Is your small business looking for ways to generate leads in 2017? Set your brand up for success all year long by creating–and sticking to–a strategic digital marketing plan that helps you make the most out of your marketing efforts (and dollars).
We’ve put together a list of tips and tricks to help you leverage digital marketing to generate the leads you are looking for. Whether it’s marketing to millennials or keying in on keywords, you’ll find the insight you need to kick-start your digital marketing strategy in the new year.
So let’s dive in!
Digital Marketing for Small Businesses: 10 Ways to Generate Leads in 2017
1. Don’t mix business with pleasure
Set up a business page that is separate from your own personal Facebook page. While your friends and family may be your biggest supporters, it’s important that your brand has its own identity on social media. Use the page to post information that your prospects and customers will find useful and engaging.
2. A picture is worth a lot of likes
Brands that include an image on a Facebook post get up to 3 times as many likes and shares as those who let their content fly solo. And not just any image–research shows that content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without them. It’s worth spending a few minutes to find just the right free image online.
3. Be a most valuable player
Your customers and prospects will always have questions—serve them up content that reliably answers them and you’ll build trust as a leader in your field. Better yet, learn to anticipate your audience’s questions even before they ask them to really differentiate yourself from the crowd.
4. Get an imaginary friend
No matter the industry your small business is in, we can say with certainty that your audience is made up of living, breathing, feeling human beings. Create a target persona in your head, and then cater all your digital marketing messaging to him or her. Serving up content that appeals to your audience’s emotions, humanizes your brand, and invites the audience to make a personal connection.
5. Make a video
If providing engaging content is good, serving it up in a way that’s easy and entertaining at the same time is even better. With Facebook and Snapchat each boasting more than 8 million video views per day, if you’re not yet taking advantage of the marketing opportunities that video offers your small business, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon to help generate leads in 2017. You don’t need a degree in filmmaking to get started—grab your iPhone and get shooting!
6. Show off with a case study
With all the digital content out there, a solid case study has the ability to cut through the clutter to get your business noticed. Why? Case studies resonate because they are genuine, unique and relatable. They show the audience, rather than tell them what your brand represents and why it is important.
7. Couple your case study with an offer they can’t refuse
Don’t just share your success story—give prospects a chance to have similar success by offering them a free consultation or assessment. It not only allows you to generate leads but also gives you an opportunity to make that valuable one-on-one connection.
8. Key in on keywords
With all the digital noise out there, do you know the best keywords to use to get through to your audience? Rather than choosing subjects randomly, research and write blog posts on topics that are trending and provide answers to the questions they are (Google) searching for if you want maximum exposure.
9. Make friends with millennials
2017 is predicted to be the year that millennials become ‘real’ consumers–it’s estimated that they will be spending $10 trillion over their lifetimes—so it’s time to make sure your marketing is millennial-friendly. Get creative, get personal and get interactive to capture this powerful demographic’s attention.
10. Call them to action
Attracting visitors is only half the battle. The call-to-action is one of the most important parts of your digital marketing strategy. Especially if you are going to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Including an enticing CTA on landing pages, blog post, Facebook posts and e-blasts is a crucial step in converting visitors into leads. Use language that is persuasive, visuals that are clear and offers that are enticing to get your audience clicking.
Start Your 2017 Digital Marketing Off Right
Consistency is crucial to an effective digital marketing strategy. If you need help planning your digital marketing strategy to generate leads in 2017, then let CMDS help. As a full-service digital marketing agency in Colts Neck, New Jersey, we have the experience, talent and creativity to make your small business marketing come alive in the new year.
Get started today!