Online Marketing for Local Business
Uncategorized
Online Marketing that Works
8 years
by jhaynes
in Uncategorized
Online Marketing and Creating Urgency with Customers
The role of Hat Trick Associates, and any online marketing
professional in general, is generating revenue for the client. Now, of course I believe that means a strong SEO campaign, great content, and a good social media presence. But anything that makes the client money – I don’t care if it’s hot air balloons – is more money that they can spend on promoting their business online.
Here is a general marketing tip from HTA: Marketing is about creating a sense of urgency to fulfill an immediate need, immediately, in most cases. One of the best uses I have seen or heard of this happened just now on Pandora. “Take a picture of this coupon on the screen right now during this ad to get X off or Free whatever…”
The actual offer didn’t matter much, they had me scrambling for my phone to get the Camera app open to take a pic of the screen before I even knew what the offer was…I didn’t want to miss out.
And I *just took the photo in time. It was almost exciting. They created the sense of urgency they needed to (It was Sport Clips, in this case). The offer is pretty good, actually, as well…so I might really use it. This is a perfect example of a marketing piece that works. Stand on the shoulders of giants – and take note of what works for competitors or those in different industries, and shamelessly steal from them.
Content Marketing Matures to Cover Entire Buying Process
8 years
by jhaynes
in Uncategorized
When online content marketing first blew up, brands hopped onto the newly requisite bandwagon and published whatever online content they could muster up. Blogging became an absolute mainstay in online marketing. Websites were made-over with new, richer copy. And soon enough, content truly became king.
However, these early stages of the content marketing era were just that — early, rudimentary, and simple.
Today, just about one year after Google released the industry-changing Hummingbird update, businesses have begun mastering online content marketing. Rather than working feverishly to produce as many words as possible, content marketers are now working smarter and targeting online content to engage with customers throughout the entire buying decision process, guiding them down the sales funnel.
From need recognition to the initial search, all the way to post-purchase, savvy content marketers are covering all the bases. That means those who don’t will soon be left in the dust.
How to Cover All the Bases of Content Marketing
First, make sure you’re familiar with the buying decision process. There are five key steps:
- Need/problem recognition: Let’s say a window in my bedroom has broken. Suddenly, I have one of two needs. Either I need a professional installer to help me replace the window, or I know how to replace it and I simply need to purchase the new glass.
- Information search: Since I like to save money and do things myself, I want to purchase the new glass pane and install it myself. I need to search online to find out what I need to buy. I type into Google “how to replace bedroom window”.
- Evaluation of alternatives: I’ve done my research and I know what I need. Now I need to decide what product I will actually purchase, and who I will purchase it from. To decide, I’ll search for the product and compare different vendors.
- Purchase decision: I know what I want to buy and I’ve found the perfect online vendor. I’m ready to fill my shopping cart and enter my payment information. Hopefully, this will be an easy step, but I still haven’t looked at the shipping costs or tried to use the shopping cart. Hopefully, both fit my needs.
- Post-purchase behavior: My purchase from my preferred vendor went smoothly. I have the new glass and I’m ready to install it. First, however, I’m going to search online for an installation guide.
Creating Your Full-Coverage Content
Cover steps one and two in the buying decision process. In order to capture the attention of potential customers as soon as they enter the market for your product or service, you need to publish online content that answers their initial questions.
- Who manufactures the best glass?
- Who offers the best price on the glass I need?
- Which vendors offer quality customer service?
Next, your content marketing strategy should target the “evaluation” step in the buying process. Again, create content that answers the questions your customers are asking at this critical stage.
- How does one replace a bedroom window?
- Am I capable of doing this myself? If so, can you give me the basic instructions? If not, what should I do?
Finally, don’t forget to address your customers’ post-purchase needs. By providing a an installation guide, for example, you can outshine your competitors and keep customers coming back to you. Cover the entire buying process, and you’ll have a hook-line-sinker content marketing strategy to boost your business well beyond the publishing date.
What’s Next For Content Marketing
Plain and simple, content marketing aims to answer customers’ questions before they even think to ask. Businesses have to anticipate what type of information will attract their target market to their product or service.
Consequently, content marketing will continue to grow more sophisticated. It is a staple of online business. So what’s next? It’s sensible to expect that King Content will really cozy up to Big Data. How, of course, has yet to be seen!
If you want to learn more about advanced content marketing strategies, please don’t hesitate to contact Hat Trick Associates. Our content marketing experts specialize in helping businesses achieve their online marketing goals. Give us a call anytime at (314) 494-3494 or email Jim Haynes at jhaynes@hattrickassociates.com.
The Web Content Connection: How Blogging Builds Brand Awareness
9 years
by jhaynes
in Uncategorized
As of 2014, over 3 billion of the world’s population has internet access. That’s over of all of the people on Earth. There is no reason why your business website cannot attract thousands of potential buyers, regardless of your industry and target market. Your target market is already out there, waiting for you to join the conversation. Blogging really does help build online awareness for your brand. Here’s how.
Content, much like a diamond, is forever.
When you build your website with high-quality web content, users can access your informative blog posts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even as you sleep, potential customers can access the wealth of knowledge and entertainment that is your specialty blog. For years to come, your blog posts will attract traffic to your website and continue to market your business for you on autopilot. Timeless, authoritative content never loses its shimmer.
Great blog posts show customers that you know your stuff.
A professionally written blog highlights your business as a place to go for expert services and products. Who would you rather do business with – a business with a three page website detailing their business hours, their location, and a long-winded about page about how the business was named after the founder’s beloved great-grandmother who died of tuberculosis in Sweden in 1947? Or a business that caters to the customer’s hunger for more information?
Your readers crave great web content.
Internet users are always looking for the next solution. When their toilet clogs, their baby cries for twenty hours straight, or their spleen hurts, the first thing they do is hop on a browser and search for educational web content. When they have a question about your industry, there you’ll be, on the first page of Google, a shining beacon of curiosity-quenching information and entertaining blog posts. Your potential customers want to check out your blog, and it’s your duty to over-deliver with professionally written content.
Business blogging builds loyalty.
A blog post should be thoughtful, professional, and, preferably, created by a content creator with proven skills to help you connect with your audience. Speak to them, and they will listen. Keep your comments section open so users can leave comments and questions, and respond frequently. Your blog comments can become a community of users who repeatedly return to your newest posts to participate in discussions.
Regular content puts (and keeps) your business on the (digital) map.
Each time you add a new blog post to your website, you prove to search engines that your site is an active, updated source of content. While 2-3 percent keyword density for SEO is a thing of the past, well-researched, genuinely inspired content will naturally help your website rank highly in search engines. Business services sites obtain about 73 percent of their web traffic from search engines – so if you’re looking to get more traffic to your business online, you should definitely aim to rank highly in as many relevant Google result pages as you can. Regular blog posts make this possible.
If you’re looking to connect with your awaiting audience and boost your business with professional online blogging, give Hat Trick Associates a call today at (314) 494-3494.