The majority of businesses view marketing, especially online paid advertising as a costly expense, a waste of time, this because of it’s volatile nature. That it’s an experiment, hit and miss, that online paid marketing is a crap shoot at best.
Unless you’re able to run your business entirely on referrals, you need to spend time finding clients using this “hit and miss” protocol, this to generate a valid lead. What most marketers will do however, is quit once they hit their first hurdle, this because of the unknown.
What they’re afraid of are the upfront costs, this throwing away money for paid advertising, as the results and residuals aren’t known for a while. These companies are approaching their marketing completely wrong, while they slowly bleed out.
The Need To Market
No one makes money until something’s sold. But what’s known is that the majority of all small businesses, for a variety of reasons, don’t bother to advertise whatsoever.
This despite they knowing that effective marketing is the only driver for realizing profit. So what becomes necessary is they needing to allocate a marketing budget, and then becoming determined to burn money until they get into profit.
While some startups will benefit from media exposure and go viral, the majority are required to chase dollars on marketing to exhibit their brand, this to sell product, this to avoid going out of business.
Focused Target Marketing
Never go wide but go deep, as what’s tempting is finding the biggest audience for your product. Focus instead on a specific demographic or niche, which is proven more effective.
What accurately defining a narrow target market does is provides a solid core foundation, along with setting strict parameters which focuses your efforts better. Think of it as a way to simplify and streamline your marketing campaigns.
Find Easier Keyword Search Terms
What traditionally worked in the past was going after the most popular keywords, but what doing so does is forces you to compete with the big budget brands. Some revel the competition, but small businesses needs to be more ninja to survive.
The latest consumer search methods are completely transforming the search process, as it’s becoming a more highly customized experience, as these searchers are now learning how to extract precise more specific information.
So use more natural language phrases instead, which are easier to rank for. Use keywords which defines intent.
Focus On Specific Qualified Leads
What most businesses will do is nurture their current leads, attempting to convert the same old ones which really aren’t that targeted, into buying customers.
Don’t waste your time and effort babying these leads, which may be too high in your sales funnel. A qualified lead is more than someone who gives you their email address.
What you need is their entire profile, their identity, intent, their budget. If you know that your customer is searching for something specific, then you have a valuable starting point when it comes to content creation.
What doing so gives you is a better chance of conversion, this by focusing on capturing that precise information upfront, rather than pushing those tired leads down the sales funnel.
Profile Your Buyer
Know who exactly buys your product or service. Profile your customers and then categorize them. How old are they, where are they from, what’s their pain threshold, price point, what issues are you solving for them.
If you refinance student loans, you then need to find leads in that specific demographic, and not chase after everyone such as those seeking credit card refinancing. If you have clearly defined your target market, you can then point precisely aligned content their way.
Segmenting Your Channels
If you have an email list, then you need to break it down into specific segments, such as those who’s expressed interest, and those who already bought from you.
If you have a traditional brick and mortar storefront, then segment your list into online and offline contacts. Refining your contact list helps in precisely knowing where they are in the sales funnel.
Those who have never purchased would be different from sending content to those who you’re wanting to buy again. If you have no idea who they are, then ask them.
Converting Existing Buyers
There are some businesses who’ll just look for new leads, this instead of nurturing the ones they already have. Those who have purchased in the past, have the greatest potential to buy again.
Remarket to these existing customers by offering them discounts, coupons, special offers, or upgrades. Never treat them as one and done, but a source of additional revenue.
Know Where Your Customers “Hang Out”
What most will do on social media is spend their time conversing with their product peers or competition, this rather than chatting with their most likely customers.
So instead, research and find out where your buying customers hang out, such as forums, Facebook Groups, and find out what their pain points and problems are, and then develop tailored content and inbound strategies.
Reverse Marketing Your Online Efforts
Some companies will avoid online marketing like the plague, this because of its uncertain and volatile nature.
Small businesses struggle establishing an advertising budget, while larger companies will always axe their advertising budgets first. The key becomes doing precise research first.
What your website visitors did was have enough faith to spend time with you. So have the same confidence in believing that your proposition is good enough to convert.
Allocate a marketing budget that you feel comfortable with, view it as an opportunity, and not a crap shoot. If you can motivate a targeted audience to take action, that’s all you need to generate leads, then eventually they’ll start to convert.