Congratulations! You have successfully braved past the first quarter of 2015! By now, some of you might be looking for some ideas to supercharge your business. In this article, I will be discussing the emerging digital marketing trends of 2015 that can potentially help your business. Digital advertising is essential in today’s day and age, yet many small business owners tend to shy away from things that they might not feel comfortable doing.
Here are 3 simple digital trends that not only have staying power, but will also allow you to blow past the competition.
1. Invest in mobile
Did you know that there are over 182 million smartphones in the United States? That’s more than half of the US population. These devices account for 55% of all internet usage. I for one use my smartphone for everything from the weather, traffic, and calorie counting to make sure I’m working off the lechon I ate over the weekend.
Since we are so accustomed to having information delivered to the palm of our hands, it is important that your mobile website is pleasing to the eye and easy to understand. You might even want to consider developing a dedicated mobile application (app). A mobile app is faster since it resides on your phone and doesn’t need a live internet connection to browse.
Investing in your website’s mobile interface or a dedicated app will put your business in the palms of your potential customers. It will keep their attention for a longer period of time, thus increasing the chance of them buying your product or service.
2. Take content marketing seriously
Content marketing is a relatively new form of marketing. Companies develop content to draw attention to their brand or product. Content strategy can either be informational or positively engaging. Research has shown that 60% people become more loyal to brands who engage their customers with original content.
Let’s first discuss an informational content strategy by using an insurance agency as an example. If our objective is to acquire more customers, sharing content on the advantages of whole life vs. term life insurance on the company website or social media pages might pique the interest of a prospective buyer that might just so happen to be browsing. Content allows you to showcase your expertise.
Producing positive and engaging content is another strategy successful brands use. This strategy has been effective for many fortune 500 companies. Not only does the content provide brand association to a feeling of positivity, it also leads to sales.
3. Keep track of the buzz
Publicity and gossip goes hand-in-hand. In the advertising world, there is a saying “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” The reason being that if someone is talking about you, it is always a good thing. Now what’s important is knowing how to keep track and reciprocate on these customer comments, no matter how good or bad.
I’m sure you have heard of Yelp reviews by now, but you might not have thought about Tripadvisor, Facebook, or even Twitter as platforms where customers make their opinions public. These are powerful opinion swaying tools that can damage or help your business. Knowing this, it is a deadly sin to pass and not interact with your customers.
Just as your friends maintain a friendship with you through conversations, you should be maintaining this friendly relationship between your business and your customers by engaging personally. If customers have expressed online that they were not happy with your services, ask them why and tell them that you take their comment seriously. If customers rave about your products, thank them for the compliment. Show them that they matter to your business and impress potential customers by showing that you care.
Be sure to look into all the social media platforms your business can be present on keep track of all the buzz about your brand.
So are you ready to supercharge your company? Just remember the formula: mobile + content + buzz = more customers. Don’t get intimidated because you haven’t done it before. Be sure to make a plan and a time line, then give it a try. Whatever you do, don’t give up. You might be surprised by how responsive your customers can be.
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Giancarlo Pacheco is the Co-Founder and CEO of PCA, a full-service marketing and communications agency with offices in Los Angeles and New York. For over a decade, the agency has been a leader in providing integrated campaigns for Fortune 1000 companies. PCA has served a wide array of clients including Gilead Life Sciences, Pernod Ricard USA, Jollibee Food Corporation, AARP, City National Bank, Verizon, Philippine Airlines and Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. For more information, please visit http://www.plancagency.com.