By: Cate Boller
Traditional print marketing is out, and digital marketing is in! If you’re looking for effective ways to market your brand, regardless of industry, e-commerce and digital strategies are the directions you need to go in. With that being said, here’s a breakdown of where you should target your marketing efforts based on what your company is, sells, or does.
Product/Service
For various reasons, using social media marketing is much more effective than traditional marketing. The most prominent reason is quite simply that you need to put your brand right where people will see it. And where do people spend most of their time? On their phones, on social media. Plain and simple. Convenience is the key to marketing in today’s world. If you put your product or service right in front of your target audience and have an easy path to purchase, then you’ve found the perfect recipe for success.
Another pro of social media marketing is adaptability. Trends, wants, needs, etc. can change on a daily basis, and your company needs to have the flexibility to pull a campaign or promote one with the blink of an eye. If you’re still using traditional marketing and scheduled a campaign three weeks in advance to run an ad that ended up losing momentum last week, you’ve wasted time, energy, and money on a promotion that will serve you little to no purpose. Having a dedicated team that can keep up with trends and change your marketing efforts accordingly in real time is vital for taking your company to the next level.
The most notable social media platforms that your brand needs to have a voice on are Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. It’s also important to have your brand on multiple platforms for a multitude of reasons. Having an established voice and reputation on different channels shows credibility, aids in cross-promotion efforts, and allows you to reach different target audiences through different angles. Your social media marketing should be tailored to each platform for specialized features, engagement tactics, and overall voice.
Agency/Business
Marketing your agency, or business as a whole, is similar to marketing a product or service as far as needing to be on numerous social channels. This is crucial for referring customers, building a reputation, maintaining a valued customer community, and featuring accomplishments and news, amongst other things. Consumers check your credibility based on your online presence on these major social media platforms. It is rare for companies, especially in the digital space, to find your agency or business through traditional print advertising.
Another major source of marketing for your business are things like B2B marketplaces. For example, DesignRush, a B2B marketplace, posts a top New York Digital Agencies list that is built specifically to connect companies with digital agencies to help aid them with their digital marketing needs. If your B2B business or agency is having trouble connecting with other companies, establishing a footprint on a website similar to this will boost your promotion ten-fold.
Utilizing your in-house public relations team, if you have one, is another tool at your disposal. Researching relevant trade publications, online magazines, etc. can get you in front of your target market. Positioning yourself to be seen by those of interest is the first step. Having a strong online presence to back you up is what follows.
The world has changed to be predominantly online. Between ever-changing trends and the ease of online shopping, promoting, and brand building, social media marketing is vital for your brand’s success.