Most companies have realized they have to engage customers online. Publishing a website is the first order of any new business. But thinking "build it and they will come" is a hollywood movie line not a business reality. Those stories of over night success because of YouTube and Facebook are ficticious as well. Dig deep and you will find the long story of the effort it took to achieve the life changing publicity.
Remember your dad told you, "nothing is free".
The reality is technology has changed advertising landscape and provided more opportunities for you to reach your customers. The yellow pages are now online - but how many of us use them? Verizon has switched their pitch to say they will use the monthly advertising funds they charge you to advertising your company online.
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Did you make that switch in your advertising budget? How is that working for you?
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Are you one of the thousands of business owners who don't understand the reports provided by online advertising?
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Have you seen attributable sales to the efforts or just think it's the cost of doing business?
Curent statistics say that companies have shifted 25% of their print budget to online marketing. Shifting dollars online to where people are spending more time makes sense, but it requires strategic planning and execution to make sure that budget has a positive return on the investment. It doesn't happen over night either. Te comeptition online is so great and Google keeps changing their programming for ranking websites and subject authorities that it isn't simple though we all want simple instructions.
As with traditional print advertising, there isn't a guarantee that your online ad will be seen. There are key facts that are crutial to know that allow you to make best choices on using your marketing budget to get the best return.
Know these facts before alocating critical marketing funds:
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Do you have enough sales and leads?
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Where are you getting them?
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Where can you best reach you potential customer?
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Where are your advertising dollars getting the most results?
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Can they get better results with more funding?
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Will you use the website for customer sales, service, special event and/or news?
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How strong is your online presence?
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How well is your website working for you now - what pages are being seen the most?
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Is critical information missing from your website that would turn more sales?
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What is the competition for your best keywords and how can you afford them/?
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How are your sales people using the print ad online tools to sell? Can they use them more effectively?
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What product/service is most frequently the point of interest for new customers?
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Do you have the processes in place to add inbound marketing?
If you want to increase your sales you will have to invest more in marketing and digital has opportunities that are less expensive. But if you are not using the funds in the right place to reach you target customer it is a waste of money.
The digital landscape offers a lot of platforms that may or may not suit your needs; how do you find out what's best for your business?
Ask your customers where they research when shopping for products or services? Is it Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, web searches? Find out what their expectations are of being a fan/follower. Understanding the social media habits of your customers could reveal the key to effective allocation of your digital dollars.
Ask if they prefer being contact by email, would they appreciate prefered status where they get exclusive offers and advance notices? We hear repeatedly from clients that they don'twant to spam their customers. When we ask whether they have asked their customers how they would liked to be contacted and how frequent, we are told they never asked. Giving propects and customers opportunities to opt in to specific email programs provide important details on who your customers are and what they want to know.
Automating your marketing will allow you to do more, keep in touch with more prospects than your sales team can handle.
Download this ePaper to learn more about inbound marketing, a platform that allows you to be efficient and increase your online presence to fill your sales funnel.
