Your business is unique and so are your customers. Reaching out to the right customer via digital platforms can be very tricky. These digital channels are very dynamic and your target audience keeps hopping from one platform to the other. Hence, catching up with your target audience at the right time with the right content is the toughest task of a Digital Marketer.
Remember no one has got infinite budgets to keep running ads at all the possible digital platforms at all times. Though the overall cost of your digital ads can be optimized, however, who does not want to save some money.
Here I present you a simple step by step strategy to which will help you narrow down the selection of the digital platforms. This will also give you a direction to create content that is relevant to your target audience and hence you will be able to see increased engagement and conversion rates.
1. Know your Brand:
What does your brand stand for? What are your strongest character traits?
The knowledge about oneself is the key to greater success. Have a very clear value proposition that your brand stands for. It can be as simple as originality or luxury or cost-effectiveness. This will help you develop the relevant content around your products which will be in line with the target audience expectations. Your brand is the only thing that you have got and it is the only thing that will keep you going in the long run. Investing your time every day to nurture your brand will result in exceptional success in the long run.
A nice little quote that illustrates the value of brands by John Stuart, former Quaker Oats chairman:
"If this business were to be split up, I would be glad to take the brands, trademarks, and goodwill and you could have all the bricks and mortar - and I would fare better than you."
Branding is not only what customers see, but how it makes them feel. Learn the advanced strategies of Brand Building and become a Certified Brand Management Executive in just 2 weeks. Click here to know more about Marketing Wizards.
2. Know your Audience:
Think about who your customers are and what digital media they are consuming.
Your business exists for your customers and it is rewarding when you know them really well. If you are getting started then it would be better to think of all your customers and group them in 3 or 4 buckets. This categorization can be based upon their age group or preferences or area of residence which is called demographics too. However, remember your customers are more than just demographics they are real humans. And real humans have many more dimensions. Try to fit your product in your customer's daily life and develop relevant promotional and educational content around it. Post and promote this content only at the relevant digital channels.
Here is a very amazing quote about customer experience by Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple which illustrates the importance of knowing your customers:
"You‘ve got to start with the customer experience and work backward to the technology."
3. Set Measurable Goals:
“Really understanding the goal you’re trying to hit is the first step to reaching it.”
Measurable goals have numbers attached to them. They are not just some words like - "I want to increase the sales" or "I want to generate new leads". A measurable goal is like a race track that you pave for your organization and it should always have clear figures and numbers which are understood by every single employee. So how can you add numbers and make your goals measurable, here are a few examples:
I want to increase sales by 20% in the next 3 months (step by step plan is a must)
I want to generate 100 new leads this month resulting in a 5% increase in client base.
I would like to gain 1000 new followers on Instagram this week.
Please note that it is compulsory to mention the available resources that will help your team to achieve the desired goals. Use the relevant digital channels and set measurable goals as per the platform's capabilities. This gives your Marketing Campaign a clear outline and direction.
Here is an awesome quote about setting measurable goals from Byron Pulsifer, a famous motivational speaker and an author too:
"Setting smart goals that include all the factors: measurable, achievable, responsible, and time-related, have more of a chance of being successful than just stating what your goals will be."
4. Watch your Competition:
Get inspired by your competitors’ wins and use your differences to highlight what’s unique about what you’re offering.
Competition can be direct or indirect, you need to keep an eye on them. Watch them perform at different digital channels and observe customers' responses. It is not recommended to copy them however, you can always come back to your team and develop a new campaign that will highlight your brand's unique selling proposition. Look at how your competition is engaging with their respective target audience in different digital platforms and study the tonality that goes along. Every other digital platform needs a different campaign, a different tone, and style of engaging your target audiences.
Here is an amazing quote about watching the competition from Malcolm X, an African American leader in the civil rights movement of the USA:
"Anytime you find someone more successful than you are, especially when you're both engaged in the same business - you know they're doing something that you aren't."
5. Measure your Progress:
Pick the metrics that will provide the best insight as to whether or not you’ll hit your goal.
It is very crucial to know how you will track the progress and the matrices that will define success and failure. You have to keep an eye on the campaign performance on the relevant digital channels and look for insights that can help you adjust your plan. If you are running a campaign on social media then the results start showing almost instantly. On the other hand if you are working on your SEO it might take a few days or weeks to show the results. While running Google ads or Social Media ads A/B testing can be very helpful in understanding the customer's response resulting in more business and reduced marketing costs. Remember to follow the digital campaigns on a daily basis to gain insights and control the costs.
This short quote from Ian Schafer about keeping the right pace with your customers, will keep you up and running:
“Innovation needs to be part of your culture. Consumers are transforming faster than we are, and if we don’t catch up, we’re in trouble.”
Digital Marketing is an ocean with hidden treasures. You got to master the waves and sail across different channels. Learn all this and much more to become a Certified Digital Marketing Executive in just 4 weeks. Click here to know more about Marketing Wizards.
Hi, this is Amit, the founder of Marketing Wizards. I am on a mission to empower the youth and small & medium business owners. With the help of short duration courses in the field of Marketing and Branding, I would like to reduce the gap between theory and practical application. With a decade of experience in the field of Marketing and Communication, I am here to reduce the learning time and maximize the application time.
I believe that learning without application is like a cake without icing. Start your journey today and get ready to take yourself to the next level!