Spring is upon us, well, for those of us on the West Coast anyway. And it’s time to talk about growth and transitions for the fiscal year.
When it comes to core strategies for online marketing, many people get distracted by the new growth—apps like Vine or the next big thing, perhaps it’s Google Glass? But if we focus on the old roots, the deep roots, of online marketing, then even more new growth is possible.
1. Email
Email is the most underappreciated marketing channel, I suspect because it’s an old diehard. Nothing kills email, look at the volume of it in your inbox! But don’t disparage marketing emails. The key is to focus on increasing the size of your list to account for natural attrition of that list. Next start correlating subscribers to user logins or memberships or online orders to understand more about your customers buying behaviours and demographics. Start creating audience segments and building campaigns to target each segment.
Focus on email first. The caveat is that if the email is sending people to an outdated, non-converting site or one that’s not mobile optimized, then focus on the website first, then email marketing.
A subscriber equals someone who is saying “please keep me in the loop about your products and services.” Your job is to make that information valuable, timely and exclusive to this willing audience.
2. Video
Consider product videos, even service videos.
For example, EPH Apparel provides custom suits made to spec. They use video in the online ordering process to help customers understand how to do each measurement correctly. The videos are a reassurance of accuracy. https://ephapparel.com/
Boxcar Marketing friend and colleague Alexandre Brabant uses video on the home page of his Search Marketing website in order to introduce himself to potential clients and to explain his process. His video is about likability. You are hiring him and the video provides a short introduction. http://www.emarketing101.ca/
3. Facebook Ads
Ah the network I love to hate. Regardless Facebook provides great targetting options because of the member data people readily provide in their profiles. For example, a children’s book publisher could target Kobo users who are parents of 0-3 year olds and who live in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. No other wildly popular social network offers advertising options that are that specific.
The thing to remember with Facebook ads and targeting is that you need to generate a lot of creative because this audience is going to otherwise repeatedly see the same ad. Change it up!
In summary, email is boring, video is hard and Facebook is … I have nothing polite to insert here. BUT these three online marketing options should integrate well with any business’ core marketing strategies and offer a lot of depth.
