There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that online marketing has become the dominant form of advertisement today. However, just like every other thing, it may work for some people while not proving beneficial for others. In order to launch a successful marketing campaign, a marketer should keep the following in mind:
A Common Mistake that New Online Marketers Make - High Email Frequency
The marketers commonly believe that a high frequency of email is the key to getting the customer’s attention. However, this concept neglects the changing consumer behavior trends. The marketers need to think from a customer’s point of view in order to maximize profits. The matter of fact is that customers get annoyed if they are overwhelmed with a large number of emails. There are chances that they might simply delete your email right away, flag your email as spam, or completely unsubscribe. In short, this mistake can land all your marketing efforts in the deleted folder.
Although you cannot completely stop the unsubscribing, but there are ways to minimize it. As a business, your objective and goal should always be to retain as many customers as possible. Offer an option to ‘opt-down’ as a replacement for ‘opting out’. This means that the recipient will still be receiving emails from the organization, but with lesser frequency. It will allow you to stop a user from permanently unsubscribing. It will prove to be a win-win situation for both the user as well as the company. The trick is to make your clients feel valued in order to improve the company’s overall image.
While sending in their emails, marketers tend to forget that they are not the only ones sending such emails. Again, the key is to be in the consumer’s shoes. Think of how you will react if you have to deal with such a heavy load of emails in your inbox every day. Besides opt-down, you can also give the alternative of choosing a particular category in which the clients are interested and ensure them that they will only receive emails relevant to the category.
Segment your Market Wisely
Conducting marketing efforts or launching a campaign without identifying the target market and its various segments is probably the biggest mistake a marketer can ever make. When placing a banner on any website, or sending emails, it is crucial that you know who will be viewing your ads. Online marketing usually comes with a cost, and targeting a wrong set of people is nothing but pure loss.
The target market refers to the group of consumers who share specific interests, wants, and needs. There are several reasons why a business decides on a specific target market. It is important to identify and distinguish between these groups because a business has a limited number of resources in terms of money, work force, and time, and the company cannot afford to waste these assets by targeting the wrong market. Only the groups that have the highest potential of purchase, backed by buying power, should be targeted. It does not mean that you only concentrate on the primary markets, and ignore other segments. Other secondary markets can also bring in significant profits for the business. Also, try to find a market gap to enjoy the first-mover advantage.
Ideally, the marketers must segment the market based on key variables that influence the consumer behavior and purchase decisions. These include income, age, gender, location, interests, profession, marital status, family size, and lifestyle.
Not Adjusting SEO with Google’s new Algorithm - “Hummingbird”
A few months ago, Google implemented a new search algorithm called the Hummingbird. It has radically affected the search engine process and has influenced approximately 90% of all search queries ever since its introduction.
Previously, Google processed queries based on keywords and produced results that best matched the given phrase. Now, users are more likely to enter their search query in form of complete questions such as, “Which is the best restaurant in Miami?”
The hummingbird processes this query to determine the scenario of the user. It is too early to judge and comment on its efficiency; however, being a marketer, it is necessary to make some tweaks in your SEO plan to remain competitive.
Forget the ‘Keyword’ Research – Bring in FAQs
Previously, SEO was all about utilizing the keyword because it was the measuring metrics that determined the relevance of your content. However, system has evolved drastically and the traditional keyword will no longer have the same significance. Google is no longer interested in how you have optimized your website according to a particular keyword. It now checks whether you have appropriate answers to the questions that are commonly presented by users.
It is time to conduct a market research about what users are interested in knowing about your company rather than producing magical combination of smart keywords. Now you need to incorporate FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) in your website!
Try to integrate useful and common questions in your content like, “From where can I buy a fancy costume in Chicago?” or “What is the return and exchange policy of XYZ company?” or “How to Christmas decorations at home?” This does not require you to change your entire content. Perhaps, an expert can guide you as to how you can customize the same according to the new settings. Do not try to bring in any changes without consulting a professional unless you yourself are a specialist.
Produce More and Better Content
SEO professionals recommend that you post new content to your website every now and then, as the new system gives even greater stress to its importance. As you post more content with more answers, higher will be the chances of your SEO success and you will gain better ranking in organic search results. You can also opt for tutorial videos that might help the users with understanding the subject in greater detail.
Did you find this information helpful? How can we help you further? Let us know your feedback through comments.