Tips to Make Online Marketing Matter

The next time you watch a major television event, make an attempt to count how many commercials end with a call to action – not to buy the product, but to “like us on Facebook,” “follow us on Twitter” or “join the conversation” on either of those channels. Here’s a hint: You’ll be counting on both hands.

In fact, USA Today reported that the majority of commercials that aired during Superbowl 2013 included some type of digital marketing component like those mentioned. If there is one conclusion to be drawn from this, it is that major advertisers know that online marketing works. Here are some ways you can incorporate their ideas into your next social media acquisition campaign.

Set Good Goals

Some marketers think that goal setting involves growing your Facebook audience by another 100 likes or hitting 500 Twitter followers. That’s only part of it, though. Any online marketing goals you set should be tied to driving revenue for your business. Show your sales staff the goal, so they can get on board and ask prospects to find you on social media. These are the people who help you gain customers, so they need to feel connected to all of your marketing efforts as well.

Understand Distinctions

This is where having an updated vocabulary becomes very important. Good marketers not only understand the difference between “platforms” and “channels,” they also know the difference between strategies and tactics. Strategies are what you conceptualize to help position, grow, and change your brand, while tactics are the tools you use to reach the goals you have set for the strategy. Set a strategy, and then deploy tactics, for a more effective online marketing campaign.

Make the Campaign Count

Once this specific campaign is over and you have reached your audience-building goals, the work doesn’t end there. What will you do with all these new leads? If you just allow them to sit in your pool of followers and hope for the best, that is a total waste of the time, money and effort that powered your campaign.

Instead, you should take the campaign to the next level by segmenting these new social media fans into groups, such as existing clients, event attendees and new followers with no discernible ties. Then, develop a communication plan for following up with each one. This is yet another reason why it is important to have your sales staff on board from the beginning! They will most likely be the ones reaching out to make contact with these folks.

These are ways to make your online marketing campaigns really count. If there is anything that has worked for you, Crest Media would love to hear about it!