There is a real fear in knowing that your business and your marketing campaign may have a finite existence.
Nothing lasts forever (except that adage, apparently).
It’s a difficult thing to come to terms with finality and even the most stubborn of us have to accept it eventually. But then, there are those among us who don’t only have a fighting spirit, they ARE the fighting spirit. And for this rare breed of person, the thought of simply backing down is unacceptable.
Every marketing campaign brings with it its own set of challenges. Each is its own unique case and thus, a cookie-cutter solution simply cannot work. Every unique problem requires a unique approach. And while there is a set of mainstay marketing tricks that every campaign utilizes, there will always be a point where your progress may stagnate.
So, how do you breathe new life into a marketing campaign that seems to have reached its peak? You’ll be surprised at how many cards you actually have at your disposal.
First, observe
Prior to making any changes to your website, you need to see how your visitors navigate through your site. User testing is an effective way to gather information on what your website looks like from a different perspective.
There are many comprehensive programs for this purpose. Find the weak points in your website so you can patch them up later on.
Make use of different content mediums
You don’t necessarily have to do away with blog posts and written content. Much like a stale dish, you simply have to garnish your content in order to make it more appealing to your target audience. Utilize GIFs, videos, sounds, infographics, and even cartoons to liven up your content. Don’t limit yourself to a single format or content type.
A prime example of this principle can be seen in the fact that Tweets that have images receive 150% more retweets. But, you also need to make sure that you stick to a consistent theme throughout your campaign. Not only does this project that your business is organized, but it is also, in a way, is a chance to show off how you can be aesthetically-savvy.
Do a thorough reputation cleanup
The modern-day customer is more selective than ever. Online shopping has become one of, if not the most, popular forms of shopping and prospective buyers have nothing but online reviews and citations to help guide their purchasing decision.
While bad reviews aren’t completely bad (because a business that doesn’t have bad reviews is going to be perceived to be too good to be true), it’s also important to sort through them to find the really damning ones. You should also look for reviews that were simply put there with the intent to malign the business, even to the point of being negatively biased. Alternatively, you can opt to use a review management service.
In a similar manner, citations also hold significant power over a prospective buyer’s purchasing decision. If you’re thinking, “I don’t have time to clean up my citations, I’m too busy,” you might want to think again. Citations hold much more weight than consumer reviews because they come from sources that have authority in their (and your) chosen niche. They are perceived to be experts who have a profound understanding of that which they critique and to have them speak poorly of your business is as good as nailing the coffin shut on your business.
Go with trends if you can’t start them
One cannot simply dismiss the power that social media holds. Anything that becomes viral is sure to impact society heavily. Some prime examples of these trends can be found in the form of the Ice Bucket Challenge and Justice for Harambe hashtags. For example, the Ice Bucket Challenge successfully raised over $220 million for the ALS Association.
Showing support for a certain movement demonstrates that your business isn’t just aware of what’s happening in the world, it also shows that your business thinks about the same things as your customers. This makes it so that your business is also easy to relate with and that it isn’t just concerned with making a profit.
Alter your message to match your audience
While it may seem like the wiser decision is to target a generic audience because you’d be reaching more people, you may be surprised at how savvy consumers are becoming, especially when you consider that Millennials are now becoming the majority group in most markets. And as most marketers worth their salt would already know, they are immune to most marketing tricks and are even more well-informed than previous generations.
They react better to a campaign that holds a more relevant message. If your generic message isn’t faring well, it may be time to conduct research on your target demographic to see what they best respond to and to alter your message to match that.
Giveaways
Whether you’re looking to start a buzz on social media or you simply want to increase brand awareness, giveaways are effective at achieving both objectives. Giveaways are a great way to show the market that you’re still in the game. You can tailor your giveaway mechanics to work in your favor like, say, liking a post and following your social media page, as well as subscribing to your mailing list for a chance to win a product or a service that your business offers.
And while that all seems like a great deal, it’s also important to note that you need to review the guidelines of the social media platform that you’re posting to so that you’re able to run your contest without any trouble. Alternatively, you can make use of third-party apps for your giveaways and contests.
Wrapping up
There are several ways you can breathe new life into your marketing campaign. And while it’s true that there will be times that sales will be weak and traffic minimal, you need to hold on to the fact that the realm of technology is one that is as dynamic as the direction in which the wind blows. Trends will always change, as will the way that the markets sway.
Guest author: Pragati Suman