Smart Ways to Reduce Marketing Costs While Increasing Results

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Marketing Costs|Smart Ways to Reduce Marketing Costs While Increasing ResultsMarketing is an integral aspect for every business. It can also be expensive and leave a giant hole in even the biggest budgets.

At least, that is the case for those not willing to be smart and creative with their marketing efforts. This is because even frugal spenders can have an effective advertising campaign without needing to splash the cash.

If you want proof of this, read on for shrewd methods to reduce your marketing costs while also boosting sales results at the same time.

Step it Up with Social Media

For frugal marketers, one of the best tools at their disposal is social media. Obviously it is free to set up a business page on the likes of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It also doesn’t have to cost any money to make posts — although it is recommended to use ads on social media at some point.

Because of this, social media is a fantastic tool with limitless potential. If you manage to strike gold — aka a viral post or Tweet — this could lead to your brand being seen by hundreds of thousands of people. To improve your visibility on social media, consider the following:

  • Post regularly. Try and make at least one post per day on each platform
  • Don’t prioritize quantity over quality
  • Understand your audience and the content it craves
  • Build up relationships with customers and other businesses
  • Use visuals when possible. Videos and photos always perform better than text-based content
  • Monitor performance. Are certain posts/Tweets working better than others? Stick with what works going forward
  • Don’t ignore any responses to your social media content. Always reply back as soon as possible

Use a Direct Mail Service

Even though this article has generally highlighted digital marketing tips, make no mistake: there’s still a place for using physical marketing for your business.

This is arguably best evidenced by mail-based marketing. Whether it’s a letter or leaflet, any mail through the post is impossible to ignore. As a result, it has a distinct advantage over emails or other online marketing strategies which can be easily skimmed over.

Sadly, a mail campaign can be a costly procedure unless you go with a direct mail provider. As established mailing experts Washington Direct Mail (WDM) demonstrates, you can receive a full-service mailing campaign at a reduced cost compared to doing it in-house.

Repurpose Content

If you’re sitting on a large quantity of content, it’s about time you start squeezing every bit of value out of it for your company’s benefit.

In terms of repurposing content, this means taking an original piece of content — say a blog post — and adapting it for different formats. For example, that blog post could be transformed into social media posts, or maybe even a video.

If you have a large piece of content such as an eBook, this is even better. This could be broken up into multiple blog posts, an infographic, audio content, etc. Basically, you have many opportunities to market your business with content you have already created.

Digital Marketing Tactics You Must Avoid

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Digital Marketing|Digital Marketing Tactics You Must AvoidWhen trying to get noticed online, it’s easy to resort to desperate measures. Here are just a few ‘desperate’ digital marketing tactics that could end up annoying consumers, as well as a few tips on what you should do instead.

Keyword stuffing

Keyword stuffing involves stuffing as many keywords into an online text as possible. The intended purpose of this is to boost one’s search engine rankings. However, keyword stuffing can often have the opposite effect – most algorithms will negatively rank your content if it comes across as too keyword-heavy. Excessive use of keywords also doesn’t look natural and could make text hard to read.

You’re much better off hiring an SEO expert and finding more subtle and natural ways to boost rankings. This could include off-page SEO and maybe even ways to improving your site’s speed.

Buying followers

Having business social media accounts with lots of followers can make your company look popular and successful. However, you need to be careful about how you acquire these followers. If you choose to buy followers, you’ll be deceiving people. Such followers are also likely to be inactive accounts, so may find that you’re not getting much interaction with your posts despite having so many followers.

There are many organic ways to build followers – such methods may be much slower and not always guaranteed, but it’s much more honest. Paid social media ads is just one example.

Faking reviews

Writing fake positive reviews of your company may seem like a way to quickly restore your reputation, but there are dangers to telling lies. If people find out that you’re lying, they’ll mistrust you even more deeply. You’re also lying to yourself by writing faking reviews of your company – and you’ll likely be left feeling guilty.

Rather than writing fake reviews, you should focus on encouraging happy customers to leave genuine positive reviews. There are lots of ways to encourage positive online reviews.

Pop-up ads

Pop-ups can be intrusive and irritating. This can be particularly the case with multiple pop-up ads. There are times when pop-ups can be used productively such as getting people to sign up to your mailing list or accept cookies. However, pop-ups of promotional deals and adverts can feel a lot like the virtual equivalent of hassling someone in a shop.

Try to use pop-ups sparingly and sensibly. A pop-up doesn’t have to take up the entire screen and you can trigger them to appear at different times.

Email spamming

Email marketing can be an effective way to convert customers. However, you should be careful of how many emails you’re sending per week. Several emails per day could be seen as excessive and you could find that you’re flooding their inbox. If they receive too many emails from you in too short a space of time, you could find that they unsubscribe.

As a small company, there may only be a need to send two emails per week. Focus on quality over qu

5 Ways To Extend Your Marketing Reach In 2020

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, 5 Ways To Extend Your Marketing Reach In 2020

Creating a buzz around your business or your latest product is vital these days. With competition in all quarters, having a multifaceted marketing campaign will ensure you get the widest reach and the best conversion possible.

Whatever the concept, brand, or item that you are selling is, finding the right vehicle to reach the desired segment of the market is crucial.

With social media trends changing on such as a frequent basis, running a standard campaign on the tried and tested lines may not always cut it.

If you are looking for a fresh and contemporary marketing campaign that will provide you with the widest reach, here are some of the top suggestions of getting the message out there in 2020.

Setting Up A Social Media Challenge

One type of marketing campaign is to set up a viral campaign on social media sites such as Facebook. Check out 5 day challenge ideas for some further inspiration.

Having a series that runs for a few days will keep people coming back and will also encourage them to partake, comment, and share

Invest In Snapchat Or Instagram Filters

Filters on social media offer a great way of subtly getting advertising messages into a vast segment. If you want to broaden your reach to an exciting consumer market that is very much on-trend and looking for the next big thing, creating social media filters are a great way of doing this.

Hold A Flash Mob Event

Holding a flash mob event in a busy crowded area such as on a high street or in a shopping center will allow you to create lots of opportunities for viral footage to get out. With many people more than willing to post every happening event on social media through both stories and news feeds, it would not be hard to encourage anyone who was there witnessing or taking part to pass on the word for you.

Creating event-specific hashtags which are seamlessly communicated throughout the flash mob, will mean that people know exactly what tags to use on sites like Instagram and Twitter.

Utilizing Smart Speaker Technology

With one of the fastest-growing segments of the tech industry being the smart speaker, is it time that you focused your marketing campaigns on this area?

With many homes having them, smart speakers offer a window into people’s lives. The learning capabilities to provide targeted marketing are very high and this is an area that is worth exploring whatever line of business you are in.

Rise Of The AI

Chatbots are here to stay. With seemless messaging across all social media platforms, you could be creating marketing campaigns based around this technology. With the ability to adapt and learn as they go, artificial intelligence chatbots allow you to really engage with your consumers in a way that you previously would not have had the people power to achieve. With many wide ranging applications, chatbots should be central in your marketing strategy in 2020.

Tips to Make Your Digital Marketing Agency a Success

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Digital Marketing Agency|Tips to Make Your Digital Marketing Agency a Success
Image courtesy of Launchpresso

Starting a digital marketing agency is one thing, making it a successful entity is quite another. There are many such agencies that have reached the pinnacle of success with their own formula. They have worked hard and made all the right decisions at the right time. Their stories are inspirational and offer food for thought for all those people who are striving to succeed in this field. If you are in Australia then look for the digital marketing Brisbane has to offer.

Let’s discuss in brief how you can profit from the footprints of these successful entities, and reach the heights that you have always dreamed of.

1. The Essentiality of Networking

There is a saying in the business world: If you are easily able to count on your fingers the number of business connections that you possess at any given time, you better start working overtime.

In order to grow in any line of business, you must be out in the field connecting with relevant people. These connections will provide you with the referrals that you need for building your client base. In order to build a great network, you need to:

Begin locally: If you are in the same area as the business entities that you are targeting, nothing can be much better. You can introduce yourself and your digital marketing agency with great ease and comfort
Remain focused on your niche: You may find yourself compelled to offer your services to everyone, but you must first find out a target or a niche market. This is because you are an expert in a niche, and it would be best to not lose your focus by attesting to win over everyone.

2. Focus on Your Own Branding

Some digital marketing agencies are so busy working on the branding of others that they simply forget to work on their own brand management. However, the truth is that no one can grow their own business unless they are known well by their own clients and customers. This makes it imperative for digital marketers to keep aside a hefty amount from their budgets to be spent on their own marketing.

3. The Pricing Factor

Pricing is a factor that is very important whether you are making a million-dollar sale, or simply offering a T-shirt. Price is the thing that decides whether the customer will make a purchase or begin looking at other venues. Some of the promising digital marketing agencies have failed because – due to high competition – they wouldn’t charge enough for their clients. On the other hand, some failed simply because they were charging too much.

The pricing may differ for every agency. One of the best ways of arriving at the right pricing is to observe what your main competitors are charging for similar services. You can calculate their average prices, and see if the same price will provide you with a profit after you deduct all the expenses to be incurred on providing the required service. It is never advisable to set your price low in order to satisfy a few customers. You should never sell yourself cheap. Your price should always reflect the value being offered to the clients.

4. Develop Comprehensive Procedures

You should have comprehensive procedures for everything that you are doing, or plan to do. In fact, briefly defined procedures or SOPs are the cornerstones of any good business. These procedures serve as the blueprint for effectively managing the daily operations of the business in an efficient manner.

The reporting procedure should also be completely automated. Rather than typing big proposals every time all over again, there should be templates readily available that can be customized for clients, and sent to them a.s.a.p.

Appalments with clients should also be streamlined with the help of scheduling software. The team should have all the procedures and guidelines readily available so that they are able to carry out their tasks effectively and steadily.

5. Hire Professionals

One of the drawbacks faced by digital marketers and especially the newcomers is that they are unable to handle all the work coming towards them. Of course, it is your duty to deliver all the required work to the customers on time, but it is not essential that you do everything by yourself.

If you are busy doing all the work, how will you plan further growth? This means that you need a team of likeminded professionals who possess the set of necessary skills to assist you in delivering. You can also outsource some of your work to others. This becomes relevant when third parties have the required expertise in a certain field that you do not possess. This could be SEO marketing, Management of social media accounts, and other aspects of digital marketing. Your best option is either to hire people who can carry out the functions for you, or outsource them to third parties

The Final Word

Like in every other thing in life, there is no set formula for success in digital marketing. This is because the situations and circumstances differ from one business to the other. What is relevant for one company, maybe completely irrelevant to another.

However, the tips shared in the above article provide a general overview for digital marketers to follows. Of course, they will need to be taken into account and the unique circumstances in which they are operating, but still, the general rules will apply to each and every company. At the end how you are able to use these tips for your own success is entirely up to you.

Common-Sense Website Tips For Newbies

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, Common-Sense Website Tips For Newbies

If you’re starting up a business, one of the first things you’re going to need is a website. But if you’ve never built a website before, it can feel like an impossible task – especially if you’re not very tech-savvy.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it! Building a website is straightforward, with a lot of tools out there to help you get started. Some additional tips will help make sure your efforts pay off and help you develop a successful website for your business.

Here are some common-sense website tips for newbies to get your site off the ground.

Decide on the kind of website you want

Don’t have a website yet? There are plenty of strong arguments for having a business website. A website can help you improve your sales, help you provide information to clients, show off your portfolio – whatever you want. Making the decision about what kind of website you want and the features you want it to have will make it easier to create.

Use an easy web builder

Building a website doesn’t have to involve a complicated design and a degree in coding. There are some fantastic website builders out there that can help you create a simple, striking website in minutes. The best website builders feature a wide range of designs to choose from and a lot of extra features to help you get the most out of your website. From an online store to an online booking system, you can make whatever you want possible.

Approach it from the user’s point of view

Your user’s perspective is the most important thing when creating a website. What would you want to read online? Which features are the most important to you? By taking this approach, you can help build a website that people will actually want to use. You can use tree testing to make sure your menu options are all relevant and easy for your user to find. Regular testing is a great idea to make sure your website is delivering what your customers or clients need.

Keep your layout simple

The layout of your website needs to be clean and simple. If you put too much on a page, nobody is going to want to read it. Your website doesn’t have to be flashy, but playing around with your layout can make a big impact. Use a mixture of words and images and don’t be afraid to play with different font sizes and weights. You’ll want to draw the eye to the most important parts of your website and make it clear what you’re offering.

Need some ideas for a cool website design? Take a look at some unique website layouts to give you some inspiration.

Use fewer words

It’s natural to want to provide people with as much information as possible, but word counts are very important when it comes to your website. Being able to write concisely will help you keep the reader’s attention, and hopefully help them linger on your site longer. You can find some good tips for writing for the web that can help the reader scan the page and feel engaged with your content. Writing well takes practice, but it will be worth it to have great web copy on your site.

Choose the best images

Images can have a huge impact on your website, and there are a couple of ways you can do this. A hero image is a great way to draw attention on your website, creating a great first impression. You should also think about the types of images you use on the rest of your web content, making sure each one is carefully selected to help tell the story of your business.

You’ll need to make sure that you have all of the appropriate permissions for the photos you use. You can either take them yourself, or you can find them through stock websites. Make sure you check you’re using online photos legally, you wouldn’t want to have to remove them after working hard to get your website looking just right.

Double-check everything

A good piece of advice to follow is to proof all of your content, or make sure that someone else does. Having typos and other errors doesn’t look very professional, and it also helps to sense-check what you’ve already written.

As well as proofing your content, you should check that everything works. Regular testing to make sure the links are working, everything is loading and that your process work can help prevent problems that could cost your business. Carry out regular checks on your website and resolve any problems immediately.

Make it secure

Data protection is extremely vital in today’s day and age, and any kind of breach could be disastrous for your business. Protect your website by making sure its kept up to date, use the right security software and use https encryption. These elements will help provide the basic protection your website needs. If you’re dealing with financial transactions and personal data on your website, it can be a good idea to speak to web security experts who can help ensure your website has the protection it needs.

Don’t forget to promote it

After launching your website, you need to promote it. An effective website promotion plan will help you drive visitors to your website and help them connect with your business. There are plenty of creative marketing ideas for your business that include free and affordable options while you get your business off the ground. Don’t forget to include links in your social media posts to help drive as many people to your website as possible.

Designing your own website is a great way to ensure your business gets the attention it deserves. By following some of the guidance above, you can create a fantastic website that will get your business off the ground. There are some fantastic website builders like sitejet out there that can help you create a simple, striking website in minutes. It’s quicker and easier than ever to get started, so make a start on your new business website today.