Let’s face it: everything’s digital now. As brick and mortar stores and businesses are losing their edge to online competition, it’s more important than ever to stick to your virtual presence. It may be overwhelming if you’re starting from scratch, but here are some tips from our experts that will help:
- Create a website that cements your brand identity.
A professional-looking and intuitive website is one of the most important assets you can create for your business or agency. This is the platform on which you can show who you are, what you offer, your expertise, and how clients or constituents can get in touch with you. A website also generates organic traffic and gives you the data needed to increase that traffic – it’s not a brochure, rather, it’s your most consistent salesperson.
2. Consider creating a website blog.
Blogging is also a great way to generate organic traffic, particularly for those clients who may be on the fence about engaging with you. In addition, it can establish credibility in your space and position you as a thought leader. Free website tools, or those available for a nominal fee, can help increase your visibility, while helping to build trust with your audience. And, once you start writing, you can add a call-to-action, poll, or option to subscribe that will help generate potential leads.
3. Promote Yourself on Social Media.
You may not understand the importance of Facebook or Instagram, Twitter or Pintrest, but you need it – and, often times, that’s where your clients or constituents are. Position yourself to be seen and engage in conversation – not only does it generate traffic and give you a platform for promotion, it can also increase your search engine rankings, which, in turn, also boosts your website performance.
4. Invest in Ads.
Eventually, your business or agency will survive on organic traffic, but since that takes a while to build, you want to invest in short-term advertising that targets a range of demographics. Google Ads is a great place to start if you know what your audience is searching the web for, and if you don’t, social media ads – such as sponsored promotions on Facebook – can garner enough impressions to generate interest.
Pop up tools or chat functions on social media or your website also increase opportunities for conversation and lead generation, while offering a platform that can hook a paying customer.
5. Develop a CRM and Capitalize on Email Marketing
Your calls-to-action on social media or your website helps generate the data necessary for a targeted email marketing approach that begins with the development of a constituent or customer relations management system, or CRM. Here’s where you’ll store your clients’ contact information, touches, and any other tidbits that will help inform your marketing strategy and identify new opportunities.
Once you’ve set up your CRM, you’re ready to begin sending out those personalized, targeted emails – you know, the ones with your name on the top that seem to speak to you and only you? According to the data out there, nearly 75% of millennials prefer communications that come through email and in terms of strategy, this one is easy, free, and a great way to communicate with both existing and new customers or constituents.