There was a time not too long ago when marketing campaigns were just a one-off thing. We’re talking billboards and TV ads, which, once executed, were quickly forgotten. In this day and age, where content reigns supreme, that’s almost hard to believe. That’s because we’re talking about life pre-social media.
So, it makes sense that as things became increasingly digital, so did marketing campaigns evolve. That’s not the only thing that changed, though. Consumer behaviour shifted radically. This is largely due to the continuous stream of information that is available 24/7. Consumers spend far more time on social media, and as such, every hour is an opportunity for you to engage with them.
Due to this, the traditional ‘push’ marketing model doesn’t quite suffice anymore. Instead, to properly engage your customer, you need to ‘pull’ them in. The goal is to draw people in by telling them a story and creating a conversation. Once you’ve done so, it’s all about sustaining that engagement. Below are five tips for doing just that.
1. Offer Real Value
We touched briefly on ‘push’ marketing and how that doesn’t quite cut it these days. ‘Pull’ marketing is all about offering real value to your clients. It’s no good just pitching what you have to offer to prospective customers. Instead, you want to educate them on your brand and services, building a rapport with them. Think of it as talking to them, not at them.
Adding value to your content is what makes it unique and far more memorable. It also makes the content feel personalised because you are offering the customer exactly what they are looking for, and as such, you are meeting their needs.
2. Make the Most of SEO
To engage your customer, you first need to connect with them. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial to achieving that as it helps drive traffic to your website organically. The goal is to make your site search engine-friendly. You can do so by including keywords and multiple keyword phrases in your content and applying recommended technical SEO practices.
Good use of SEO will improve your search engine ranking and help make your site much more visible. This is because you’re making your content relevant to your target audience, so when they search for something related, your site will pop up.
3. Human-Centred Approach
While you’ll want to make the most of SEO, make sure you still maintain a human-centred approach. Remember that you’re creating content for people and not search engines. The easiest way to make sure you’re doing so naturally is by researching your target audience. Think about what it is that they’re looking for and how you can provide it. Authentic content is what will draw in readers and convert them into customers.
4. Build a Community
By creating unique, engaging content, you’re laying down the foundation for a relationship between your brand and customers. This relationship will lead to loyalty, which triggers repeat sales from members of what is now your community. So, how exactly can you do this? Start by creating a dialogue with your audience by asking them questions, whether through social media posts or email surveys.
An established community will only grow bigger because here’s the thing – those that are loyal to your brand are much more likely to recommend you to other people. This organically grows your following. The potential consumer heard about your brand from someone they know; therefore, trust has already been established.
5. Keep up the Conversation
Another result of the social media age is that the conversation never stops. You’re in constant dialogue with your consumer, and as such, you need to maintain an ‘always on’ approach. The digital world operates 24/7, so you should be managing your content continuously. To do so, you need to be innovative and adapt to changing trends. That’s how you stay relevant and keep your customers engaged.
The best way to stay on top of this is with a content calendar. That way, you can keep track of what content you’re putting out and when. It’s also wise to measure engagement levels to see what is and isn’t working for your audience. Experiment with different channels of communication until you figure out what they respond to the most.
Final Thoughts
If you’re new to the world of content, it may take a little time to get into the swing of things. Remember to monitor your progress and adapt your content accordingly until you discover what your audience responds to. Ultimately, the goal is to always add value to what you’re putting out there. It’s what transforms information into engaging content, and engaging content converts browsers into customers.
If, instead, you already have an established following, what’s critical is to ensure you’re constantly working to maintain it. Communication between you and your clients is so important when it comes to sustaining a community. Keep them engaged by researching their needs and tailoring your content accordingly.
