Marketing, the unnoticed backbone of a business. To survive and thrive a company needs sales. To makes sales a company needs marketing. Marketing puts your product/service in front of potential customers.
The marketing journey begins by getting your business in front of consumers. Only then can you begin to market your product or service. The third stage is to prove why it's better than the competition. The final leg of the journey is getting the sale! If at any time you take your foot off the pedal, you risk not finishing the journey.
A good marketing campaign encompasses branding, advertising, promotions, content, customer service and sales. It touches every part of your business and is adaptable, changing when needed.
The need to be able to evolve is even more important in today's digital world. It's a need expected by today's connected digital consumer.
Online marketing - not just a pretty website
There was a time, not long ago, when having a website was a luxury reserved for the bigger businesses. A company without a website in today's world will fail to survive. Why? Because without a website a company is invisible!
Online marketing goes beyond having a website. If you mention a company to someone it is likely they will confirm its existence with a quick Google search. It's only natural that search itself has become a battlefield of competing businesses. There are those businesses who have the money to throw at being the "top spot". Smaller companies which match the all important search terms. Often the battle victor is that company which has mastered content marketing.
Content marketing
Content marketing is the creating, publishing and sharing of free online material. Its purpose is not to promote a brand, but to evoke interest in the brand’s products or services. Blogs, videos, infographics, articles and posts are all content marketing.
There are many advantages of content marketing, including:
Increased search engine visibility
Higher domain authority
Greater inbound links referral traffic
Heightened brand reputation and awareness
Increased sales conversions
Improved customer relationships and retention
To stand any chance in today's online battlefield a company needs content marketing. To make it work though, a company needs to constantly produce relevant, educational. informative and engaging content. Without this the rewards won't be seen.
Social media marketing
There are now over three billion people in the world with a social media account. This influx of users has had a massive impact on marketing and it is a trend that will continue to grow.
Social media is where consumers are engaging with their favourite brands. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram are the big platforms. Target consumers are visiting these networks daily and companies must tap into them.
Social media marketing is all about building relationships. It is about bringing a brand to life and giving it a persona. It is the perfect tool for building brand awareness and reputation. It takes your brand to the consumer and puts it right in front of them.
An organisation should have a presence on all the platforms. Yet, what is right for one organisation may not be right for another. You need leverage the power of social media in the best possible way for your needs. What we do know is smart organisations have a strategy in place to connect with the consumer on all levels.
Where next?
Traditional marketing still has its place but the digital world won't stop spinning. Marketing is going to continue to evolve.
Online and social media marketing will become more content driven. Content marketing will grow beyond the blog. Visual and audio marketing is increasing and will continue to rise in importance. Mobile will grow in importance and content will have to be optimised for small screen.
Consumers expect to be able to engage with a company 24/6/365. As chatbot technology improves so will the engagement capabilities of a business. Chatbots are only the start of what is to come. Technology is improving and becoming more affordable. Over the next decade, virtual and augmented reality marketing will surge.
Marketing will not and must not stop changing. For a company to continue to reach and educate it's consumers a marketing team will need a range of skills:
writing
video production and editing
graphic design
photograph
audio production
For sales to continue to thrive a marketing team must remain the backbone of an organisation.
To see how I could help with your marketing needs visit my website or email me at kate@katebirinder.co.uk