successful email marketing. Again, a service that is better outsourced to specialists than done in house.
Now, digital marketing is the most economical way to reach new customers. It started with websites but has developed into a whole range of platforms easily accessible to any business.