Let’s get a little more specific about the different marketing tactics you can use to reach your target market successfully. Blog content, digital advertising, social media, and other tactics and channels can all be leveraged to deliver your message to the appropriate audience.
But how do you decide which tactic to choose? That depends on your specific marketing goal. The different channels mentioned line up with a particular objective you set for your business. That could involve increasing brand awareness, attracting new buyers, or engaging existing customers. In other words, choose a goal to focus on, then choose a tactic that will help you accomplish that goal.
For instance, let’s say your goal is to increase revenue by $50,000. Tactics that could help you achieve this would be activities like digital advertising, retargeting (using previous visitor behavior to serve up a new ad that is relevant to them, for example, for a product they had viewed previously), and email marketing.
Ultimately, what it’ll come down to are your budget and your goals. Don’t be afraid to take a risk or test a new channel or tactic. You may be surprised at the results you get. Continue to monitor the results of your chosen tactics, and don’t be afraid to make small changes to your approach over time. Always review the results from your marketing tactics, and then adjust them accordingly.
Now let’s unroll some of the more common marketing tactics:
The social media platforms most people use are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Several billion people post, tweet, and ‘gram every day, so it’s a great way to get your message out. Social media marketing is divided into two tactics: Paid social media (such as social ads and promoted posts) and organic social (like community building and engaging with fans and customers through shared social content). A business page is a great place to build a community and engage current customers. Meanwhile, sponsored posts can be better for attracting new customers.
Blog content lives on your website and is an excellent way to increase search visibility, engage with new potential customers, and share your expertise. Use the right keywords (based on SEO research), and the blog posts you write can show up in search results, helping attract new customers and increase sales. You can also create a space for existing customers to go to get answers to their frequently asked questions. You can even promote these posts on social media, in email marketing campaigns, or through digital advertising.
More than a newsletter, email marketing means sending emails to prospects and customers who have permitted you to contact them. If you do it well, you can turn their interest into sales with a series of tips and offers. But to build this email list, you’ll need to capture email contact info, and that’s where social media, your blog content, or digital advertising will be helpful. For example, you can direct social media visitors to a form on your website to get them to sign up for your newsletter — maybe in exchange for a piece of free information, like a “What to Look for When Buying” checklist.
If you have the budget, a PR firm can be a huge advantage. If you have more time than you do a budget, then you can get a fair amount of media coverage by acting as your hype-person. Research online journalists using resources like Muck Rack and try pitching stories about your company, products, or brand story to relevant writers. Or email them a press release announcing a new product line, notable company hires, or a new round of funding. That could be all you need to do to get a quote in an online publication, which can then raise awareness of your company and establish trust with potential customers or even potential new employees.
Digital advertising covers a lot: social media ads, banner ads on websites, video ads, and more. These are paid ads that you run across different channels and devices to attract new users to your website, convert them into customers, and engage them to increase how often and how much they spend. There are various ad sizes, types (video vs. static), and positions you can run here, and there are multiple ways to measure the success of your activity. Display various ads in several places, including websites, at the beginning of other videos, and other spots.
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads are another type of advertising. With PPC ads, you pay when someone clicks on your ad. Then there’s retargeting, which works well for engaging visitors who aren't quite ready to take an action, like set up an appointment or make a purchase. The process of retargeting uses previous visitor behavior (like viewing a certain product) to then show someone an ad for that same product, as they continue to surf the web. The ads are then personalized based on that person’s past reactions — whether they’ve clicked on an ad or ignored it. Since they’re repeatedly viewing personalized ads, undecided customers are more likely to get off the fence and make a purchase.
Now that you know how to identify your marketing tactics, let’s talk about how to create content assets in the Ultimate Guide to Growth.
Last updated on September 20th, 2023.