Written by: Nikole Haumont, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Are you finding yourself on Facebook less and less? You are not the only one. In order to combat “Facebook Fatigue” as business owners and professionals we need to step up our marketing game.
As business owners, we’ve all felt it. That nagging feeling that all the time, work and effort we are putting into our Facebook posts, ads, etc. is not giving us the return that we’d hoped for, or maybe it’s that we feel as if we aren’t fully sure what we are doing. Either way, sales don’t seem to be improving, followers are at a stand still and interaction is low. We think “maybe this isn’t worth it” and start contemplating just scrapping the effort all together and trying something else. But in the age of social media, there honestly couldn’t be a worse idea. Enter: Omni-channel marketing with the help from an expert.
Omnichannel marketing is the smooth integration of branding, messaging, along with online and offline touchpoints as consumers move down the sales channel, creating a more impactful customer experience.
Omnichannel marketing takes a consumer-focused viewpoint of marketing methods. Consumers can now interact with brands on innumerable channels, from social media to customer service hotlines. An omnichannel approach ensures that the consumer has a positive, consistent experience on each channel, by offering a few key elements:
Consistent, identifiable brand voice
Personalized messaging
Content that is informed
If that all sounds intimidating, don’t worry. We’re going to lay out the top marketing touchpoints we feel make the most difference with customers and clients today and will help you understand how to best incorporate them into your business and overall brand.
1. Social Media
Social media is every marketer’s dream come true, and as a business owner, it should be yours, too. It offers completely free access to a boundless audience of consumers. Social media allows you to create brand awareness, generate website traffic, allows you to better understand your customers, keeps you ahead of competition and most importantly, helps you sell your goods or services. The key to being successful with social media is being consistent in your posting and in your content. Stay true to your brand and show that vast audience of consumers just why you are so special and why they should buy your product. Your page needs to have consistent content on it, at least one time per week. Savvy consumers research the companies they are interested in doing business with and if your social media is out of date, they will assume you are no longer in business.
2. Email Marketing
There are many reasons why email marketing is such a great and important tool to use. Other than it being affordable, one of the top reasons is staying engaged with your customer base. Emails have the ability to keep them informed, in a way that feels personal to them. Consumers check their email at their leisure, when they see an email from you, it can give them a feeling that you were thinking of them. These emails can range anywhere from a simple “Hey, here’s a special offer for being a valued customer,” to sharing upcoming events, coming soon products, or even just a general update of what your business has been up to.
3. SMS/Text Message Marketing
Text message marketing is the most prompt marketing channel available. SMS Comparison found that 98% of text messages are opened and read, and that most are read within three minutes of delivery. The benefits of this marketing tactic are plenty, including high deliverability and significant customer engagement. Using a combination of SMS and email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with your customer base. Plus, just like email marketing, a customer can unsubscribe at any time.
4. Website Promotion
Having a sleek, well-rounded website is probably one of the most, if not THE most important tool in your marketing toolbox in this day and age. Not only does it build credibility with consumers, having online presence, regardless of the industry you’re in, has an incredible impact on success. Seriously, it can make or break for generating more revenue for your business. On top of that, it is a great way to showcase your brand to prospective customers, generate leads, and, with an SEO-optimized website, you have the ability to show up in Google searches, generating organic traffic.
5. Lead Magnets
So we’ve all heard of websites and emails, but what is a lead magnet? Well, it is an appropriately named marketing tool as it describes a free product or service in exchange for contact information, AKA, a great way to promote your business AND grow your email list and SMS marketing lists. In short, lead magnets have the ability to generate sales leads and can come in the form of many things, such as a complimentary consultation, a document with valuable information, a free trial and more. The key is to offer value to the customer, provide instant gratification and be easy to consume. People are more wary than ever about giving out their personal information, so in order to capture their contact info, the lead magnet must have value.
To sum it up, an omnichannel marketing strategy allows businesses to meet customers where they are at, with the right message at the right time. Honestly, it is the strategy that all businesses, big or small, should deploy for optimal results. While it can be intimidating, rest assured there are many experts out there that can help you create and implement an omnichannel marketing strategy that fits your business.
Nikole Haumont, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Nikole Haumont founded Shield Bar Marketing in 2013 after selling her equine magazine and working for GoDaddy. Nikole and her team of highly skilled contractors, combine their expertise to provide the best possible resources for the micro businesses and solopreneurs they choose to serve. The Shield Bar crew works on websites, SEO, social media, logo & graphic design and email marketing. Providing consistency and professionalism for their clients, online and offline, is at the core of what they do. Nikole also co-founded the Advantage Alliance Referral Networking group; and is the marketing subject matter expert for both the Town of Sahuarita, Arizona, U.S. and the Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce.
