Mobile Apps
There’s no question that mobile marketing will grow exponentially in the coming years, eventually exceeding desktop Internet access in many developing countries. It’s important to understand the opportunities of reaching your target audience via mobile sites and apps. The mobile software giants, like Apple and Google, are adding more functionality to their platforms. Users can easily access almost anything on their minds, from games, to shopping, to travel, and even health.
Mobile apps add to the strategy of marketing using the interest graph. Essentially, getting in front of your customer when they use applications that interest them and relate to your business. The good folks over at comScore have pulled together some data about mobile usage and some interesting facts about top apps. The most important find is that 82% of mobile media time is spent with apps. Can your business create a mobile app that will allow your customers to do something faster or better? If so, there’s a good chance you could win big.
Social Media Marketing
When it comes to making your business more social online, you should consider some key points in your social media marketing. First, you need to determine who owns your social media. Is it advertising, public relations, or a collaborative approach that includes your business as a whole? It’s important for your team to understand the goals and objectives you’ve instilled. They should be in line with your company goals. Most businesses dive into social media with both feet. This is wrong. Before you approach the open water, be sure to develop a list of social media sites where you can potentially engage with people. It’s easier when you listen to the things that are relevant to your business, industry, or product before engaging in conversation.
As you listen, you may want to jot down the contacts of who talk and influence the most amount people who are relevant to your business. Social media is sort of like a cocktail party, it’s just on steroids. You should treat most of your conversations like one that would happen face-to-face, rather than taking the self-centered approach. You can start joining the conversation by posting valuable comments on blogs and forums. Don’t just engage with people who have thousands of followers. It’s not about how many people you know, it’s about who you know.
So you’ve joined the conversation and you’re starting to build the interaction. That’s great! Now, let’s start building and strengthening what you have. Refer back to the goals and objectives you’ve laid out in the beginning. Measure the results of your efforts and try to improve brand presence across all of your social media channels. This is the time to develop relationships with those of which you’ve already connected. Lastly, you need to spend some time figuring out what actually works. Test and experiment with what you’ve already done, trying to dial in on what really brings traffic and conversions on your website.
Email Marketing
Inbound marketing experts know that email marketing is the preferred way to keep in touch with your customers. It’s a common understanding that visitors won’t buy on their first visit to your site. In fact, there’s data saying that the average shopper has to visit a site up to nine times before they’ll make a buying decision. A great email marketing campaign will increase your sales conversions by nurturing leads.
I feel like a lot of small business owners think email is a thing of the past, which is a huge mistake if you ever plan on retaining customers. Let’s face it, new customers are hard to get and the process can be expensive. Email marketing allows you to keep in touch with customers on a regular basis and can generate up to four times the profit than the initial purchase. It’s unfortunate to those who forget about establishing customer loyalty and the lifetime value of a customer.
Do you have other products or services? Do they cross-pollinate each other? Email provides a great opportunity to up-sell and cross-sell other products you business offers. For instance, a website that sells golf clubs may have customers that would be interested in buying golf balls too. Also, the valuable feedback you could gain from visitors could determine who to target, what products and services to provide, and what the market is willing to pay.
eCRM
Electronic customer relationship management, better known as eCRM, is essential for businesses who have a revenue that depends on their customer’s spending habits. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you have completed eCRM projects in the past without even knowing. Today, there’s a lot of value in a proper eCRM solution that focuses on a rewarding mix of traditional business strategy and solutions with current Internet marketing solutions.
eCRM can improve your return on investment while allowing you to radically enhance your profitability. An effective eCRM strategy will help you retain current customers and attract new business. There are many businesses out there - perhaps your competitors - that lack a eCRM solution, giving you the edge in establishing new relationships.