How To Save Time In Online Marketing

There is only so much time in the working day and most companies – especially smaller ones – have limited resources to spend on online marketing. But nobody could deny that it’s a vital part of business development today so the most logical thing to do is employ some time-saving methods. You don’t have to spend hours and hours a day to implement an effective marketing strategy.

Here are some things to bear in mind:

Automate: You may think it’s cheaper to try to do everything manually rather than invest in software, but you may be pleasantly surprised to find out how affordable it can actually be – particularly when you factor in the savings to your manpower. To give just one example, if you invest in software for essential weekly and monthly market reports to be generated you will soon notice the difference. Many software programmes can even compile lead generation reports and carry out competitor analysis.

Hold Onto Customers: It’s no secret that it takes far less time to develop ways of building up long-term customer relationships than to start from scratch every time. There are many ways you can ensure clients don’t stray: for example, send them regular emails with special offers tailored to their individual needs, or surprise them now and then with free gifts. Also, make sure your website is always easy to navigate and works perfectly so customers have a positive experience every time they come back to buy something.

Organise: When you’re running a business there are so many different balls to be kept in the air that sometimes communication between your marketing department and other areas can break down. This is a problem, because in order for your online marketing strategy to be effective, everyone in the company has to know what is going on so they can promote your key objectives. The best way to keep things organised today is to use Google Drive, which allows documents to be viewed and edited from multiple devices. Even if you are on the move you can keep an eye on what’s going on and everybody else can stay up-to-date too.

Updating Content: To keep your online marketing strategy fresh it is essential that you keep updating the content of your website on a regular basis. But sourcing content can be time-consuming so you need to come up with a workable system. There are platforms available, such as Buzzsumo, with tools to help you find the most popular content and highlight influencers on social media sites. Well worth investing in if you want to stay ahead of the trends when it comes to content generation but don’t have much time to invest in it.

How To Generate New Leads Online

Have you tried all the traditional marketing routes but still can’t seem to generate the volume of new leads necessary to take your business to the next step?

If so, you may not have spent enough time looking into all the possibilities the Internet has to offer when it comes to winning new business. Luckily for you, there are literally hundreds of methods at your disposal. To help you get started, here are just some of the simplest and most effective:

Newsletter: Releasing a regular newsletter is a great way of staying in touch with customers – but it’s also a way to reach new ones. If you make sure to include a newsletter sign-up link in several places on your website then your number of new leads is sure to increase. Once people have signed up you will have their details and a captive audience. All you have to do then is make sure the newsletters are packed full of useful information, special offers and so on – they shouldn’t just be a tedious brag-fest about how wonderful your company is.

Social Media: If used the right way, Facebook, Twitter and so on can be a constant source of new leads. After all, any existing followers can share your posts with all their followers so if your content is fresh and exciting the potential market is huge. Think different with your posts, making them witty and thought-provoking. And of course, it’s not just about your own posts. You can seek out your own leads by following potential customers and getting into conversations with them. Just remember not to be too pushy – this is a big no-no for social media.

Blog: This is another one of the simplest and best lead-generating tools out there because it gives you a chance to establish credibility. You have complete control over the content of your blog posts, so if they are well-written and address genuine issues or problems within your sector in an informative way then you can quickly build up more interested customers. And of course, there should always be a newsletter sign-up link located close to your blog.

Webinars: More and more companies are recognising the benefits of hosting their own webinars – and it doesn’t have to be too much of a hassle. Having cottoned on to this, there are now many providers that will allow you to broadcast your webinar quickly and surprisingly cheaply.  Just make sure you ask around first to find out which are the most reliable. All you have to do then is come up with a great idea that is going to generate a bit of buzz and promote it using social media and your newsletter. Encourage your followers to share it with their followers and you have a valuable new source of leads.

How To Build A Content Marketing Strategy

Content marketing is a strategic approach to promoting your business online, focusing on creating valuable, relevant and above all consistent content to attract your target audience. It’s not about selling – it’s about communicating with your customers and establishing a bond of trust. But whilst this can be an incredibly effective tool for growth, it’s a skill and it does take time to get it right. If you’re new to the world of content marketing, here are some steps you can take to go about putting together a coherent strategy:

Establish Goals: You will only be able to keep an eye on your progress and track your ROI if you know exactly what your content marketing goals are from the outset. Whether you want to bring in more leads, increase your website traffic or boost your social media following, all of the following steps should be tailored towards this.

Connect With Customers: You should remember that your content marketing strategy begins with making a personal connection, so make it social. For example, use social media platforms to start a conversation, draw attention to trends in the industry or simply offer an entertaining article. People are far more likely to be drawn to and want to read content that makes them laugh or cry. People are far more likely to share your content with their own followers if it resonates with them on a personal level.

Be Informative and Consistent: With your content, you should aim to make it valuable and to really tell your customers what they want to know. Think about common problems your clients might face, or particular trends that are of interest. Can you build an article or blog post around these? You will find that the more relevant your content, the more likely it is to interest your target audience. Also, be consistent: people tend to trust things more if there are no surprises. Make sure you update your content on a regular basis and don’t vary your tone too much. If you’re going for informal and it seems to be working, then stick to that as far as possible.

Make It Accessible: Ensure that your entire team is aware of the strategy you have set out and that it is easy to follow. This doesn’t just mean your marketing team (if you have one). All employees should be able to participate, whether that is sales, human resources, admin or anybody else. Encourage the use of social media to promote your key aims, for example, and welcome any suggestions or feedback that anybody may have.

Measure Your Success: Whatever your goals might be, make sure that you know how to track metrics so you can find out whether your strategy is working or whether it needs a tweak. If you’re not sure how to do this, think about hiring a content marketing expert for a short time. They will be able to show you how to measure your results accurately on a monthly basis.