Forbes with some great tips for continuing to advertise during a recession. Although the natural inclination for advertisers is to cut back on advertising during a recession, those brands that maintain their ad budget and/or change their messaging can get a long-lasting boost in sales and market share.
https://hbr.org/2010/03/roaring-out-of-recession
Harvard Business Review with some great tips for preparing your business for success during a recession.
Smarter approaches in digital media are helping reshape the airline space
Significantly Boost Direct Sales While Bringing Down Distribution Costs
Forward Media can significantly boost direct sales while bringing down distribution costs by using the latest digital technologies, media buying, marketing, and consulting tactics.
Working with our customers means we deliver:
- Eye-catching and engaging design that moves the needle
- Unexpected and elegant visuals that arrest the user’s attention
- A/B testing and analytics to optimize performance
Paid Search in Airline Marketing Keeps Good Company
Our potential to plan and manage a broad range of travel and airline campaigns is strengthened by our close relationship and certification with Google. Our dedicated team of Google AdWords-qualified experts ensures that your initiatives remain competitive, dynamic, and aligned with your search strategy.
Here’s how we do it:
- Keep one step ahead of any updates and developments in display results
- Continually oversee and fine-tune results according to the plan
- Consolidate all ads (GDN, Gmail, YouTube, etc.) with paid search approaches
- Approach from a mobile-first perspective, making sure that results are driven and optimized for both mobile-desktop and mobile devices
We Take You Further Than the Rest
Forward Media drives greater ROI by activating and mobilizing a multitude of digital products, data, media buys, and consulting opportunities. We help empower the real-time optics and performance of airline companies by driving direct bookings and lowering overall distribution costs. Looking for the best placement on search pages? Interested in fresh and valuable content? Looking to ensure that front- and back-end improvements are being made? You’ve come to the right place. Forward Media’s search insights and strategies align with your search optimization, marketing, and site analytics in a way that balances campaigns.
Digital Marketing: Effective Strategy for Lenders
In today’s financially unsure world, banks and other lenders need to focus on using digital marketing in the most strategic ways possible. The constant advancement of technology means that lenders always need a new plan for their video advertising and digital media.
Mobile Technology Is Everything
Many consumers are completely reliant on their mobile devices these days. So, lenders really need to make it a priority to cater to that shift in the norm. Even if a website redesign is needed, lenders have to provide something that allows consumers to get and provide the data they need to manage their finances using a mobile device. An effective app enables delivery of direct-to-consumer ads. It also gives consumers the convenience of being able to check their balances, transfer money between accounts, and perform other routine banking tasks. They don’t want to have to go to a bank branch to complete these actions.
A Personal Connection Is a Necessity
When a lender can establish a personal connection with each of their customers, they have the power to communicate with them in ways that drive business. One of the best ways to do this is to ensure their website caters to the needs and wants of customers. Appealing to a customer’s sensible side helps to build a connection that helps them feel they are more than just dollar signs to the lender.
A personalized campaign for each of a lender’s customers increases engagement and customer satisfaction. Using marketing automation, specific emails can be sent to the consumers that need or want something the lender can provide them with. Consumer loyalty is easier for lenders to build when they target individuals based on their preferences. This approach also eliminates the
need to create broad campaigns designed to attract the same consumers.
Personalized content is the key to forming long-lasting professional relationships. Marketing automation allows a lender to determine how each of their customers uses their website. Data analytics will show a consumer’s habits and preferences. This information can be used to create ads that target specific consumers and acknowledges the ways they prefer to use the site.
Targeting Specific Groups of Consumers
Securing a top spot in an organic web search is one of the most powerful ways lenders can drive business. It means that consumers will click on their site before anyone else’s. PPC programs such as Google Ads help marketers gain this coveted position in search engine results. This allows lenders to use pragmatic advertising to target consumers with the specific services they need to manage their money. By doing so, they make consumers more open to the idea of paying
attention to ads, leading them to use a particular lender.
One means of targeting a specific set of consumers is localizing advertising. Whether a lender is limited to one state or has a broader reach, they can connect with consumers in a way that addresses their needs directly. Different consumers have different needs depending on where they live. Using local SEO marketing gives financiers an edge over competitors who may not do that.
One of the best ways to employ SEO marketing on a local level is to ensure each of a lender’s locations are represented on the site. Consumers should be able to click on the page to view their local branch. When the website includes a page for each location, it helps a lender appear higher in the results, and this boosts the effectiveness of search engine marketing.
A location’s page should include obvious data, such as the address and phone number of the branch, as well as directions for getting there. The better optimized this type of content is, the higher a conversion rate lender will see.
Another way to build a strong local presence for SEO purposes is to ensure a lender’s site includes consumer reviews. These reviews should come from social media sites such as Facebook. Google also has a section for consumer reviews; a review on Google guarantees that a lender will appear higher in the search engine’s results.
Whether it is in a review from a consumer or information on the services a lender offers, the optimum keywords need to be used to fuel PPC advertising. By determining the search terms consumers most commonly use to find a lender, it is possible to secure the highest possible rankings in Internet searches. Search engines are used by 93 percent of those seeking a lender in the area. Failure to appear in the results of an online search severely limits lenders. It means they will only get business from the 7 percent that are not using the Internet to find a lender that’s appropriate for them.
Monitor Social Media Use by Consumers
Social media serves as more than just a way to gather consumer reviews. When it comes to Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, lenders must ensure that their social media branding is always relevant. Most lenders’ customers, especially the younger demographics, already use social media sites significantly. As a result, any lender that does not have a social media presence is missing countless opportunities to target and interact with consumers.
The most important aspect of social media for lenders is who is using what. Many consumers limit themselves to only one or two social media sites. Lenders have to first determine which ones are used by the consumers they want to target.
Different generations of consumers are using different social media sites. Facebook is mainly used by the older generations, while those considered millennials split their time between Facebook and Instagram. Whichever social media channels a lender chooses to use, they can help that lender connect with their local consumers by sharing regional videos and photos. These are the tools that consumers are most interested. Providing a video or photo is an effective way for a lender to keep their special media pages in the spotlight. This increased activity helps them effectively market themselves in today’s digital playground.
Aside from the use of photos and videos to drive consumer interest, social media is also an effective platform for tightly focused ads. These ads are meant to cement a particular lender in the eyes of consumers.
Putting a Blog to Work
Maintaining an effective website and up-to-date social media sites is a priority that should not be overlooked or dismissed. Yet lenders can also strengthen their digital marketing efforts by putting a blog to work for them.
Keeping a blog that consumers can read, share, and comment on helps lenders connect with consumers in an interactive environment that puts their needs first. Consumers can use the blog to have their question answered, which also serves to assist other consumers.
For lenders, it means less time is spent repeatedly addressing the same questions. And for their company, it increases the likelihood of getting a positive ROI. Tracking a lender’s ROI is a complicated process that professional service firms often oversee.
Tracking Online Leads
Tracking online leads is a powerful way for lenders to leverage their digital marketing strategies. The more detailed this process is, the easier it is for lenders to identify the most effective way to connect with consumers. Many will enter information into a lender’s website while they are visiting it. Even if they don’t, lenders still retain some data about each consumer visit to their site. They will be able to tell which links a visitor clicked on. They can also tell where a particular consumer is from. This information can be used to build personal profiles that can help increase business.
Doing this serves two purposes: to connect with consumers who already know which services they are seeking, and to determine which pages within a lender’s website visitors are viewing the most.
The Power of Tracking Online Performance
Digital marketing works best when lenders pay close attention to their KPI. It enables the lender to determine if the marketing strategies they are using are working as intended.
By using a lender’s KPI to determine the conversion rate, they can focus on the areas of their marketing that need improvement. One of the ways they can help themselves is by measuring leading indicators. How well the economy is doing at any given time affects what consumers seek from their lender. Tracking the amount of time a consumer spends on a lender’s website gives the lender an idea of how they can help that individual consumer. The tracking system can determine if they are visiting a site briefly, or if their browsing session lasts a significant amount of time.
Strengthening Advertising Techniques
Full funnel digital media is a five-stage process. Each stage of that process is equally important in building a lender’s advertising power. It starts with the initial exposure that every lender needs in order to succeed. Developing a strategy for exposure requires lenders to focus on SEO and content marketing. Combined with PPC, this aids in the creation of a digital funnel that supports future success.
The second stage in the process is discovery. Motivating consumers to visit the lender’s web site leads to the task of retaining them. One way to do this is to suggest specific recommendations for each site visitor, based on the services they need.
The third stage of the process is consideration. The use of influence strategies induces consumers to choose the products that will help them the most, even if they don’t realize it consciously. The fourth step in the process is conversion. Getting consumers to utilize the paid services a lender offers builds trust and loyalty.
The fifth and final step in the process is to build customer relationships. The more value a lender can offer a customer, the more likely they are to keep using the services of that lender. Showing a customer that they will receive services that the competitors don’t provide, or don’t provide as well, builds a long-lasting relationship that lenders can count on.
Conclusion
Effective digital marketing is crucial to the success of any lender. Forward Media is poised to offer these services, assisting lenders with performance marketing and display advertising.
The right strategy can make a company, while the wrong one can break them. In today’s world, competition is cutthroat in every industry, and the financial industry is no exception. That means digital marketing has taken on a life of its own. Making use of the latest technology, lenders can connect with consumers like they never could before.
Cybersecurity is paramount in today’s businesses
Forward Media understands that businesses today are actively seeking cybersecurity partners. We aim to connect our clients with this extremely active category and insert them into the conversation. We use digital media to drive awareness of the issues and develop comprehensive lead generation programs for our clients in the space.
It’s a Complex Category That Demands Clarity and Authority
Forward Media understands that choosing a cybersecurity partner means understanding the complexity of the issues and the risk profile at hand. Our lead generation programs pinpoint potential customers and engage them in the process of choosing a company to assist in decisive and clear ways. We use full-funnel digital media campaigns to assist customers in their research and decision-making processes.
Simple Choices in a Rapidly Expanding Category Are Crucial to Better Decision-Making
As companies explore the topic of cybersecurity, it is important that we design digital media campaigns that assist them in simplifying their choices, especially considering the complexity of the category. Forward Media develops campaigns that ensure our clients’ brands are easy to understand and fully able to drive and influence the purchase decision.
Digital Campaigns Are Bridging the Gap Between Fear and Knowledge
Our digital media campaigns fully acknowledge that cybersecurity requires the ability to move clients from an overall sense of fear of the cyber risks inherent in today’s world toward partners who can solve this problem. The role of the digital campaign is to emphasize the solutions our clients provide with a strong sense of confidence.
We Take You Further Than the Rest
Forward Media drives greater ROI by activating and mobilizing a multitude of digital products, data, media buys, and consulting opportunities. We help empower the real-time optics and performance of cybersecurity companies by driving greater leads and lowering overall marketing costs. Our search insights and strategies align with your search optimization, marketing, and site analytics in a way that balances campaigns.
Digital experience and connecting with consumers directly are changing the game
Forward Media is helping our insurance clients find and engage with their customers online. Our data, insights, and digital media tools allow us to pinpoint potential customers, build awareness, and connect with them during their purchase decision-making process.
Encouraging Consumers to Consider Insurance and Creating Awareness of the Benefits of Coverage
Forward Media is focused on using digital media to connect with customers during certain life events that drive their purchase intent. Whether those events are having children, changes to their financial situation, becoming a homeowner, or other important life changes, we embrace data to connect the right customer with the right message.
Boosting Lead Generation by Effectively Implementing Full-Funnel Digital Media Campaigns
Forward Media creates full-funnel omnichannel campaigns that tie together with insurance customers’ life events. Effective digital media fully understands their path to purchase and creates moving moments of interaction that drive purchase consideration and insurance selection. An understanding of timing, the role of valuable content, and the importance of the right media channels are crucial to success.
Creating a Sense of Urgency Around Decision-Making for Insurance Customers Is Paramount
We understand the need for insurance companies to create a sense of timeliness as they connect with their customers. Efficient lead generation and customer interactions require a deep understanding of why insurance is important. We know that insurance customers are more than ready to connect digitally, and it’s our goal to turn this bias into sales.
Digital media is transforming how professional services connect with clients
Forward Media recognizes the massive transformation professional services firms are undergoing as they move from traditional offline marketing techniques to digital connection points. Our clients are rapidly adding to their marketing mix in transformative ways, whether through online publications, digital webinars, videos, or online conferences. We design and implement digital media strategies to drive traffic and engage both current and potential customers with these new digital tools.
Understanding the Power and Reach of Digital to Expand Your Market Reach
Connecting our professional services clients through sophisticated premium digital media enables us to find and expand your client pool regardless of geography. Our strength is in our ability to connect your expertise to your potential clients in a way that is scalable and measurable. We target your prospect, engage them, and increase the scale of your available client pool through advanced digital media.
Reach Your Target Audience Where They Are When They Need You
Forward Media has the ability to segment your prospective customer base, understand their online behavior, and engage them as they search for your expert services. Your clients and prospective clients are actively searching for you online. We design digital campaigns to ensure you are placed correctly in front of your competitors with well-placed digital assets as your clients conduct their primary research.
Your Differentiators and Market Positioning Create Success
Forward Media understands that a well-executed digital media campaign has the ability to influence your current and prospective customers both in the short term and in the long term. We are laser focused on setting you apart from your competitors in a way that strengthens your position as an expert and commands their attention. We use digital media to drive key messages that resonate with your customers and a cohesive and compelling market position.
Educators and students are digital natives
Forward Media understands that the education market is very advanced. The market demands that we fully embrace the digital generation with media that connects with them in a modern and savvy way. Students are embracing the digital transformation in education in a way that demands we design digital media campaigns that show a full understanding of this market. Our goal is to connect with students where they are, on the device that works for them, and in a way that informs and engages them.
There Is an Extraordinary Opportunity to Connect in the Digital World
Students’ digital habits allow us to connect with them in an extraordinary way. They are ready and willing to consume digital advertising as long as it informs, entertains, and drives value to their desire to choose the best path forward for themselves. It’s a digital market that opens emails, happily consumes advertising, and actively searches for educational institutions that can change their future.
We Keep It Focused and Real
Forward Media knows that when marketing to students and educators, it is especially important to keep campaigns focused. Tailoring digital media campaigns to the most targeted of target audiences is absolutely crucial in driving ROI for any spend. We design digital media campaigns that are laser focused on the exact audience segment for a precise educational experience, thus driving improved deliverability, message relevance, and campaign performance.
From Insight to Action―Adding Value at All Times
There is no category of digital marketing where adding value at all times is more important. Forward Media achieves this by understanding each unique audience segment’s behavior, personalizing campaign targeting, standing out, and always designing the campaign through the eyes of the recipient. We consider the user experience and the power of full-channel digital strategies at all times to be paramount to campaign success with this sophisticated market.
Delivering powerful new opportunities for brands to connect directly
Forward Media specializes in the use of digital media that empowers brands to connect with their end customers directly and in a meaningful way. Our direct-to-consumer practice enables our clients to expand their market, reach out to customers directly, and sell goods more profitably.
Opening and Strengthening the Direct Channel
Whether you are an established brand that offers products through retailers and third-party channels or you are an ecommerce brand, digital media empowers you to expand your market and open new channels of revenue. Traditional marketing and physical stores are now augmented by digital tools, digital media, analytics, and powerful omnichannel strategies.
From Then to Now: The Digital Road Ahead
Forward Media works within the new world order. Gone is the day when you simply made a product, advertised, found a retail partner to sell your goods, and shared the margin with the retailer. Now, we work to empower brands in the new world order. One that moves from a product to building an online presence, investing in a robust ecommerce platform, selling directly to customers, looking for ongoing repeatable revenue, and maintaining control over every aspect of your pricing.
Digital Media Is Complex
Forward Media is here to partner with you to decipher and design powerful ROI-positive digital media campaigns within the increasingly complex and yet ironically consolidated media environment. We know how to execute on full-channel campaigns where measurement is key and results are mandatory. We understand how to reach your target, personalize your value proposition, inspire loyalty, and, most importantly, access the digital media environment of your customer.
The digital communications age arrived swiftly and with high intensity
There is no aspect of life untouched by digital communications from email reminders to virtual doctor’s visits. The change in the way we communicate has brought on a new sense of connectivity. Social media and digital communications have also deepened the divide between interpersonal relationships, relational buying, and brand loyalty. The airline industry saw this change and quickly adapted to the needs of consumers to survive this shift.
Airline carriers created social media accounts and began advertising to and interacting with their customers consistently by carefully crafting their message and brand
As customers Tweeted about their experiences, airline carriers began to respond publicly and directly to customers to better understand travelers needs and concerns. This direct communication between the airline and traveler led to the feeling of being heard and respected by those able to create and implement change. Publicly airing grievances and celebrating triumphs allows an airline to appear transparent and engaged with the purpose of travel for their clients. This instant snapshot of the customer’s experience is broadcast via social media to potential customers traditional marketing may not reach. Expertise in Social media marketing is needed to maintain a healthy balance of sharing great experiences and the acknowledgment of experiences that were less than optimal. Forward Media has the expertise as professional social and digital marketers to strike and maintain that critical balance.
Prior to the airline industry moving into digital media marketing, they relied on the third-party agent to help drive customers to airline booking sites. Third-party bookers ranged from large websites to stay at home moms working as independent travel agents
The number of third-party bookers has increased dramatically over the last ten years. Commercials promising the lowest rate and the option to add a hotel and car rental to their itinerary inundate travelers. Third-party booking agents offer the opportunity to bundle travel needs into one transaction. Often this bundle effect reduces the consumer’s ability to choose a brand with whom they are familiar and loyal. Instead, the third-party will steer the customer to the lowest initial price, opting for the upsell at a later time. To do this, the third-party booking agent will present a low-cost ticket to entice an immediate booking. The customer has the option to pay for the additional cost for seat selection and baggage shortly before the date of departure. While third-party booking agents fill seats, they neglect the value of brand loyalty and brand building.
These sites thrive on the upsell. As such, advertising moved from the experience of flying with a specific airline to a Frankenstein mash-up of multiple airline carriers to get the best price for a trip all the while, pushing customers toward credit cards linked to their sites, hotel, and rental car add-ons.
Third-party booking agents fill a need for consumers solely focused on monetary cost. However, a majority of consumers are willing to delay the gratification of saving a dollar up front for long term rewards if they can forecast a payoff.
Today’s travelers are looking for a personalized and unique experience they can share via social media
Savvy marketers understand the aspect of fear of missing out that drives consumers to spend more to gain that experience. Airlines are catching on to these consumer trends and are offering rewards programs that yield those unique experiences or financial savings in exchange for loyalty. Customers and loyalty members, in turn, share these unique experiences on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. Capturing and translating likes and shares into data allows airlines to determine what perks are working well for them regarding the customer experience and customer satisfaction that would be lost otherwise. When a customer genuinely shares a positive experience via social media, the reach is vast and often unmeasurable.
The airline industry has foraged into the digital age with new marketing techniques that include direct to consumer advertising, social media buying, and search engine optimization
These methods allow airlines to advertise without a sales tone. Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Google collect data based on the consumer’s likes, clicks, searches, online purchases, and social media connections.
The average person with an internet connection will spend more than 2 hours on social and messaging platforms daily, according to Digital Information World
Hours spent consuming digital media are spread throughout the day. The segmentation of time spent using social media allows for multiple opportunities to market to consumers directly. Full funnel digital marketing incorporates ads, clicks, likes, and emails to optimize marketing for individuals. Full funnel marketing provides the opportunity to create campaigns that nurture customers from the initial contact with the airline to the point of purchase and further reinforce their purchase with follow up communications. These points of contact beyond purchase build brand loyalty for airline carriers. The balance of a successful full funnel strategy is difficult to maintain without expertise. Forward Media has the media buying, analytics, and content management expertise to craft the perfectly balanced full funnel marketing strategy for your airline.
As the popularity of digital marketing grows, consumers utilize social media for more than cute cat videos
A recent Pew Research study found, more than forty percent of Social media users, rely on social media as their primary source of news. These social media users find social media content to be trustworthy and reliable. An unshakeable level of trust and the more than 80 times a day people touch their phones, translates to dollars and cents.
Each time a consumer connects with social media, there is an opportunity to share what makes an airline carrier different and more valuable than the next. Social media consumers look to craft an image. They carefully curate photographs and content to project the idea of a lifestyle. A professional digital marketing firm such as Foward Media will customize a targeted plan to attract the correct audience and customer to fit the airline’s brand. Potential customers will determine if they are the right customer for the airline and book directly with the airline avoiding the middle man.
Critical components of marketing remain the adage of knowing your audience is more critical than ever
The adage of knowing your audience is more critical than ever. The average attention span of an adult is eight seconds. Adults spend, on average, eight seconds to determine if something is worth investing their time. Once they have their attention, information must be targeted to the consumer’s specific needs, whether it is the lowest rate, comfort during the travel or reliability of the airline. Sending the right message to the wrong people is just as ineffective as not sending a message at all. The advantage of digital marketing is the ability to harvest details about potential consumers without interrupting their natural usage of digital platforms.
Well placed banners, surveys, and ads embed brand recognition subconsciously. Determining how to spend digital media buying dollars can be difficult. Experienced digital marketing teams like Forward Media, use data analytics to determine where and when to spend marketing dollars for the best return on investment. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow for direct to consumer advertising and have the ability to encourage a direct response from the consumer. Airlines can post flash sales or the opportunity to experience upgrades and improvements to airline carriers. These posts and banners lead to direct booking on airline websites.
Digital marketing is not limited to, social media
Rating trends show more consumers are cutting the cord and opting to piece their television entertainment together across streaming services, like Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube. Consumers that prefer streaming services feel they can tailor content to their likes and dislikes. The tailoring of content means streaming services are suited to use targeted performance marketing directed toward specific viewers based on viewing habits that are indicative of various socioeconomic and educational status. The use of keywords in advertising on these platforms lead to higher conversion rates from initial contact to direct booking.
Professional digital marketers understand the value of search engine optimization and can unlock the hidden potential to drive traffic to your direct booking site by linking words and phrases consumers search for via the internet
For example, if a consumer initiates a search for the words cabin space or legroom, the proper use of SEO will push the airline’s site to that consumer and highlight phrases regarding legroom and cabin space. Search responses give the consumer the feeling that they are doing their due diligence and comparison shopping in the most effective way. Forward Media has the experience and expertise to craft a specific social media and digital media marketing plan to drive a significant increase in direct bookings for airlines.
Over the past decade, digital media has changed how potential clients engage with professional services firms like accounting firms, consulting firms, and even legal firms
Potential clients now have many ways to discover these firms as well as vet these companies before making a commitment. As a result, an increasing number of firms have been investing heavily into digital marketing to connect with their market.
Their efforts have allowed them to establish a strong online brand presence, manage their online reputation, generate valuable leads from digital channels, and reach a larger audience. But what kind of digital marketing strategies are these firms using? You’ll be surprised to learn how many options are available to professional services firms and how multi-faceted their approach to digital marketing actually is.
One thing that’s apparent with firms that are having success with digital marketing is the fact that they’re focusing on multiple digital media channels
It’s very common for firms to focus on one aspect of digital marketing such as social media or SEO. But very few are utilizing all of the channels that are available to them. This is what is causing them to fall behind their competitors.
A full digital marketing strategy may include ads on third party review sites, marketing on video sites like YouTube, using pay per click advertising platforms like Google and Bing, propagating relevant content to multiple channels, managing regular email marketing campaigns, and more. Committing to a full scale digital marketing strategy results in a strong online presence, increase in brand equity, and multiple sources of leads.
Targeting the right audiences in the search engines is often the first step in building a digital marketing campaign
There are two main reasons why this is the case. First, professional services firms can target the exact search terms that their target audiences are looking for in Google. As a result, a successful SEO campaign can result in a channel that continuously generates high quality leads for the firm.
Second, most people often start with the search engines to find information relevant to their interests or problems. As a result, they tend to trust the top results in the search engines without giving it much though. Getting the company website to the top rankings means that firms will be able to leverage the trust and credibility the users place on the search results. Getting multiple top positions also translates into increased visibility and branding.
It’s important to mention that SEO does come with its own list of challenges
It can take several months for a campaign to start generating results and changing algorithms can affect rankings. This means that firms need to treat SEO as an ongoing strategy they need to manage and grow. So in order to supplement their search engine marketing strategy, many professional services firms also opt to use pay per click (PPC) advertising as well.
Both Google and Bing have their own PPC ad platforms. As the name suggests, pay per click advertising is an ad format that charges advertisers on a click basis when users click on their ads. These ads are placed on the top results of the search engines as well as on the pages of many partner sites. It may seem redundant to run both a SEO and PPC campaign but many firms choose to do both because it increases the chances of their prospects clicking onto their site.
Social media has also become an important channel for many firms as well
While social media is often seen as a channel that doesn’t work for B2B companies, it can still be an effective channel if you target the right audience and your marketing campaigns are executed properly. It’s also important to make sure that the right social media platforms are being used.
For example, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter works better for B2B companies than Instagram and Pinterst. Legal firms can use Facebook to appeal to personal injury clients while using LinkedIn to try to reach their professional clientele. Consulting firms can share valuable content on Twitter and LinkedIn in order to attract businesses that can use their services.
The whole point of social media is to reach audiences with your content. And by continuing to deliver great content, you will to build engaged followers and strong relationships. It also serves as an additional channel you can use (other than email) to engage existing clients so that they come back for repeat business.
Another important thing you shouldn’t overlook with social media is the opportunity to network with other businesses. LinkedIn is a great platform to start a conversation with related firms, companies, and working professionals that can help further your business goals.
Professional services firms are also investing into social ad campaigns to increase their reach and target their best prospects
Every major social media company has an advertising platform from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, to Pinterest. The best part about advertising on these platforms is the fact that they offer very advanced targeting options to target the most qualified prospects.
This allows firms to create ad campaigns that generate high quality leads for a relatively low ad spend. These ad campaigns are far more cost effective than traditional media channels like direct mail, radio, newspapers, and TV. In addition, you also get in-depth analytics on the performance of your ads. This allows you to easily optimize them and get an even better return on your ad spend.
Some firms expand their campaigns to programmatic advertising platforms and various display advertising channels. One example is the native ad platform called Yahoo Gemini. It allows advertisers to run small ads on publishing sites that land on the advertiser’s advertorials. Another good platform is Media.net, which allows you to run display ads, mobile ads, and targeted local ads.
These ad platforms serve ads similarly to the classic direct response newspaper classified ads format. However, you get improved audience targeting options, better control over your budget, and the ability to reach a mass audience.
YouTube is the second most trafficked site in the world
It makes perfect sense to start publishing content on the platform, especially when so many people go on the video site to look for videos related to their interests and problems. YouTube gives firms the ability to connect with their audience on a whole new level. They can communicate as they would in a normal face to face interaction.
And because YouTube is also a social media platform, users can leave comments, share your videos, and talk to you in real time via the live streaming feature. This means that firms can conduct webinars, run Q&A sessions, or do a one on one consultation. Having a real person behind the firm also helps increase trust and credibility. It leaves a lasting personal impression to prospects that are searching for services.
YouTube also has an advertising platform as well. Many B2B companies are doing quite well with YouTube video advertising. They’re using it to grow their YouTube channels as well as acquire high quality leads.
The big advantage that digital marketing offers professional services firms is the fact that everything can be measured