In today’s marketing world attracting the attention of new customers can be challenging.
This is especially true if your traditional marketing channels are television and radio or print marketing. While these channels aren’t going away, with more people turning to streaming for their entertainment, your marketing needs to be even more strategic than before.
Channels That Fit Your Budget
No matter what size your marketing budget is, there are new marketing channels that you can use to find new prospects.
Establishing your budget is the first priority, along with specifying your target persona(s). Depending on what you’re selling, you may have just one or multiple target personas that will help you determine which channels are right for you.
Do Your Research
It’s important to understand whether your current marketing methods are reaching the personas you have identified. It’s likely that you are missing out on crucial prospects due to the changing nature of media. Consider, then test where your personas hang out, whether it is on specific social media sites, watching TV shows on alternative streaming or video channels or searching for information on Google or through mobile applications.
8 Ways to Present Yourself to New Prospects
1. Online Content
If you’ve spent time in the marketing business in the last ten years, then online marketing should be familiar to you. Many people, including Millennials and post-Millennials or Generation Zers, still use traditional online search using mobile or desktop computers via Google, Yahoo, Bing or other search engines to find information.
You can create online written and picture content for a very low budget by doing it yourself or by hiring content writers as contractors.
Written content paired with images and/or video content is still an excellent way to reach your audience. This category includes posting articles, images or videos on your own website or blog as well as on other related sites or blogs.
2. Blogging or Website Content
This category is part of method #1, but for the best content, you will need to hire someone who is an expert on creating keyword-specific content. It makes a big difference in your ROI when your content is created with intention using knowledgeable SEO skills.
The best content includes posting information on how your products/services work, why they are the best choice and examples of people using them. You can also mix in more personal content on employees and customers (with permission) and events.
3. Social Media Content
Social media content is a little trickier because you have less time to catch the attention of your target audience. These posts are similar to mini-commercials. Thorough research is extremely important for this channel because you have so many possible sites to choose from.
You’re also limited to a tiny bit of space to post your message/invitation to drive leads. Hiring a professional social media marketer will get you better results more quickly.
4. Search Engine Ads
Search engine ads begin to push the boundaries of traditional online content because traditionally search engines were limited to Google and similar sites. And those sites are still important.
However, YouTube is the 4th top visited website according to MOZ. Many people use YouTube as a search engine. Pinterest comes in 7th on the same list. If you change the parameters of your research with specific demographics, you will find that your personas do their searching in different places. Therefore, Google Ads may help you find prospects, but YouTube ads and videos might be a better place to focus your budget.
Additionally, YouTube is a video site, necessitating a priority on video content.
5. Streaming Ads
Streaming is fast becoming the most popular way people listen to radio and watch movies and television. Depending on the type of membership streaming sites require, they may accept paid advertising.
Some streaming channels only advertise their own products. The list of streaming channels is growing exponentially, but remember that people only have so many free hours for entertainment in their daily schedules.
6. Mobile Applications
Mobile apps are a proven method to drive prospects to your brand, but they can be very expensive to create. Even the simplest apps require hours of development time.
Once you develop the app, you need to promote it on other marketing channels to drive traffic. However, apps are a good way to nurture brand loyalty.
7. Events
Events may be a dinosaur of a channel, except that the internet has opened up event marketing to virtual events.
Numerous platforms allow you to create and host an event for free. While virtual events aren’t as good as meeting someone person-to-person, they are the next-best thing.
8. Gaming
Gaming is a new-and-upcoming channel for marketing. Games like Fortnite are immensely popular and some companies are marketing their brands inside the games.
Since gamers often spend hours playing, this is an ideal channel for reaching players.
9. Artificial Intelligence
AI is one of the fastest-growing marketing channels for all demographics. The most notable example is Amazon’s Alexa.
While customers use Alexa to search Amazon, Alexa’s AI integration learns a customer’s preferences and then markets to them. More uses of AI are sure to become evident in 2019.
To learn more about presenting your brand to the right audience, contact us.
References
MOZ, Top 500 Sites, https://moz.com/top500
