Would you rather be a jack-of-all-trades or a master of one? This question might be hard to answer, especially when it comes to your business. But the truth of the matter is, putting 100% of your marketing budget into one single source will not drive the results you want. In fact, it will end up costing you much more in the long run than diversifying your marketing and implementing a strategy that is wide-reaching.
Last week, the first digital Inman Connect Now conference took place. In this brave new world of exclusively online communication, vendors and presenters delivered their insights and pitches in trimmed-down webinars, and the success of the conference proves that being innovative and willing to adapt is more important than ever.
It’s no longer enough to send postcards and other print content to your sphere two or three times a year and expect results, or post on your business page every week to fill your pipeline. You need to be doing all of these things, and more, simultaneously if you want to develop rapport and build your book of business.
Following are just some of the ways you can maximize your marketing efforts through a diverse strategy.
Don’t be so quick to dismiss print.
Even though digital marketing is more omnipresent than ever, print marketing should still be a critical piece of your efforts. Consumers are bombarded with digital media, giving print a special and long-lasting presence, especially when used in conjunction with digital marketing. For example, sending informational postcards directing prospects back to your website or to a landing page is a highly effective way to collect their information and build your database. Prospects willing to respond to print marketing are expressing clear interest, giving you a better opportunity to close.
Sending a high-quality print piece like American Lifestyle or Start Healthy magazine is also a great way to stay in touch with your clients and prospects in a thoughtful way that’s not necessarily tied to the promotion of your business. We see all too often that the directness of digital marketing can be off-putting for some. Do online ads sometimes work? Sure. But building relationships over time through personalized and thoughtful print marketing will prove to be more effective at building a dedicated client base.
Make social media work for you.
Despite popular belief, you don’t necessarily need to be using every social media outlet in order to attract an audience. In fact, it’s more valuable to focus your time and energy in one or two areas you know will drive the best results for you. For example, for a financial advisor targeting retirees, it probably doesn’t make sense to focus all of your attention on Instagram videos. Sharing helpful information on Facebook, or perhaps LinkedIn, is your best bet. But that doesn’t mean every business is only suited for one aspect of social media. If you’re a real estate agent targeting first-time home buyers with a strong social media presence, it might make more sense to amplify your marketing into multiple areas. You could run targeted ads through your Facebook Business page, for example, while sharing home- and real estate-related content on Pinterest and Instagram.
No matter what outlet(s) you choose, it’s critical to showcase your personality and refrain from making every post exclusively about your business. Pepper in content that’s engaging and interactive. Live videos, whether on Facebook or Instagram, offer you the chance to talk with clients and prospects in a way that feels more natural and entertaining than responding to promotional ads.
Both content marketing and targeted ads will drive leads.
You might think that regularly posting content on your social media pages might help you interact with clients and prospects, but that it ultimately won’t drive leads—that couldn’t be further from the truth. Targeted ads are a great way to collect information and gather email addresses, but you’re more likely to have a prospect consistently engage with content than they are to click on an ad.
When you start thinking of content marketing as a viable lead generating tool, responding to comments and interacting with your sphere in a meaningful way, this marketing method can be just as (if not more) effective than any other. It also allows you to highlight your expertise in your particular area of business, making you look more trustworthy and reliable than if you were to promote your business alone.
All in all, a varied approach to marketing is what offers the biggest bang for your buck. Diversifying your outreach through a myriad of touchpoints, both print and digital, ensures that you continue to drive leads and garner the attention of clients on a regular basis—keeping you top of mind consistently, not just at particular points throughout the year.