How Do You Choose the Right Marketing Channels? Are you trying to FATWINLISCYTGMBWEM??
Translation=FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, LINKEDIN, SNAPCHAT, YOUTUBE, GOOGLE MY BUSINESS, WEBSITE, EMAILS, AND THERE’S MORE!!!
Every chance I get to talk to marketers, I always as the question, “What platforms are you using now?” Inevitably, they respond with “Website, Facebook, LinkedIn……and, well, we have a Twitter and Instagram page but we don’t use them very much.”
Beat. Second beat.
Me: “Then why do you have them?”
Often it turns out an ambitious employee, relative, or just friend of the business has “done them a favor” by setting up more social accounts – fully intending to provide content, I don’t doubt. But, more often than not, I see situations where business owners have little to no control over their active (or inactive) digital presence, and they are trying to do too much.
“Too much of a good thing? How is that possible, you ask?”
Here’s what I have to say about that:
When you put together a social or digital media marketing strategy, it’s important to choose the right channels to promote your business. A channel is the tool you use to reach your audience so from your website to twitter and far too many to list here.
Everyone is a social media manager these days. You can get advice from your uncle’s cousins sisters boyfriend about what channels you need for your marketing. Sure, go with that. I’ll be here when you get exhausted…
So how do you make that decision? Where do you spend your precious time and resources for the best return on investment?
In my mind, it all depends on where your target audience resides. But what if your audience crosses all boundaries? Or (gasp) you haven’t identified them yet?
Take heart! There’s hope.
You can put together a bang-up marketing strategy with as few as 4 tools to get you started. A responsible friend once warned me to “Master one thing before you start another,” so if, like me, you don’t have a lot of time, money or experience, put these 4 at the top of your list to get started!
- Most experts agree you need a website to start with. If you can afford it, hire a professional to create it in WordPress. If you can’t afford a professional keep it simple, buy all the domain names people might use to find you, and register your SSL (security assurance). Google will be “releasing’ pages soon who have http:// instead of https:// so think strategically here.
- Facebook. There, I’ve said it. If you’re a small business (B2B or B2C) you should probably have a Facebook Business Page. Facebook is not only a social media tool, it’s a marketing/advertising platform, a customer service gateway, a data collection method, and a good-old target marketing gold mine. In my mind, FB is the single most powerful social media tool.
- The third component of a good marketing strategy mix is to reach out to clients and potential customers on a regular basis via an email newsletter or texting platform. The old adage of “It’s easier to upsell an existing client than find a new one” is totally true. If you aren’t courting your prospects list, retouching buyers, or constantly reminding them you are here, they will forget you. Quickly. Stay in touch – quarterly even!
- Finally, to help yourself in search rankings (and also play nice with the big dogs at Google), a Google My Business listing is a necessity. The process is a pain. Basically you find your page (if Google already created you one) by searching your business name +google. If the page is unowned, and it’s your business, claim it and verify it. This process also applies when you build your own page. Treat your GMB page as you would you website with every box completed and specific keywords included. Regular updates (and you can write some long copy here) help you show up toward the top of the list. The only way to get ON the top of the list is to spend money, but that’s another blog.
Start with these 4 time-tested marketing tactics to build a firm foundation. Get good at them. Then expand to more channels as time and resources allow. With a few good team members and the help of a qualified marketing strategist, your business can prepare a solid marketing funnel for your customer experience. And, more importantly, you’ll lay the groundwork for measuring your return on investment.
Read a previous article I wrote on Choosing the Right Social Media Channels here.
I like talking marketing, and I like giving away free advice! Marketing is now a data-driven science and I’ve got some further thoughts on my website if you’re still reading! Browse around and let me know what you think; I’d be happy to tell you everything I know!
