Marketing changes fast. Technology changes even faster. This creates quite the hurdle when you’re looking to modernize your marketing and advertising efforts.
Let’s take a step back and look at the reason you may want to explore online marketing and advertising in the first place.
One of the fears I hear most frequently from our new clients is that the sheer pace of change in both marketing and technology is intimidating and hard to manage.
For example, in a single year, you need to be aware of changes to search engine algorithms and PPC methodology, web design trends, new tools, modified restrictions on social media, changing demographics, new social networks or review sites, popular “hubs” online, updates to servers, Content Management Systems (CMSs) and programming languages, as well as a number of other constantly changing rules, trends, and platforms.
There are two things I advise most people do.
The traditional sales funnel helps you visualize the path a person takes from being a stranger to becoming a customer. It uses steps that are refined along the pathway to completion: Lead Generation > Lead Qualification > Product Presentation > Proposal > Close Sale.
The Internet Marketing sales funnel uses the same concepts but replaces some terminology and tactics:
Awareness: SEO, Email Marketing, PPC, Social Media, Blogs
—> Generates interest and awareness. Your business becomes “findable."
Enticement: Click Through Rate (CTR), Meta Titles and Descriptions, Ad Copy, Ad Imagery, General Branding, Copywriting
—> Encourages the user to take the next step (i.e., click a link to your website).
Qualify/Convert: Website, Conversion Optimization (increase your conversion rate), Ecommerce, Website Copy, Website Call To Action (what do we want the user to do once on the site?)
—> Show the potential customer why they should buy your product or service.
Maintain Relationships: Email Marketing, Blogs, Social Media
—> The best business is repeat business!
Repeat Business.
Viewing the tactics we use in online marketing and advertising through the lens of the traditional sales funnel allows us to prioritize costs and energy (based on where are customers are in the funnel), draw up sales projections (using lead qualification based on the funnel), and visualize more simply the wide array of marketing and advertising tools available to us online.
Staying informed and utilizing a framework like this help to keep your efforts organized and targeted.
And let’s not kid ourselves, we could all use a little help getting more organized and targeted!