9.01 – Knowing The Channels Your Customers Use
Digital technology presents exciting opportunities to open new markets and engage with customers like never before. However, it also brings several challenges:
- Constantly Changing Digital Tools: As soon as you master one tool, another emerges.
- High Expectations for Personalisation: Customers now expect highly personalised communications, making traditional marketing methods less effective and increasing the pressure on marketers to keep up with rapidly changing technology.
- Managing Digital Channels: Communicating with customers anytime and anywhere through numerous digital channels is time-consuming and requires a dedicated effort and commitment.
In the past, brand managers focused on developing clever campaigns and negotiating ad buys with traditional media outlets. Today, marketers must identify the best opportunities for multiple customer segments within numerous digital channels, customise campaigns for each segment, adapt formats for every channel, and deploy campaigns quickly and frequently. Additionally, monitoring social media dialogue and online review sites, and responding quickly is crucial to maintain consumer interest, reputation, and sales.
While this may seem overwhelming, it is manageable with a detailed plan based on how customers use and respond to digital channels. This plan will guide how to allocate time and resources for communicating, placing ads, and creating meaningful online experiences. Without such a plan, efforts can become scattered and ineffective.
Once a plan is in place for selecting and using digital channels, it’s essential to decide which technology investments are most beneficial for your desired reach, outcomes, and budget. If resources are limited, start with a few digital channels and expand as you grow.
Essential Digital Channels and Tools
To execute a sustainable marketing program and maintain a competitive edge, having at least a basic understanding of the channels and tools your customers and competitors use is vital. The next chapter will cover advertising on these channels. This chapter focuses on managing content and engaging customers and prospects.
Digital vs. Social Channels Example
Since Facebook has more monthly active users (MAUs) than Twitter, Instagram, and others combined, we’ll start there.
Using Facebook for Engagement That Builds Sales
With 3 billion MAUs and significant daily user engagement, Facebook is a priority platform for content marketing. Your strategy should focus on creating and posting relevant and actionable content for your followers.
Key Points for a Facebook Content Plan
- Purpose Definition: Decide if your Facebook page is for dialogues with customers, product promotions, sharing brand stories, or a combination of these.
- Goal Setting: Set specific goals and create a plan to measure progress towards these goals while using your time effectively.
Potential Goals on Facebook
- Discovering current trends, attitudes, and needs of your customers.
- Interacting with customers to understand their preferences and areas for improvement.
- Attracting more prospects with relevant content.
- Driving traffic to your website for better transaction guidance.
- Growing your email database through promotions.
- Building a social media presence through likes, comments, and shares.
- Strengthening your brand image.
- Creating a community around your brand.
To achieve these goals, build a following by promoting your Facebook page through all your social media channels, your website, emails, and marketing materials. Consider an email campaign to encourage followers on Facebook, highlighting the benefits of following you.
Determining Your Metrics
Measuring the impact of your efforts is crucial for adjustments and improvements. Facebook’s Ads Manager provides valuable insights into follower engagement, helping you identify what content resonates most.
Using Your Page to Understand Your Customers
Facebook offers numerous opportunities to gain insights into customer behaviour. Engage with your followers by asking open-ended questions that reveal their values and motivators.
Examples of Engaging Questions
- What do you like most about watching women’s soccer matches?
- When considering a life coach, what are you hoping to accomplish?
- Are you looking to optimise relationships at work and within your family?
Posting questions or polls can provide valuable feedback, but ensure you have a significant following before using poll apps to avoid appearing inactive.
Building Relationships on Facebook
To build relationships, post engaging content and respond to comments, whether they are positive or negative. The best content isn’t always about driving sales but about creating rapport, trust, and dialogue.
Tips for Lead-Generating Content on Facebook
- Be Brief: Keep content short and link to detailed articles if necessary.
- Direct to Your Website: Encourage visitors to visit your website for more information and collect their email addresses.
- Invite Responses: Ask for opinions and encourage followers to share their stories.
- Provide Tips: Share actionable how-to tips to keep followers coming back.
- Use Hashtags: Include relevant hashtags to increase visibility.
Prepare a content plan and stick to it, making sure your content is meaningful and actionable. Facebook is best for interaction and relationship building rather than aggressive sales promotion.
Building Your Twitter Presence
Twitter, despite its character limit, helps build brand presence by starting conversations and posting links to in-depth content on other platforms. Use hashtags and follow relevant accounts to build your base.
Igniting Your Social Media Presence with Instagram
Instagram, with its focus on photos and videos, is perfect for sharing brand stories visually. High-quality images and engaging content are key to success on this platform.
Expanding Your Network Through LinkedIn
LinkedIn is valuable for promoting industry expertise, knowledge, and business insights. It’s particularly effective for B2B interactions and attracting new employees.
LinkedIn Page Elements
Creating and managing groups on LinkedIn can also enhance engagement and establish thought leadership.
- About Us: Summarise your business.
- Connections: Show common connections to visitors.
- Updates: Share posts, articles, insights, and business news.
Creating and managing groups on LinkedIn can also enhance engagement and establish thought leadership.
Promoting Your Brand with Pinterest
Pinterest is ideal for businesses targeting creative and trend-savvy consumers. Use it to showcase products, provide instant discounts, and share engaging content.
Managing Multiple Social Media Channels
Using a tool like Hootsuite can help manage and post content across multiple social media platforms, saving time and ensuring consistent branding.
By understanding and strategically using the various digital channels, you can effectively engage with your customers, build relationships, and drive revenue and loyalty.
