With so many channels available to promote products and services in an effort to drive traffic, brands must choose where and when to focus marketing resources. The enormous amount of choices available presents a requirement for brands to target properly. Since marketing efforts can bring great potential to fundamentally shift the way people see our brands, we must understand and leverage ONLY value add channels.
After your marketing strategy has been outlined and matched with clearly defined business goals, deciding how to increase market share above competitors is the next step. The decision process to determine the best marketing tactics to employ should encompass four very important business goals. Keep in mind the end goal for all small business marketing idea and content is to make a difference.
1) Build brand awareness
2) Maximize ROI
3) Obtaining new customers
4) Retain current customers
All aspects of your marketing strategy including content marketing should also include tractable metrics. This measurable activity will provide detailed measurement of all marketing metrics relevant to your brand including: success and adjustments needed for each campaign. Each metric can be measured across several content channels, such as websites, blogs, or social media.
Metrics To Consider:
Consumption metrics – email opens and clicks, page views, average time on page, downloads.
Sharing metrics – social shares and likes
Lead metrics – new leads, funnel conversion
Sales metrics – new business
Additional factors to consider that are very important to having a strategic marketing strategy that will increase profits is to clearly define your target audiences with customer profiles. By doing this are able to identify and understand their needs and ways to align your product or service.
Additional Factors:
1) Demographics – Age, Gender, Location, Income Level, Education Level, Marital/Family Status and Occupation.
2) Keywords and Key phrases – industry terms, common language.
3) Interests – What are the likes and dislikes of your target audience? What hobbies does your target audience have? Where does your target market spend time online and offline? Â What motivates your target audience to making a purchase decision?
One heavily discussed marketing median currently is content marketing and for great reason. This very important strategic approach to marketing should be included in all marketing plans today. Having success in content marketing will require the creation of relevant and compelling stories that provide value to targeted customers. Â Gaining the attention of prospects is no easy task and with so many brands fighting to get more customers, every action counts.
Content marketing should be viewed as a paramount modern marketing strategy that offers creative ways to stay top of mind. This powerful approach to promote a business is the new normal. If you reflect on your personal favorite brands there is a story about that brand that resonates in your mind and probes you when you are making purchasing decisions. That same action is what we are seeking with content marketing. By attracting and retaining customers with compelling content your brand will drive profitable customer actions. And, to ensure your content endeavors help your brand meet the marketing goals outlined in your strategy below is a list of best practices to help you get the most of your content marketing efforts.
Best Practice:
Effective content marketing happens when consistent content connects the brand and the audience. The better the branded content the more engagement you will see. It is very important to understand that well-written content marketing efforts supports online marketing activities including SEO, social media marketing and e-Commerce sales. Creative content can fuel social media marketing copy, visuals and links.
According to AdWeek, 81% of shoppers conduct online research before making big purchases.
Top Content Marketing Tactics:
Video, targeted landing pages, blog post, white papers and eBooks
Steps to Take
- Align content marketing efforts with a goal to maintain the interest of current customers with high-quality content.
- Fuel your business with content that will engage your target audience and drive profitable action to your business.
- Understand 13 Effective Tips and Strategies for Small Business
Content Strategy To Consider:
- Marketing Medium
- Total Marketing Budget
The impact of your content marketing strategy can dramatically increase your e-commerce business sales. As your brand builds trust online you will see an influx in website traffic as well as an increase in your online authority and Google search engine ranking. During this time you will have gained your audience’s attention and the best way to sustain your value is to continue to add value with well-written and visually appealing content.
