Here’s a list of marketing strategies to consider, and a few to avoid.
Connecting with customers and potential customers to keep a steady stream of business coming through the door is the lifeblood of any business. Even the big boys like Apple and Nike, whose brands are established household names, execute relentless marketing campaigns to keep themselves in the forefront of customers’ minds. Devising a marketing strategy that works isn’t necessarily simple, though. With so many platforms to choose from, it’s possible for a seemingly great campaigns not to cut through the noise and reach the target audience.
Smart marketers often take leads from others, adopting and modifying what works while avoiding strategies and ploys that don’t. The following strategies are those to consider emulating to build a brand and draw attention to it:
Keep it simple: Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated to be highly effective. Apple is the trendsetter in this regard. With its sleek, simple campaigns, the company effectively promotes its products while keeping its logo front and center in the minds of consumers. While the company’s products are complex, its marketing materials are clean, simple and to the point.
Avoid over-explaining: Content marketing is king in this connected age, but remember that people tend to skim. That means effective marketing is tailored to strike viewers with bullet points and nuggets of information they want. This is one of the reasons video marketing has provided such an incredible return on investment for so many.
Make the point quickly: It’s often said a picture is worth a thousand words. A video can be worth even more. People want faster ways of communicating and they want to be able to get to the meat of the message right away. Cut out the noise and make it so.
Think viral: Create material people will want to share so they do the work on behalf of the brand. Leveraging social media audiences in this manner can spread a brand message wide while costing very little in the process. Though it’s impossible to guarantee that every post, video or piece of content will have viral legs, there are ways to hedge the bet. Say what needs to be said quickly, effectively and creatively and it is likely viral gold will be found.
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Take a cue from Hollywood: Think like a movie producer creating a trailer in order to condense a brand or company’s story into a quick-hitting, fast-paced message likely to make viewers want to see and learn more. Craft content, written and visual, in this manner to grab a target audience and entice them to “see” the whole movie.
While some strategies have been proven to work well in this fast-paced, connected world, others tend to fall flat. This is especially so in social media marketing where what once worked in the brick-and-mortar world doesn’t quite translate. Here are some strategies to avoid and some suggestions for more effective approaches:
The shotgun approach: Salespeople are very familiar with this method that calls for firing out hundreds of “shots” or calls in an effort to make a handful of conversions. This doesn’t translate online, but cultivating and appealing to a target audience does. Be specific in firing those shots by targeting the desired demographic directly and the return is likely to be greater.
Word of mouth: Relying solely on word-of-mouth marketing these days is a sure way to fail. While it still plays a valuable supporting role, working to cultivate that target audience tends to pay off much better on Facebook and other social platforms. Create the audience and then post things they’ll likely enjoy and share.
Paid traffic: Facebook ads and other paid advertising can work, but it generally takes a real pro to obtain the desired return on investment. Instead of dumping money down this funnel while building a company and its brand, take steps to spread messages that are free. Cultivate the audience, create great content and encourage sharing to gain results that cost very little.
Building a brand through online channels without breaking the bank calls for smart marketing strategies and a willingness to carefully target and grow an audience. Some strategies that once worked well simply no longer fly.
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