In today’s digital marketing landscape, there is no shortage of marketing channels to choose from.  There are so many, in fact, that many businesses don’t know where to start.  In this blog, we’ll touch on some tips that will help you narrow things down.

The problem today isn’t a shortage of ways to market a business.  It’s the overabundance.

And when you talk to most marketing companies, the problem only gets worse.  If they have a solution for a particular channel, they’re going to tell you that channel works great for your business — because they want to sell you the service.

But it’s not the case that every channel works for every business.  Furthermore, most SMBs can’t afford to simply test everything in the hopes of finding the few channels that excel for them.

This is where having a specific, well-developed marketing strategy pays off.   A marketing strategy is an overall game plan that overrides — and has a longer lifespan than — any individual channel or tactic.  When you have a strategy, you get a better sense of what channels your business lends itself to, as well as which ones are less likely to connect with your audience.

Here, we will describe each of the channels Marketing 360® works in, with ideas that will help you decide how each would work for you.

Note that a few of these channels are, in fact, used by most businesses.  But it’s still worth it, strategically, to weigh the options of each.

SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a tactic with the goal of getting your website content to display in search results without having to pay for clicks.  There are two main strategies to consider.

The first is for local, geo-targeted search, which is managed through your Google Business Profile listing.  If you have a locally-based business and your clients come to you, you definitely want to set this up.

Also, if you’re a service business that works on private property (like a plumber or HVAC service), this will be the basis for your Local Service Ads.  If your business has no need for a local presence, you may not need this.

The second part of SEO is based on informational content marketing.   This works best when clients have information gaps that relate to your offer, and they’re likely to go on a search for answers.  The content you create — when it ranks on page one — is a gateway into your sales funnel.

With many organic searches, Google favors informational content.  As you assess what keywords to target, look at what’s already ranking.  If there is a lot of informational material, that’s what you’ll need to create to compete.  The best case is when there is a legit informational gap nobody is filling yet, which gives you a better chance to rank your content.

If there is no valid reason for you to create informational content to help people with their buying decision, this tactic may not be for your business.

Paid search advertising

While SEO is a type of earned traffic, paid search advertising is based on bidding for keywords and positions. And, it’s an important tactic for many businesses.

First, it’s the most immediate way to get to the top of search results.  Google allocates the top spots on SERPs to paid ads.  If you need to rank and gain traffic immediately, this is the tactic.

Paid ads tend to do better with a direct-response call to action that targets transactional search intent.  Because you’re paying for traffic on a per-visitor basis, you want to target people most likely to convert into a lead or sale.

Many factors affect what clicks cost, including location, target keywords, competition and exposure goals.  A big factor in planning this tactic is how you’ll apply your budget.

When you think of PPC, think of immediacy.  You get your most targeted ads in from of people with a strong active need.  You can evaluate ROI fairly easy with this tactic by comparing your ad spend with lead generation and revenue numbers.

If you don’t have a targeted demographic to target with a known buying intent, approach paid search carefully.  You’ll pay a lot for traffic that doesn’t deliver results if you’re not careful.

Retargeting

Retargeting ads are a type of paid search, but they are tactically different from PPC text ads.

Retargeting takes place after someone visits another one of your web properties, like your website, YouTube videos or Facebook business page.  It works off the assumption that the initial interaction demonstrates strong interest.  The visitor’s browser is tagged and added to a list that “retargets” them with a series of ads.

On Facebook, most reactions to a post can be retargeted.  Your goals can be as targeted as a direct sale, or might be lower-level action, such as gaining more likes for your page.

Retargeting often uses banner-style ads, but the tactic can also use videos like bumper ads.

With the extended buying cycle and generally fluttery behavior of online consumers, there’s a lot of value to explore with retargeting.  You can even retarget text searches with RLSA ads.

Services that deal with immediate needs and short sales cycles (either you get them the first time or you lose them) might not need retargeting.  Most other businesses benefit from using this tactic.

Social targeting

Social targeting allows you to access the vast demographic and interest-based data of social media platforms to target paid ads.

Today, Facebook has more data on users than any platform in history.  They track everything people do, and also tie into purchasing data so they know consumer behaviors.

This allows you to target people with remarkable specificity, to the point that you can actually over-target, making your audience too small to be viable.

As shopping and personal experience continue to overlap, this is an increasingly effective way to advertise.  However, it is a tactic you must be prepared to test and modify.  Just because you have a highly targeted campaign doesn’t mean you’re reaching people with buying intent.

Branding and audience engagement goals are served well by social targeting ads, and you can adjust your bidding based on the value of the goal.

The biggest consideration with both social ads and organic social media (next topic) is determining if your audience is actively using the platform.  Not every demographic is on every social media channel, and not every type of content is a fit for social.

For example, a plumber advertising 24×7 emergency services would be better off using PPC on Adwords than trying to advertise on Facebook.

However, a custom jewelry designer could do well targeting on Facebook or Instagram, not only with direct sales ads but also with branding material designed to increase awareness.

Social media management

Social media management is a service for implementing the organic activities on your social media channels.  Like SEO, you don’t pay for clicks or other engagement metrics.

Social media marketing is most effective for branding goals.  In this case, you have to create content that integrates itself well into the conversations people are already having on social media.  This is not the place for a direct-response sales pitch.

A huge factor here is how well your business lends itself to the native language of the platform.  For example, a brand selling fashion for teen girls can do well on Snapchat.  Food-related products do well on Pinterest.  Facebook works well for local businesses like restaurants or entertainment centers.

If you can get people to share their experiences with your brand on their social media channels, you’re doing it right.

For organic social media, don’t have expectations for direct sales or other conversion actions.  This is, for the most part, top-of-funnel lead generation and branding that feeds into a more direct sales strategy.

Of all the tactics we’re discussing, social media management is the one that can most easily be handled internally.  You need to be able to express the personality behind your business to be effective on this channel.

However, if you lack time or don’t have anyone who is social media savvy at your business, then you should consider hiring a social media management service.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is tried and true.  It remains an effective marketing tactic, particularly for lead nurturing.

The big advantage of email marketing is that automation processes let you personalize a series of emails, increasing the relevance of material for recipients.

Email is also excellent for client retention, allowing you to send updates, deals, tips, and news to existing clients.

For lead generation, the biggest task is creating opt-in lists (buying email lists is a spammy tactic that can get you in trouble).

With platforms, like The Nurture app, email is an inexpensive tactic that doesn’t require a big time commitment.   Between lead nurturing and client retention goals, most businesses can benefit from it.

Reputation management

Today, online reviews are so influential that they’re often the most important channel of them all.  If you don’t have positive reviews on multiple platforms including Google, Facebook and Top Rated Local®, many of your other marketing efforts may be for naught.

Your reputation itself is a reflection of the quality of work you deliver.  This is an overriding strategy that is at the core of what you do.  The more you delight customers and exceed expectations, the better this aspect of your marketing will be.

Reputation management is about making sure that your stellar work is represented in your online reviews.  The problem many businesses have is that the happy medium most of their clients are in isn’t well represented in the review content.  Rather, they get a few glowing reviews from their biggest advocates and then get a bunch of negatives because – unfortunately — disgruntled customers are more likely to write a review.

Likewise, product reviews for eCommerce sites are imperative.  Shoppers today love to get input from other buyers.  Detailed, positive reviews can be the difference maker.

This is a channel every business must address.  You can’t just say you’re the best.  Your customers have to verify that claim.

Wrap up

Marketing is increasingly personalized, for both consumers and businesses.  There is no one strategy that works for every business, and no one channel that’s exclusive for a buyer type.

It bears repeating that the channels you choose are guided by your marketing strategy.  When you understand who you’re trying to communicate with and know what you want to say, it will guide the channels you use to say it.

However, initial efforts will be based on assumptions.  Most businesses need to be prepared to test channels, eliminating tactics that don’t produce while focusing on those that do.

That, in a nutshell, is what marketing is all about.  Start with a strong plan, test, and do more of what works