The task of generating leads is a major challenge for digital marketers. The key to success is finding ways to drive traffic that eventually results in conversions, but that’s always easier said than done. The digital marketplace can be extremely competitive, but it offers plenty of solutions to entrepreneurs willing to think creatively. Here are six ways that you can boost your digital marketing game in the new year.
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1. Plan With Accurate Data
The first step to planning a marketing campaign is…planning the campaign. This means gathering data on the market and keeping an eye on your own ledgers in order to build meaningful sales metrics. Doing marketing research via surveys, quizzes and demographic analyses is the best way of accomplishing the former. The latter might require an upgrade of your business analytics software and increased awareness of your internal sales figures in order to build a more accurate picture of where your sales are headed before you start marketing.
2. Optimize Your Website
Your website is a primary driver of traffic, so keeping it functioning smoothly has to be a priority. Simple flaws such as slow loading times or a clunky UI can turn people away. There could also be deeper issues with your website, like poorly-designed iconography and abrasive color schemes. One strategy for learning what works and what doesn’t is called A/B testing or split testing. This just means quantitatively comparing consumer reactions to two versions on the same landing page to learn exactly what brings people in and what turns them away. Thinking scientifically about sales might be just what you need.
3. Make Content Personal
Just having a landing page isn’t enough. Different prospects have different needs and ways of communicating. That’s where social media marketing comes in. Choosing a multichannel or omnichannel marketing strategy lets consumers interface with a brand in a personalized and organic way. Some people might be visual learners while others like to read and imagine. That’s why having a video marketing channel and a blog sharing similar but distinct content is a great idea. Diversifying your channels is all about reaching out to prospects on their own terms.
4. Leverage Influencers
A TechJury estimate pegged global spending on influencer marketing at around $8 billion in 2020. That’s because it’s so effective. The same research indicated that 49% of consumers actually rely on influencer advice when making purchasing decisions. LilySilk’s partnership with fashion vloggers on YouTube back in 2019 is one example of how creative and far-reaching this kind of influencer-based campaign can be when done right. The greatest strength of influencer marketing is that it lets companies build trust within their niche, building a reputation the authentic way.
5. Choose High-ROI Outreach Strategies
Websites and social media pages only make up the top of the digital sales funnel. Keeping customers interested over the long term takes consistent follow-up. According to Statista, email marketing currently has an ROI of $36 to every dollar spent; it’s an impressive number, but that pales in comparison to the potential of SMS marketing. Marketing emails only have an 18% open rate on average, compared to over 90% for text messages. Employing customer relationship management (CRM) software to automate these methods can help drive ROI by allowing labor to be focused on more creative tasks. It’s just one way that digital tools can streamline digital outreach.
6. Have a Live Chat Option
There are some things that automation can’t (and shouldn’t) handle. A persistent barrier to customer loyalty is poor customer service. Mostly this comes in the form of unhelpful chatbots and endless “lists of options” that people have to deal with during phone service. It’s no wonder that a plurality of customers (42% according to Liveagent) prefers chatting with a real human to any other customer service option. These days, it’s common for live chat options to be built into the code of a company’s landing page. As long as there’s a calm and competent human voice behind that messenger, customers are going to feel valued.
A new fiscal year means new opportunities to get your digital marketing campaign right. Keep these tips in mind when crafting your 2022 strategy.