Is your 2017 digital strategy set up for a strong finish?
July 21, 2017
As 2017 passed the halfway pole, your company probably took time for a progress check against annual revenue and growth forecasts. Whether your review found you were out in front or off the pace, there’s a good chance that your digital marketing strategy had a direct impact on your first-half performance. Improving traffic and lead generation is crucial to achieving revenue targets, and the midway point of the year is also a good time to evaluate your digital strategy. At BroadBased, we have seen certain trends and strategies separate themselves from the pack as top performers, and we’d like to share them with you.
Show, don’t tell
One of the biggest shifts in 2017 has been telling stories with digital marketing. Gone are the days of static banner ads on the big media websites. They’ve been replaced with rich content placements on social media and blogs that feature real experiences provided by a company’s product or service.
Good digital marketing creates an emotional connection to your buyer before you begin the sales process, cementing you as the leader in your space. They’re also authentic, and the trust you’re able to build with your buyer gives you an advantage as the customer moves through your sales funnel.
What to do next: Shoot some videos. There’s no better way to tell a good story than with a video, and today’s technology makes it easier than ever to produce a high-quality video that gets results.
Mobile has become more strategic
Today’s consumers are clearly prioritizing their mobile use, and successful companies are following suit by increasing their mobile presence. Analytics and data are helping to extend this trend far beyond out-of-the-box responsive websites by improving the performance of search, email, social media and video marketing campaigns.
Your customers and prospects will most likely have their first touch with your digital content on a mobile device, so it’s critical that you take the time to polish it up in the second half of the year. It’s not enough for your website, emails and social media content to display well, you have to make sure key lead generation actions, such as filling out a contact form, are simple and measurable.
What to do next: Take a look at your most popular web pages in Google Analytics and view the top 5 or 10 on a mobile device. You may be surprised at how tricky it would be for a potential customer on a phone or tablet to contact you from those pages.
Marketing content vs. selling a product
In Marin Software’s 2017 State of Digital Advertising, marketers identified content marketing as their top priority for the year. The main reason for this is buyer fatigue with “brute force” marketing tactics that come off as pushy and offer little education on the product or service.
Effective content marketing adds value to the buying process. When targeted properly, it can show prospective customers how you can uniquely address their specific priorities. Plus, it’s tremendously cost effective. Content marketing produces approximately three times as many leads as traditional marketing.
What to do next: It may seem like a challenge to produce engaging content that will drive leads, so start with your customers. Chances are, one quick meeting with your sales team will yield a list of top questions your customers all asked during the buying process. Answering these questions will help you create content that converts new customers.
The constantly changing nature of digital marketing makes it a prime candidate for a thoughtful mid-year review. By knowing what’s working and what needs to be improved, you can make the necessary course corrections to stay on track.
If you’d like a fresh set of eyes on your 2017 digital campaigns, get in touch and we’ll help you finish 2017 on a high note.
