“It’s hard to target a message to a generic 35-year-old middle-class working mother of two. It’s much easier to target a message to Jennifer, who has two children under four, works as a paralegal and is always looking for quick but healthy dinners and ways to spend more time with her kids and less time on housework.” – Elizabeth Gardner. Marketing is one of those things that all successful businesses will have, and all aspiring companies will want. Solid marketing tactics and techniques can take years to build and implement. Plus, your marketing strategies, whether they are digital or print, are constantly changing.
If you are asking questions about marketing, you probably want to find ways to not only improve your company but grow revenue and traffic as well. Lucky for you, you arrived at the right place. Business Growth Marketing Solutions has been helping high profile clients for many years. And, throughout our years of operation, we have come across many different questions or concerns from existing and potential customers. That is why we compiled this list of your most frequently asked questions about marketing that we answer.
Can we copy this?
A question that we come across all the time is ‘can we copy this?’ And, our answer always varies every time. There is nothing wrong with finding inspiration or ideas from other companies, especially your competitors. But you never want to copy someone else’s content. Legally and ethically you will come across issues, especially if they trademark it or copyright the asset. And while one element works well for another business does not mean it will work out in your favor. Before mirroring a similar idea, you need to consider not only your company and the products or services but your audience as well. The element you are trying to copy may work for the other brand’s audience because they created it with them in mind. Therefore, any time you ask yourself if you can copy an element, try to find ways (through design and copy) to make the asset look your own and follow your shoppers’ behaviors.
Does social media marketing really help your business?
We live in a time where social media is important not only for users but for companies as well. There are over 3.6 billion social media users. That means you have ample amounts of people to market to on social media. Plus, you can gain so many new customers if you venture out into social media. For example, some people may never discover you unless they see you on these networking platforms. You can even use influencers to gain more traffic and revenue for your business.
Why is SEO so important?
The internet is full of hundreds of thousands of websites. Your website can easily get lost in the crowd without help. And this help is search engine optimization or better known as SEO. People or businesses use SEO to increase visibility on relevant searches. The more visible you are on the internet, the higher you rank. And, the higher you rank, the more chances people will find you. If you look at a Google search result page, you will notice a list of websites. Domains at the top of the results page typically have fully-optimized SEO tactics. These tactics drive them to the top. If you wish to be at the top of result pages in your industry, you will want to focus on search engine optimization.
How do you run a digital marketing campaign?
Creating your first digital marketing campaign can be intimidating. We have all been there, but you do not have to go in empty-handed. Any time you build a digital marketing campaign, you will want to stay prepared. You will want to research, brainstorm, plan, create, implement, monitor, track and change. And, while you can do it on your own, all features (which are a lot) that come with campaign management work smoothly when working with a team of professionals. You can either hire employees to make this team or work with an experienced marketing agency like us.
Can email marketing help your business?
There are over 4.1 billion active email accounts in the world. Therefore, email marketing is not outdated, and instead, thriving. People of all ages are continuously checking their emails, especially during holidays or specific seasons. Plus, people on your subscriber list do not necessarily follow you on other platforms like social media, so emails are the only way they see your products or services. Emails are also great to update your customers on any new news, initiatives or other relevant information. However, you must know that customer behaviors are always changing. That is why it is important for you to always track, monitor and improve your emails when needed.
Which social media platform is best for your business?
Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit, YouTube and Pinterest (plus many more), picking the right platform for your business can be difficult. And to truly know what platform works best for your company really depends on what kind of company you are and who your audience is. For example, if you are a clothing company targeting younger generations, then Instagram will be your best platform. And, if you are a medical company trying to inform consumers or new products or discoveries, Facebook and LinkedIn will be the better platforms for your brand. Once you research your target audience, you then can narrow it down to the social media platforms you will want to use. However, there is no limit on which ones you go with. So, if you want an account on every platform, you can ultimately do so.
How can I grow my email list?
As businesses improve their email marketing, a top question they have is ‘how can I grow my email list?’ And, there are many ways you can do this. You can create initiatives on websites or social media like an extra percentage off if they become subscribers, as well as making them create an account with their email if they want to complete a purchase. Never be afraid to try out pop-ups on your website, text message and other ways to collect email addresses. If worst comes to worst, customers can unsubscribe if they do want to stay on your list.
What is a good call to action to use?
Call to actions are links, buttons, images, videos and more that entice people to click it and send them to wherever the link lands. For many brands, the call to action becomes their lifeline. Typically, call to actions are buttons that you see on websites, social media and emails. The design and copy of the call to action affect how people respond, aka if they click or not. You do not want your call to action to be lengthy or have distracting colors or fonts. They need to stay straight to the point and create a need for consumers to complete an action. For example, a great call to action includes buy now, save now, shop now, find a store, pre-order and learn more. Plus, you can always A/B test to see what kind of call to action works best for your brand.
What is all part of content marketing?
Content is a powerful tool that you cannot forget about in any marketing campaign. It is the aspect that shows what your company is, and is essentially the ethos, logos and pathos of your brand. Everything that people see and hear is part of your content. For example, images, videos, copy and graphic elements are all considered content. And just like your normal marketing strategies, you will also want to come up with a content marketing strategy. If you do not have a plan with your content, your brand can look incohesive and not true to who you are. To have successful content marketing, you will need to create valuable content that is not only persuasive by engaging as well. Your content creation will also depend on the type of customer you have. You must create content that they will interact with and like. While creating content, make sure to have a dependable and skilled creative team that has designers and writers ready to take on any task.
Do I need a marketing calendar?
There is no definitive answer on if your company can benefit from a marketing calendar or not. Some brands need a calendar to stay on task, while others can handle everything without one. To help you determine what works best for your business, talk with your marketing and creative team to learn what fits their needs. If you run your website solo, then pick what works best for you. However, it important to note that a calendar will not only keep you on track of everything but can also help you look back to see what worked in previous weeks, months or years and what did not work.
Whew, that was just ten of the most frequently asked questions that people ask us about marketing. But we know there are way more out there. If you have any more inquiries or concerns, you can reach out to us at any time. And, remember do not be afraid to start marketing. Get out there and watch your business grow.
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