It’s about time that marketing departments worked cohesively, don’t you think? When talking about marketing, we need to stop separating online and offline efforts, when they’re all aiming for the same goals. Sure, you’ll have strengths and weaknesses in every member of the team.
But what you really need to do is create a marketing marriage. Overall, you need to look at your business individually, because there’s no carbon-cut-out method here, we’re afraid. But just how is this done?
Strategize
You’re going to need a multitude of methods to your marketing if you’re going to make it work. Of course, the trick is that none of these should be arbitrary. Experiment with a range of different types of advertising. It is true that your customers are most likely online these days, however, they’re probably going to watch television or read print publications, too.
You want to be where they are, and you’re going to need data to back it up. Really work to understand your target market, and who they are. To ensure a Return On Investment, you’re going to want more than a few likes and tweets.
You need to convert, and you’ll need to research how this will be done.
Engage
Engagement is crucial for marketing efforts. Just like a letter of approval was a mark of success in the good old days, today, a tweet (especially from a well-connected follower!) can endorse you in ways that will have great benefits to you. Of course, it’s not always good news.
As a successful marketer, you have to understand that the way you brand yourselves in times of crisis or criticism will also likely come under scrutiny. When you receive negative comments, especially in the public eye, handling them graciously will reflect much more positively on you than a sarcastic attitude, or worse, ignoring that customer. Today, people switch off if they don’t like your message, or how you handle things. Learn how your customers want to be handled, then act on it.
Track
Just as you need data to implement a strategy, you need data throughout to back up your continued choice. Sorry to say it, but simply because you’ve found the right formula initially, that’s not to say that this will still the same! There’s no point continuing to invest time – and money – into something that’s simply no longer working.
Using Analytics tools across your web and social efforts can help you track what sort of content is working for you, and when it comes to your telephone leads, you’ll want to keep a close eye on those, too. What’s converting? What isn’t? Where are leads coming from? These are all questions you’ll have to ask yourself, and if they don’t work, do something else. Back up every decision you make, and your informed choices will improve your business – and your return.
