In today’s day and age, online audiences are bombarded with messaging and information every second they’re logged on. As a marketing agency that works primarily with small businesses, we understand the importance of cutting through the noise and converting the right customers. Therefore, it’s critical to grab limited attention with impactful, relevant and hard-hitting content that encourages action.
Media is one of the quickest ways to drive traffic to your business, but what’s the point of putting money into it if you can’t convert? Without the right strategy in place, businesses can’t generate the leads they need, acquire more sales or gain market share in their respective industries.
Our team at Collective Alternative specializes in reaching the right market, with the right message, at the right time. We’ve spent years perfecting the formula our clients need to get the results they deserve, and we’ve broken it down into five steps:
- Establish your goals
Before throwing ads out on random channels without a plan, you need to figure out what you’re trying to gain from media. Do you want to raise awareness about your small business? Are you hoping to see an increase in sign-ups or sales? Having goals in place allows you to better execute your media campaigns and ensures you’re tracking the right metrics. So, pick a goal first and then build your campaign around it.
- Pick your channels
For small business owners who may not have a hefty budget to work with, it’s important to carefully consider your channels of choice to maximize ROI. Just like any other aspect of marketing, everyone is not your audience, and your audience is not everywhere.
Are they… heavy social media users? Advertise on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
… middle aged? Reach them through traditional print media like newspapers and magazines.
… still trying to find you? Capture their attention with display or pay-per-click (PPC) ads.
… glued to their phones? Invest in mobile-specific media like banner, video and promotional ads.
… ad-weary? Stick to native ads that reduce ad fatigue, like promoted listings and recommendation widgets.
- Focus on copy and creative
Does your messaging need to be strong to encourage immediate action? Do you need to combat a competitor’s message? We recommend crafting content that hits on the pain points and highlights differentiators. Easily digestible messaging that’s complemented by carefully designed creative will engage your audience and increase conversion rates.
- Be intentional
When someone clicks on or reads your ad, where will they go? Your website? Facebook page? To increase conversions, you need to direct them to the right place so they can learn more and take the next step.
If your goal is to get more service requests, you wouldn’t send potential customers to your photo gallery or FAQ page. The media you worked so hard to create should direct them to a page that aligns and encourages action. When you’re intentional and direct, your audience will know the exact path they should follow to request a service, redeem an offer or buy a product from you.
- Track your results
Determining whether your media campaigns are successful comes down to conversion. A general increase or decrease in sales may or may not be a direct result of your media efforts, so take time to dive deeply into your analytics so you can better understand overall performance. By cross-referencing media analytics with sales, you can discover if your ad clicks are resulting in sales and how much the conversion costs, which then helps you better gauge your ROI.
Remember — be patient! It may take a few months of experimenting to fully understand what does and doesn’t work for your business. Give media time to work.
Not sure where to start?
Media, just like any other aspect of marketing, can be a monster. We know that small business owners have enough to worry about and adding media into the mix is overwhelming. Whether you have a media budget in mind or need help establishing one, our team at Collective Alternative can work with you to explore options and create a custom strategy that produces the results you’re looking for.
If you’re ready to grow your audience and sales, schedule a free strategy session with us to sit down and discuss your goals. With years of experience Making Business Personal®, we can give you the expert insight you need to successfully add media into your marketing mix.
