An estimated 75% of digital marketing budgets are wasted.
Choose the right tactics for your specific business.
There are hundreds of marketing tactics available to business owners and marketing managers. They are all valuable. Different combinations of marketing channels will work better than others, depending on the business, objectives and audience segments.
For each business goal there may be 3-5 solid tactical choices. But here’s the rub. Each one takes thoughtful, deliberate action to make them successful. Many businesses waste their limited time and money on the wrong tactics or haphazard use of the right tactics because they aren’t aware or don’t have the time to devote to deciphering what works best and when. Technology changes so often what might have been effective 3 months ago may be not so much today.
We highly recommend spending an hour to two developing a marketing plan based on specific goals so that you are making advertising choices based on data and not the influences of the latest new app or what the business next door is doing.
If you are ready to delve into choosing the best tactics for your goals, here are our top 5 marketing channels for 2021 – in no particular order:
1. Programmatic Display
There are many options in the area of Pay Per Click (PPC) Marketing. From Google ads, display ads to Facebook and Instagram paid advertisements, there is an endless combination. The one we see as providing the best bang for the buck in 2021 is Programmatic.
Also known as Display Advertising, Programmatic advertising is automated bidding on advertising inventory in real time, for the opportunity to show an ad to a specific type of customer, in a specific context or location.
Display advertising can focus on driving customers into your physical store, business, website or event.
Geotargeting and Geofencing allow you to create a virtual perimeter so that your ads deliver the right message to the right person, while they are online or on social media. Site retargeting allows you to serve up an ad to a visitor to your website or social media so that they have another chance to purchase.
There are several ways to build display advertising. We recommend hiring someone who specializes in Pay Per Click advertising but you can also build your own ads with Google ads.
2. Print Advertising
We are all aware of the massive disruption that online/social media marketing plays in how we consume information and make purchasing decisions. Print advertising including magazines, billboards and marketing materials, cannot be overlooked in its relevance. Trends are moving toward just a little less screen time for audiences of all ages. Social media is noisy and there can be trust issues with purchasing online without familiarity with the brand. Like any medium, if used as part of a specific strategy, print advertising is extremely effective and relatively inexpensive. In fact, surveys show that 80% of consumers will act on a print advertisement compared to just 45% with digital. And, a Penn State* study also suggests that there is a higher recall with a print ad versus digital.
3. Social Media – but not all
When we refer to social media, we must distinguish between paid social media and organic. Organic social media are those activities earned through the creation of content by the owner on their particular account or their contributions to other social media accounts and their followers. These are things like the posts you create on your Facebook or Instagram pages letting followers know about an event you have coming up or your favorite local coffee shop
Have you noticed that engagement on your posts is harder and harder to get these days?
With the social media companies changing their algorithms almost daily and the sheer volume of content on all social media platforms today, the return on investment (ROI) on organic posting is something to take into consideration. Sure, there is always a chance something you post will go viral but in reality it probably won’t. It is estimated that only 2% of your followers even see what you post. While we are not saying you should stop posting to your followers. We are suggesting however, that paid social media is right now, the best way to ensure you are getting the most out of your time, money and overall resources.
Two Caveat to organic social media content:
1. TikTok
We know that video content is one of the most powerful tools to build brands and connect with customers. The hottest social media platform today is TikTok – hands down. TikTok allows brands to attach themselves to the latest trending topics using relevant hashtags and lighthearted videos. TikTok videos can be shared on other social media platforms making it the ultimate in repurposing content. As with any social media, you really need to know your audience. While users of all ages are dabbling in TikTok, the average teenager and young adult spends more than 46 minutes per day watching videos on TikTok making it a platform worth using.
2. LinkedIN.
The most underutilized social media today is LinkedIN. LinkedIN is not just for job hunting any longer. Brands can gain massive organic reach with LinkedIn in 2021. We suggest jumping in 100% right now. By posting engaging content, connecting with customers and participating in industry discussions brands can create reach like never before. If you don’t currently have a personal brand or company brand page, now is the best time to get started. If you would like a little guidance, we can help.
4. Word of Mouth Marketing
Word of mouth is the oldest and most effective marketing channel. Getting a recommendation from a friend means more than any other when it comes to making a purchasing decision. While this marketing channel may seem obvious, modern day word of mouth includes Google reviews, Alignable recommendations and other online social media platforms. You can use this free online toolkit to find, manage and request reviews for your company all in one place. This will save you time and will help you cultivate that word of mouth marketing.
5. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a highly effective direct response tactic. When users have opted in to receive information from you, you have an engaged and often supportive audience who is likely willing to hear about your latest products and services and perhaps share with their friends and family.
Like all marketing efforts, email marketing needs to be consistent and intentional. You don’t want to waste the attention of this captive audience by not reaching out to them as soon as they sign up, emailing too little or too much. You may want to segment your audience so that certain subscribers receive certain emails at certain times. This will ensure you are getting the most out of your email marketing efforts. There are lots of great ways to manage this. I’m happy to jump on a 30 minute call to offer suggestions on how to get started. Here’s a link to get started.
All marketing effort requires an investment of resources – whether time or money. Choose the combination of tactics that suit your budget and the effort you are willing to put into the result. Keep in mind that most transactions require several touchpoints with a customer before they are willing to make a purchase. Give thought to what you choose, commit to your plan and you will see great success. If you would like more detail or suggestions on what might work best for your goals, we are happy to provide more.
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Jan Southern, DPA is the owner of J. DelSUR Marketing Group and publisher of Pooler Magazine and Effingham Magazine in southeast Georgia. She is a marketing and communications professional with more than 30 years experience, 16 of which have been in leading marketing initiatives for major universities in the U.S. Her experience includes marketing, brand development, design, publishing and strategic communications for public organizations and private sector clients in the healthcare, technology, lifestyle, giftware, publishing, automotive and other industries.