Marketing Strategies That Are Worth Investing In

There is a multitude of online and offline marketing strategies out there waiting for you to utilise. A number of these will come as natural to marketers who have a background in the field. Others might require more of an open mind to see the opportunities that are there to take advantage of.

Enterprises big and small will have their own understanding on marketing as a concept and how it relates to their individual circumstances. Much will lend on the geographic location, size and age of demographic as well as cultural and socioeconomic factors that are inherently at play.

marketing strategies to invest in

There are a lot of different marketing strategies out there. It is important to research and develop the correct strategy for your business.

Yet for all the external elements that will be thrust into the equation, savvy operators are able to identify what strategies are worth investing in. The target at the end of the day is to drive revenue through clever techniques that boosts visibility and improves conversion rates. Everything else is incidental.

The good news is that the need to “invest” is not entirely a financial one for a business. Each project will come inclusive with human capital, but it does not have to be exclusively a commitment to parting with revenue.

So with that in mind, let us examine a series of the best and most efficient marketing strategies to invest in.

PPC

Sitting proudly under the tent pole of paid media practices is pay-per-click (PPC). This is a system that enables a brand to fast track their visibility with a simple and straightforward transaction. Minimal knowledge or understanding is required to make this happen, but to truly get maximum bang for buck, it is advised that you undertake your research first.

Everyone at some point in their life will hear the catchphrase: “You have to spend money to make money.” PPC is putting that to the test.

Two main domains of PPC should be explored in greater detail, although other options are available for the bolder businesses out there:

  • Facebook advertisements
  • Google Adwords

Each outlet allows the user (this being you) to curate your own message with the appropriate branding to style an online campaign. The major benefit this process carries over traditional modes of marketing is the ability to chose the geographic location and even demographic of those viewing the advertisement.

For example, a boating and fishing shop on the Central Coast of NSW in Gosford could set a radar that ventures from Newcastle an hour’s drive North and Hornsby in Sydney’s Northern suburbs an hour South. They can also filter their target market to include retirees or young families during the holiday season across Christmas.

The reach potential on these platforms are astronomical, although it is worth keeping in mind that you only require the smallest of percentages across Google and Facebook to make a tangible impact on your business.

According to SproutSocial, Facebook’s 2 billion daily active users see 400 individuals sign up every minute. Such is the range of community, 93% of marketers engage Facebook regularly for their marketing efforts. To reinforce this popularity, 93% of social media advertisers opt for Facebook.

For Google’s part, they are the autonomy on all things search engine optimisation (SEO) related. Every advertising campaign is open to a reach of 80% of all users with Google owning 71% of search market share worldwide. By creating a PPC campaign on Google, you are likely to place yourself on the first page of search hits – a domain that garners 98% of search traffic.

If fishing where the fishes are is a theory you like to stick to, then Facebook and Google’s PPC platforms are prime territory to see traffic. Yes it will require in injection of cash to see that visibility occur, but each offers analytical data to outline where you succeeded and failed, giving you the power to continue, change course or stop.

Research Your Marketplace and Consumer Base

integrate an online strategy

It is vital to conduct proper research of your market place.

Just as we were discussing the need to undertake research, the notion of the ‘buyer persona’ will emerge across your marketing voyage. Essentially, this is a means of profiling your customers to craft the makings of what you consider to be an ideal consumer.

To implement your own buyer persona, write down the following:

  • What is the average age of your consumer?
  • What is the expected location of residence?
  • Does this consumer come to your site with knowledge about the product/service beforehand?
  • How is the customer likely to pay?
  • How long does the customer spend on making a decision before a transaction?
  • What search terms are used to find your domain?
  • Is there a time of year they are likely to search/find you?

You will already have some preconceptions about this buyer persona, but after viewing the data on file and looking back over the records, perhaps that notion could alter.

Hubspot’s Persona Templates software application is an ideal starter kit to outline your audience segment. Consider this step a long-term investment that will eliminate the need to do this at a later phase for future campaigns.

Bank on Email

After the advent of social media and the boom of the smartphone, do you think that email has become irrelevant? Well think again because email is still one of the best tools at your disposal should you manage to cater a marketing campaign that generates cut-through.

The community of business-to-business (B2B) marketers view email as their main source for broadcasting their message, with 93% of B2Bs going down this route compared to social media (87%), SEO (78%) and paid search (56%).

Still not convinced? Consider the following:

  • 80% of retail professionals see email marketing as the most efficient mode of customer retention
  • 73% of millennials prefer email as their ideal means of business communication
  • 77% of those surveyed preferred to receive permission-based promotional messages though email
  • Click-through rates are 47% higher if an email campaign is B2B rather than B2C (business-to-consumer)

Email is only going to gain more traction, with 2019 set to see up to 2.9 billion users forecasted. Take a look at what MailChimp has to offer with their automation software. Application tools like the ones they offer can help your enterprise integrate an online strategy to funnel it towards a swarm of clientele direct to email.

Be Content Savvy

marketing strategies to invest in

Think of the best ways to promote your content.

A key element of owned media is the capacity to curate, publish and promote content that draws ears, eyeballs and facilitates discussion.

Great content will achieve two major objectives that you should be looking to reach:

  • Satisfy search engines for SEO purposes
  • Grow your audience

Both of these will drive hits which will boost revenue, and it happens to be one of the most efficient and cost effective marketing tools you can undertake.

Think about your online operation like an in-house media department. You have the autonomy to facilitate the type of coverage about your business that you want, much like a film studio, sports organisation or clothing line.

A simple interview with the CEO, founder or department head can be cut up and altered to any of the following:

  • Article
  • Podcast
  • Video
  • Photo gallery

Such a chat can be sent out on social media or catered to a weekly newsletter. The important point to note is that the variety of content mediums allows you to tap into various habits your consumers will have, all the while boosting your profile in the process.

Mobile Readiness

To be equipped to deal with the marketplace of 2017, 2018 and beyond, it is imperative that your site is geared to the demands of mobile. With 4.917 billion unique mobile users on the planet with a 66% market penetration rate, it is vital that your operation is ready to provide to a community that absorbs 50% of all web traffic.

Search engines have placed mobile compatibility higher on their list of priorities for ranking domains, putting the emphasis back on you to make the required changes. Companies can invest thousands of dollars for an eye-catching page, but if the images, text or multimedia doesn’t open with ease, then the click-through rate will drop.

Run your own site through any of the following applications to receive a judgment:

  • Google Mobile-Friendly Test
  • SEOCentro Mobile Friendly Check
  • Bing Mobile Friendliness Test Tool
  • mobiReady
  • QuirkTools Screenfly

This will enable your marketing strategy to tap into a market that dominates the modern landscape.

Setting a Schedule

integrate an online strategy

Setting a schedule is one thing, actually following it is something completely different.

It might sound like an obvious step to take that doesn’t need mentioning, but you would be surprised how many operations fail to follow through on their planning. Perhaps a new opportunity arose, some employee turnover took place or something popped up that required attention and shifted focus. Whatever the matter, it is vital to curate a plan and ensure it comes to fruition.

An application like Monday’s planning campaigns can allow you to keep track of events and budgetary forecasts to remain on the right path. The same can be said of Hive9 who put that ‘P’ word front and center of your enterprise.

SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the culmination of a number of these techniques, from content development to mobile compatibility. However, it is vital to ensure that you are following the rules of this marketing segment because it will be the greatest accumulator of organic traffic you can muster.

All of these fields fall under the banner of SEO:

  • Keywords
  • Title tags
  • Multimedia
  • Backlinks
  • Social media

Check out one of the industry leaders in Moz who can issue a 30-day trial that can kickstart your SEO journey.

Summary

Marketing strategies will often embrace the same principles underneath, even though they appear chalk and cheese on the surface. The digital revolution has brought about its own sense of chaos as the social media and smartphone generation ventures forward with their own interpretation of what marketing is. However, the fundamentals will always remain true.

The goal is to engage people by means of drawing their attention to an interest, desire or basic need. By utlising and investing in these seven methods as we have listed, your enterprise can get the best return on investment (ROI) possible.

Give us your feedback on marketing strategies that have worked for your business. Have you come across some tactics that paid off in the long run and have you encountered a strategy that blew out your budget? Continue the conversation in the comments section below!

read more
Read ➡ Tips to Help You Choose the Best SEO Package