Marketing strategies are complicated. They require complex plans and audience engagement, and occasionally, it feels as if they take a bit of luck as well. As the world becomes increasingly digital, marketing has to keep up, and it’s not always easy. As marketers, we have countless resources at our disposal, the most important of which is our gut. We analyze, we predict, and we examine, but more importantly, we believe. We know that a campaign has to resonate, and that’s why your marketing strategy has to be airtight.
With that said, marketing is changing by the day. Marketing strategies that work today might fail tomorrow. If your marketing strategy isn’t working, despite an honest belief in the product, there’s a chance you’re missing a key element. Here are three things your marketing strategy needs to thrive.
Multimedia For SEO
SEO is everything – it can make or break a company. Think of how often people go past the first page of Google results – it’s not very often at all. In fact, less than 6% check the second page because they assume everything they need is on the first page. The number one result for a keyword is the goal, but landing anywhere on the first page is the ultimate goal. The difference between #1 and #10 is nowhere near the difference between #10 and #11. As such, the writing’s on the wall – make the first page, or your content won’t be seen.
Google’s SEO algorithms are being updated all the time. They regularly roll out new changes that impact existing rankings, so the race to reach the top never really ends. Instead, companies have to predict where their content will rank. Despite the sheer number of SEO tools out there, only Google knows what will happen next. They’re taking quality into account more than ever, so sheer volume won’t cut it anymore. The way things are going now, content has to be multimedia to top search rankings. Incorporating pictures and videos are now as important as strategically placed links.
Why is this? It’s all about engagement. Google takes into account how long people stay on certain pages. Rankings are partially decided by how long people interact with a website, so meaningful multimodal content is essentially required to maintain the interest of a visitor.
Data
Data is everything. Entire campaigns are driven by data, and it can provide the direction necessary to resonate with the perfect audience. Data is always evolving, and unless you make an active effort to keep up, your marketing strategy will suffer. Thankfully, handled properly, data can turn a scattered effort into a focused and direct message that will resonate with the exact audience you want. Putting out content for the sake of having content is not enough; there needs to be a reasoning behind everything you do and that starts with data.
There are countless ways to collect data, and now that the internet of things is becoming more prevalent in the marketing world, it’s time for you to step up your data, and step it up big time. Data on it’s own won’t get the job done. It requires analysis, because on its own, it’s simply unused information. The good news, though, is that data is in abundance. There’s a borderline unimaginable amount of data out there, in fact. There’s information on virtually everything, and the more you take advantage of it, the more accurate your strategy is going to be.
The main takeaway from all of this? Even if you think you have enough data, analyze more.
Personality
Marketing today requires a human element. People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. That’s why marketing strategies have to embrace positive branding and have some personality. No one wants to be sold something from an impersonal, distant campaign. It just doesn’t work. When it comes to marketing, people react to other people, and sales are driven by campaigns that engage with the right audience.
Put simply, your marketing strategy needs to be more personal. Remember that you’re not selling a product, but a brand – the two aren’t synonymous. Start with a strong social media presence where you can interact with your target market. Using automated tools can be helpful, but share content and statuses that people want to engage with. If customers are asking questions on your social media pages, take the time to respond back to them. Make it sound like a living, breathing person is behind it all. Engagement increases with the right content.
Developing the perfect marketing strategy isn’t always easy, but remember three things:
- Create engaging content that includes videos and pictures
- There’s always more data
- You’re marketing to people, not to faceless numbers
Keep these three things in mind and your marketing strategy will benefit dramatically.
