Today, digital marketing is the star of the marketing world. It was gaining in popularity before the Covid-19 pandemic, but its adoption was slow and inconsistent. Now, businesses across all segments use it at some level, and that will be the case even after the pandemic ends. But the rise of digital marketing does not mean you need to give up on the traditional telemarketing, direct mail or advertising you have always done. It means only that you need to identify your ideal audience and determine how to reach them.
Know Your Target Market
If your target market is baby boomers or traditionalists or even gen X, you are fairly likely to reach them using these tactics. If gen Z or millennials are your market, none of the marketing tactics we named would be the best choice. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok would be better choices. If your target buyer spans different generation, your marketing mix should do the same.
Develop a Consistent Plan
Having a solid, consistent plan that reflects the customer journey is the most important part of any strategic marketing plan. That means becoming familiar with every step the customer takes before saying “buy.” This may mean mapping the journey for each different type of buyer.
The journey’s end goal is always the same, but the journey can begin with anything from a click on an online ad to answering a cold call. The rest follows from that first contact. Most of the rest of the sales process is virtual these days, with meetings and demos held on online platforms.
Sales processes vary by industry, and companies will put their own spin on them. Actually plotting them out and reviewing the data supporting where customers stop the process is helpful. It will enable you to plan how to answer questions and move customers further down the sales funnel.
Personalize Your Marketing
Because we are living in a virtual business environment, it is more important than ever to personalize your marketing. Written marketing communications that start with a general lead-in like “Dear Resident” or “Dear Mr. John Jones” are a wasted effort that is destined for the trash.
This is the time to be proactive about identifying and targeting your ideal customer using a combination of inbound (e.g., search engine marketing, social media, PPC ads) and outbound (e.g., cold calls, email marketing, direct mail) lead generation.
Ask for Referrals
Another good tactic is asking existing customers for referrals. Depending on what you are selling, you can try a number of potentially successful tactics for reaching out. Following are some examples:
- Having a social media influencer promote the product
- Offering a bonus for referring new customers
- Offering a bonus for opening a charge card
- Giving cash back that can be used at a later date
- Offering a 2-for-1 or buy-2-get-1-free bonus
There are many variations on these promotions. There also can be limitations, such as the maximum number of referrals permitted in a certain time period or an expiration date for using cash back. As long as the program resonates with the target audience and matches the product or service being sold, the chances of success are good.
We welcome the opportunity to put our accounting expertise to work for you. To learn more about how our firm can help advance your success, don’t hesitate to contact Kathy Corcoran at (302) 254-8240.
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