As the New Year begins, now is the perfect time to think about your online marketing strategy for 2015. Don't have a clear focus? Don't worry. We'll point you in the right direction. Let's review some strategies that will make the most impact in the coming year.
Email
What's old is new again. Email is still the primary way to communicate with your audience. It's fast, simple and mobile friendly. People receive emails everywhere they go. It's the first thing they check in the morning and last thing they read at night. Are we lost in a sea of emails? Perhaps. However, if your emails are short, to the point and, most importantly, add value, you can rise above the muddy waters.
Adding value is key. If your emails educate, solve a problem or answer common questions about your product or service, they'll get read. An intriguing subject line will help. Offer a free report, study or white paper and add even more value. Make sure you lead people back to your site and include your logo. Don't get too cute with your message or add tons of images. People don't want email newsletters anymore. They want simple, valuable insights to help them reach their goals. Add a personal touch by adding their first name to the salutation. That will get their attention.
Content Marketing
The popularity of great content on your site will continue to rise in the coming year. If people are intrigued enough by the content you share, they will most likely add themselves to your email marketing list for more. The larger your audience, the greater your chance for referrals.
The key to good content marketing is similar to email marketing. People want good, educational content that helps them solve a problem or see their business challenges in a new light. However, I guarantee that if you hold back your "secrets to success," people won't sign up. The current business environment demands that you remain transparent. Any company that thinks it can hold back because it wants its customers to pay for its knowledge will lose. Customers can always get information somewhere else.
Marketing Automation Software
This is where the rubber meets the road.
Imagine delivering great content from your website to your customers exactly when they want it, even while you sleep. This is powerful in a world where time zones don't matter anymore.
Marketing automation enables companies to send content out once a trigger is initiated. It can be anything from a link click to filling out a form. The software also offers tracking and measurement of your communication for even more success.
For instance, you can automate the flow of your leads through your online web forms, including tasks to be assigned to certain sales people for follow up, and simultaneous autoresponders to your leads, including great tips and content while they are still shopping your competition. You can also automate nurture sequences to bring old leads back to the top and regain interest in your products or services at specific times in the future.
What's old is new again. Email is still the primary way to communicate with your audience. It's fast, simple and mobile friendly. People receive emails everywhere they go. It's the first thing they check in the morning and last thing they read at night. Are we lost in a sea of emails? Perhaps. However, if your emails are short, to the point and, most importantly, add value, you can rise above the muddy waters.
Adding value is key. If your emails educate, solve a problem or answer common questions about your product or service, they'll get read. An intriguing subject line will help. Offer a free report, study or white paper and add even more value. Make sure you lead people back to your site and include your logo. Don't get too cute with your message or add tons of images. People don't want email newsletters anymore. They want simple, valuable insights to help them reach their goals. Add a personal touch by adding their first name to the salutation. That will get their attention.
Content Marketing
The popularity of great content on your site will continue to rise in the coming year. If people are intrigued enough by the content you share, they will most likely add themselves to your email marketing list for more. The larger your audience, the greater your chance for referrals.
The key to good content marketing is similar to email marketing. People want good, educational content that helps them solve a problem or see their business challenges in a new light. However, I guarantee that if you hold back your "secrets to success," people won't sign up. The current business environment demands that you remain transparent. Any company that thinks it can hold back because it wants its customers to pay for its knowledge will lose. Customers can always get information somewhere else.
Marketing Automation Software
This is where the rubber meets the road.
Imagine delivering great content from your website to your customers exactly when they want it, even while you sleep. This is powerful in a world where time zones don't matter anymore.
Marketing automation enables companies to send content out once a trigger is initiated. It can be anything from a link click to filling out a form. The software also offers tracking and measurement of your communication for even more success.
For instance, you can automate the flow of your leads through your online web forms, including tasks to be assigned to certain sales people for follow up, and simultaneous autoresponders to your leads, including great tips and content while they are still shopping your competition. You can also automate nurture sequences to bring old leads back to the top and regain interest in your products or services at specific times in the future.
Desiree Colonna Scales Desiree is the CEO and owner of Bella Web Design, Inc. She is a featured online marketing and marketing automation expert for USAToday.com, NBC Nightly News, 11Alive and CBS Atlanta.