Thirteen actions you can do to get the most out of your marketing-communications
Marketing-communication encompasses any action done to get a message across to a target customer so as to achieve a marketing objective.
That includes actions like search-engine-optimization (SEO), Direct Mail and even Telemarketing.
Following, is a list of 13 marketing-communication actions that you can use to have your marketing message seen by as many target-customers as possible!
It goes without saying that, in order to achieve your marketing objectives, you should plan to use all possible means to communicate your message to as many of your target customers as possible. And that is just as true whether you sell products, offer services or want to encourage active support for a social cause.
The following list is a quick overview of many of those actions and is intended mainly as a reminder so you can factor them into your own marketing-communication action plan, as you see fit.
#1- Make sure your website is always SEO-friendly
Ideally, as soon as you create your site you have to make sure that it conforms at all times with all Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices, as dictated by the search engines themselves; this means that your website needs to be well designed and programmed in terms of structure and content for user-friendly navigation.
In this way, you continuously improve the ranking of your site in the search engine results presented your internet target public.
#2- Optimize your website’s popularity (i.e. build incoming traffic)
Another aspect of SEO is incoming traffic, both source and volume. In that regard, to strengthen a well-constructed website’s ranking, there is the task of building large amounts of legitimate links leading from other websites to your own (often know as backlinking), coupling that with a large volume of interested visitors.
These two actions go hand in hand, and they are important factors in search engine rankings. Note that several of the actions described below will help optimize a website’s traffic level.
#3- Use a PPC campaign (pay per click)
Also known as Paid Search, it involves paying a search engine (Google, Bing, etc.) so that a message-link to your site is presented at the top of the list of search results regarding key-words associated with your activity, and you only pay when people click on your message-link.
The results of this search engine referencing action are determined by a bidding system for the key words that are related to your activity; the best known of this service being Adwords from Google.
#4- Actively use social media.
From Facebook to Linked In without forgetting Pinterest and others, for many types of businesses or organizations a continuous presence on the most relevant social media networks will pay off big time.
The important thing is to take the time to build an active community in order to share information of interest, and direct “friends” and “connections” to your site, which contributes to seo results.
#5- Consider using online advertising
Beyond the search engines, you can advertise using other internet platforms,
Online advertising is simply paying to have your message displayed on search engines or on websites that are visited by your target customer, based on certain parameters.
Indeed, thanks to the cumulation of data on the web, you can select your target public according to various criteria such as their professions, income, browser preference, types of search queries, surfing habits, purchases, etc.
More specifically, you could program online campaigns on the following platforms:
a) social media networks: Facebook and Linked In, among others, offer their own search engine capabilities to let you properly identify the type of person to whom you want to show your advertisement.
b) video webcasting sites: similarly, you can actually set it up to have your videos pop up on YouTube for your intended prospect; and do the same on other video broadcasting websites;
c) target-customers’ visited websites : it is also possible to pay search engines to display your ads on hundreds, thousands or millions of websites that are visited by your defined target customers — as an example, you’ve probably noticed the ads presented by Google Adsense. And a more targeted version of this is Google Re-marketing wherein a visitor, after having left your site, is then shown your advertisement on other sites he visits.
#6- Add some off-line advertising
a) In certain industries and for certain types of businesses, it is still strategically useful to use print media to present our marketing message; and often the print media itself will have an online version so as to appeal to its readers’ preferences.
b) For Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Marketing the electronic medias of radio and television are still to be considered.
c) There are also the different types of large format display medias : billboards mall posters, transit advertising, etc.
#7- Think about direct mail : effective, affordable and flexible
Just as effective for B2C as B2B, direct mail is very good marketing-communication tool to use.
It allows selective targeting in two ways:
a) addressed direct mail, to be used when you have a list of qualified, or at least pre-qualified, clients or prospects;
b) un-addressed direct mail, which, although is a sort of shotgun action, allows you nevertheless to target defined territories and, to some extent, types of customers.
The other value of direct mail in marketing-communication is that beyond the classic postcard, flyer or catalog, you can design and mail out practically any type of original promotional item to get your message out.
#8- Still going strong, take part in business networking groups
Oh yes! Apart from the internet, there is also real life.
Being an active member of a business group with the goal of developing business is networking in its purest form. Here, much like with online networking, you must be an active participant to reap the rewards.
#9- Show yourself off… commercially speaking
Participating as an exhibitor at trade shows or fairs is a form of networking that is very targeted and, above all, proactive because visitors are pre-qualified.
The challenge is to use this venue in a dynamic fashion so as to draw and interest the customers you want.
#10- Garner positive brand recognition through public relations
Sincerely take on a social cause and use both conventional and web medias to get the message out about your organization’s involvement.
The goodwill generated can only enhance your brand’s value.
#11- Use information marketing to develop a following
Publish and share useful and relevant information in your field of activity.
Whether in written or video format, you can publish using all of the following ways :
a) your own newsletter or blog
b) on social media
c) on industry-related media sites.
#12- Get some more brand recognition : sponsorships
Sponsorship is a form of cooperative “branding”.
In exchange for a monetary contribution, it allows several organizations to have their brand associated to the sponsored activity.
Obviously when the activity in question is a social cause, sponsorship slides into public relations.
#13- Call on telemarketing to improve ROI
Used with professional courtesy and respect of privacy laws, telemarketing is, for many organizations, a vital means to help in their business development activity.
It is important to note that many marketing-communication campaigns typically score a better rate of return when telemarketing is added to the action plan.
Mapping out your marketing-communication plan of action.
Taking into account your budgets, your personel and your objectives, you should lay out, step-by-step, each of the actions you want to get done over the next year or two.
This gets you to be pro-active in your marketing and not reactive. And like all plans, it is organic, meaning it can change depending on circumstances.
Do you need help or advice to develop your own plan of marketing actions?
If you have questions about your marketing communications actions, call us to find out how we can help you. Call us at 514-529-5669; or send us a contact form here.
Vincent [Vincenzo] Sciullo
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