FAQs: Marketing
How does digital marketing differ from traditional marketing?
Traditional marketing, as the name implies, focuses on non-digital avenues such as billboards, radio, TV, and direct mail. In contrast, digital marketing encompasses all online efforts like Instagram ads, Facebook ads, Google pay-per-click, and banner ads.
The significant distinction lies in trackability. Digital marketing provides much more precise tracking compared to traditional methods. With digital campaigns, you can delve into specific details, pinpointing exactly which ad and creative generated a lead. Tracking customers across the web enables you to identify various touchpoints before they decide to make a purchase or reach out to you.
Conversely, traditional marketing lacks this level of precision. It's difficult to gauge the exact number of views a billboard receives or how many individuals contact your business because of it. While trackable phone numbers can be used, they're not the most accurate method for tracking marketing efforts.
In my opinion, traditional marketing serves to build brand awareness and maintain a presence, while digital campaigns act as the driving force behind sales, freebie downloads, or consultation bookings.
How do you identify and target your audience?
Identifying your target audience truly begins with understanding the problem your company, product, or service addresses for your audience. I steer clear of generic targeting, such as aiming at an audience aged 18 to 35. Think about it—someone who's 18 behaves differently from someone who's 35. Simply reaching out to anyone within a broad age range isn't the most effective approach. Instead, you need to pinpoint your target audience based on the specific problem they're facing and how your product can alleviate it.
When identifying your target audience, it's crucial to focus on their pain points and struggles—what emotionally triggers them and influences their behavior. Gone are the days when you could segment your audience solely by age or interest. Nowadays, consumers are far more sophisticated. To truly connect with them, you must delve into what they're going through and empathize with their experiences.
Marketing strategies that worked three years ago for you might fall flat today. It's all about speaking directly to your audience, making it about them, not about you. It's about understanding their needs, desires, and challenges and crafting your message in a way that resonates deeply with them.
What is the difference between sales and branding?
There are two types of "people" in the world, ones that solely chase sales, while others strive to build a brand. If you're solely fixated on sales without considering brand building, you're essentially running a sales operation. Your focus is purely on driving immediate sales, trying whatever tactics necessary to push product without investing in building awareness or brand recognition.
On the other hand, if you're strategically crafting content to build a brand, you're investing in a long-term vision. It's about ensuring that when people encounter your message or see your brand, they immediately associate it with you. Building a brand requires patience - it's not an overnight effort. It takes years for your brand name to become synonymous with your identity. It's about consistently putting out authentic content that allows people to get to know you and your brand over time.
When you're genuinely invested in your company, focusing on building a brand is paramount. A brand endures; it creates a legacy and establishes connections with people. Therefore, I always advocate for prioritizing brand building over solely focusing on sales. A brand fosters a common ground among consumers, creating lasting relationships beyond mere transactions. Brand is in perpetuity.
How do you measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns?
Measuring the effectiveness of a marketing campaign really comes down to its objective. There are plenty of campaign types, each with its own goal - from boosting brand recognition to driving conversions or expanding social media reach. So, determining the success of your campaign depends on what you're aiming to achieve.
For instance, if your focus is on selling products and driving traffic to your website, you'd analyze conversions and sales data to see how many people made purchases as a result of your campaign.
It's way too general to rely on just one metric to understand the effectiveness of the campaign. It's a multitude of things that you define based on what you're trying to accomplish.
Whether you're looking at brand recall, engagement metrics like likes and comments, or sales figures, it's all about tailoring your measurements to your campaign's objectives. By doing so, you get a clearer picture of what's working and what needs tweaking for future campaigns.
What are some common marketing mistakes to avoid?
The number one marketing mistake to avoid is expecting results too fast. When it comes to marketing, especially digital marketing, you have to be patient. Expecting quick wins can lead to frustration and hinder your ability to pivot effectively.
Sticking strictly to old strategies that once worked is a pitfall to avoid. Running the same strategy that worked for you ten years, two weeks or even three days ago may not be effective today. The market evolves rapildy and failing to pivot swiftly can result in losing relevance and failing to capture audience attention.
Another common mistake is being closed off to trying new things. Whether it's exploring emerging platforms like TikTok or experimenting with fresh creative ideas, staying open-minded is essential. Being unwilling to embrace change limits your potential for growth and innovation.
Another mistake is jumping to conclusions too fast. A lot of business owners write off a channel or strategy too quickly without giving it the proper amount of time it needs to work or evolve. Jumping to conclusions too hastily or dismissing marketing channels without thorough evaluation can lead to missed opportunities.
How do you stay up-to-date with marketing trends?
Subscribing to a marketing newsletter, like Marketing Brew, is one approach I find effective. Their daily emails keep me informed about industry updates and events. Podcasts are another valuable resource; they offer insights and discussions that help me stay in the loop. Additionally, monitoring social media channels for updates and insights is crucial.
I often get asked what book should I read to stay informed and while books provide valuable knowledge and insights, they're more suited for acquiring general knowledge rather than staying up to date with current trends. Books tend to be timeless and focus on broader concepts rather than real-time updates. While they're excellent for deepening understanding or exploring case studies, they may not provide the immediate, up-to-date information needed to navigate rapidly changing marketing landscapes.
How do you choose the right marketing channels for your business?
Choosing the right social media channel for your marketing efforts isn't a one-size-fits-all decision. It ultimately depends on your objectives and target audience. Start by identifying your target audience and the problem you're trying to solve. Then, consider where your audience spends their time—whether it's online or offline.
Each social media platform caters to different demographics and user behaviors. For instance, if your audience consists mainly of users interested in visual content, platforms like Instagram or TikTok may be ideal. On the other hand, if you're targeting professionals and B2B clients, platforms like LinkedIn might be more effective.
Factors such as the type of content you plan to share, your budget, and your marketing goals also play a role in determining the best social media channel for your business.
In essence, there's no one right answer when it comes to choosing a social media channel. It's about understanding your audience and objectives and selecting the platform that aligns best with your goals and audience demographics. I'd recommend sticking to one to a maximum of two platforms and really understanding and maxing out on those platforms before moving on to other channels. Especially if you are running on a tight budget, you don't want to dilute your budget by tapping into too many channels.
By concentrating your efforts on one or two platforms, you can allocate your resources more effectively, whether it's time, money, or manpower. This allows you to dive deeper into understanding your chosen platforms, mastering their algorithms, and tailoring your content to resonate with your audience. By focusing your efforts, you can track and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns more accurately, enabling you to refine your strategies and optimize your results over time.
What are the best practices for social media marketing?
Understanding Your Audience's Problems
Focus on your audience and their needs, rather than solely promoting yourself. By deeply understanding their pain points and issues, and sharing your own experiences and struggles, you can better connect and resonate with consumers. Additionally, highlighting past or current clients can provide social proof and build credibility.
Being Active on Relevant Platforms
Instead of spreading yourself thin across all platforms, focus on the ones where your target audience is most active. Consider your capacity to create content effectively, and choose platforms that align with both your audience's preferences and your own strengths. Authenticity is key, so if you're not enthusiastic about creating content for a particular platform, it may be best to focus elsewhere.
Creating valuable content
Provide value to your audience by offering informative, entertaining, or inspiring content. Rather than pushing products or services, focus on showcasing why you're the best solution for their needs. Educational content, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or user-generated content can all help build engagement and trust with your audience.
Utilize AI
Artificial intelligence can be a valuable tool for social media marketers. From generating content ideas to optimizing ad targeting, AI can streamline processes and enhance efficiency. Embrace AI-powered tools for tasks like scheduling posts, analyzing data, and automating responses to improve your social media strategy.
Don't jump on every trend
While it's tempting to jump on every trending topic, it's essential to be discerning. Not every trend will align with your brand or messaging, so choose those that resonate with your audience and fit your brand identity. By being selective, you can maintain authenticity and avoid diluting your message with irrelevant content.
What social metric is the most important one for you?
For me, what truly matters are reach and engagement. For me those numbers are important because it truly signals if you understand the different platforms and your audience. It shows if your content resonates.
The problem is that still so many users are stuck with on the idea that the number of followers is important but is such an arbitrary number. In the past, particularly around 2014, creators and users fixated on growing their follower count, believing it to be the ultimate measure of success. Brands, too, placed significant emphasis on follower count when evaluating influencers.
Since then, everything has evolved. Advancements in technology have enabled brands to use platforms to calculate engagement rate and reach more accurately. As a result, creators can no longer rely solely on a large following to mask low engagement or reach.
I've observed a shift in user behavior. Many users now consume content without necessarily committing to following a creator, but if you create sick content and work on increasing your reach by creating content that resonates with users, your follower count will grow inevitably.