You already know how important it is to get as many eyes on your ads as possible. Create an eye-catching headline, and then you only have a sentence or two to convince your viewer to click through.
Your click-through rate, of course, is the number of those viewers who take action to learn more, buy now, or sign up for a limited free trial. It's important seeing the total users responding to the call-to-action leading them to view a page, email, or advertisement. And similar to good old-fashioned direct mail, the average response rate for Google ads is relatively small, 2-5%.
You may have heard of the rule of seven when it comes to marketing. The general wisdom is prospective buyers will need to see a marketing message seven times before deciding to purchase. These might be digital ads, billboards, commercials, emails, bus wraps, etc. With today's hyper-distracted consumer, numbers will continue to climb as prospective buyers interact with your brand across multiple channels and devices. They expect experiences that are personalized, consistent, and delivered to their preferred communication formats. Social media makes these contacts easier by seamlessly leveraging data to analyze online purchasing behavior. As a result, it's not unusual for a brand to be interacting with its targeted audience several times a day.
Indeed, you’ve noticed a quick Internet inquiry will likely trigger a torrent of messages related to your search results. Google the shoe brand your friend is raving about at lunch, and before you buy it, ads will show up on every social media platform you interact with. It could be an influencer video on Instagram, an ad on TikTok, or a ‘20% off your first purchase’ coupon code sent via text.
Social Media Strategy that Works
So, how do you hack your way through all the clutter to get to a likely buyer? With a strategic plan, of course, but you knew I would say that. How do you build a strategic plan from the ground up? You've created a visual identity, refined your narrative, and identified your intended audience; now what? Planning sounds boring, but the process can be as fun as it is educational. You’re confident you know quite a bit about your customers after creating some representative personas. So, where do they go for fun, news, or apparel? What are they reading, streaming, or hooked on in the explosion of new podcasts? How do they prefer to communicate? Put away your laptops, and dry erase markers and bring out popular magazines, articles about trends, and insights you’ve collected from popular culture.
Evaluate the costs, reach, and plans of all your digital options. There was a time, not so long ago, when all a brand could do was communicate one way through commercials, billboards, and print. There's no real interaction with consumers; here's the message, and hope the right people see it. Digital advertising creates an immediate 2-way conversation with prospective customers if they choose to interact with the brand. Once you grab their attention, you have to continuously generate the content they want to see. Videos, promotions, giveaways. Who knows? Things change quickly in a world that seems to move faster and faster every day. If you want to build long-term relationships with customers, you have to keep up. One of the most challenging things to plan for is the frequency of your outreach. It may take a few tries before you figure out how much is too much.
Continue Telling Your Story
We talked about the importance of storytelling. Consumers don’t just buy into merchandise; they buy into brands. Brands with stories they can relate to. Consciousness has also begun to play an increasingly important role in helping your customers choose brands make them feel good about their purchases. Are your ingredients or products made ethically and sustainably? Are your workers treated fairly and paid a thriving wage? Today’s buyers want the whole package; quality, transparency, and authenticity, on top of value. It's a tall order, but not that difficult to stay one step ahead of your audience with a great story.
The good news is digital formats give you the flexibility to pivot quickly in response to what’s happening in the industry and even in the world. New platforms and communication tools spring up at a pace that can leave your mind reeling. Having a plan is essential, but savvy marketers know they may need to veer off the path to respond to current events and advancing technology.
Follow the Cues and the Clues
Buyers spend an inordinate amount of time each day on electronic media, with different media research sources estimating between seven to 14 hours a day. This includes network television, streaming services, social media, online retail shops, email, gaming devices, etc. That means a typical American spends a quarter to over half of their days consuming digital content. That’s good news to marketers who use to pay millions for billboards, print ads, and commercials that they hoped their customers would stumble upon.
Digital media tells brand stories 24/7 across multiple channels and in formats capable of measuring in real-time. If your message isn't resonating with your audience, change it or reroute it to an outlet where your audience is more likely to spend their time. Switch out the ‘build it, and they will come’ mentality with a smart, comprehensive strategy that gets attention. Your prospects aren’t a one-size-fits-all, monolithic block of stats; they are individuals who have come to expect messages tailored just for them.
Turning Buyers into Loyal Customers
A consumer clicked on your link and made their purchase. That's not the end of the journey; it could be just the beginning of a long-term relationship with a new customer. See a sale as an opportunity to create brand loyalty, not just the culmination of your marketing efforts. It may sound like a no-brainer, but many businesses miss out on larger opportunities by treating a transaction as nothing more than a onetime exchange of cash.
A savvy marketer will take each transaction as an opportunity to delight, engage, and learn more about the purchaser. They deliver a better product than promised, give a little extra, then offer incentives to return. Offer exclusive content, product news, and additional incentives to return to your business. All it takes is an email address to begin building a two-way connection with consumers that can turn them into loyal fans.
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