Last month, we were all about brand promo and explored how-tos for getting your target audience to finally take notice and marvel at all you have to offer. So this time around, we’re going to focus on how a digital marketing strategy not only attracts prospective customers, but takes customer acquisition – and more importantly customer loyalty – to a whole other level.
These days, as we’ve said before, the digital world is congested with your competitors. So even though you might have mastered the techniques of brand promotion like a marketing genius in the making, there’s still the hefty task of acquiring new customers and – of course – keeping said customers’ attention so they keep coming back for more. Luckily, there are essential elements of a digital marketing strategy that are for precisely that purpose. Let’s look at 5 Key Components to Improve Customer Acquisition:
1. Research the Right Direction
No – we did not discover a cover band of UK-based pop sensations One Direction. *shudder* Rather, we are all about the right direction. Determining exactly where, when and who you want to attract to your brand should be, without question, the starting point of your entire marketing plan. Research like you’ve never researched before. Dig out details about your target market’s interests, their pain points, what they search and where they spend their time online. Also, learn all you possibly can about your dreaded competitors. The perfect place to start is by seeing how your company site stacks up against theirs. I recommend taking advantage of this free site comparison report! (You’re welcome!)
2. Creatively Craft and Curate
Once you’ve learned everything you can about your potential customers you can cater your online messages to them in the channels they prefer, the formats they favor and cover the exact topics they want to learn about. If it sounds like I’m promoting stalking, you bet your iPhone6 I am! Just kidding…but the data you collect will certainly enable you to supply your audience with info that will attract their business, earn you some credibility in your industry, and – most importantly – keep ‘em coming back for more.
3. Frequently Analyze Activity
Remember playing Pin the Tail On the Donkey when you were younger? I do. I sucked at it. Guessing games should be left to the playground, but oddly many businesses operate like they’re still blindfolded, stumbling around with a donkey tail in their hands. Implementing the right conversion tracking tools and marketing automation mechanisms right from the get-go will allow you to never wander the digital realm aimlessly again. As long as you regularly monitor your campaigns you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.
4. Make Data Driven Marketing Decisions
Possibly the best part of tracking your customers’ behavior online is knowing if and when you need to adjust or simply address anything. Access to this kind of data practically makes you the grand master of marketing in your industry. Think about it: your prospects are on an online forum sounding confused about where to find a local store offering your particular product. That’s your clear cut cue to a) respond in the forum thread (duh!) and b) ramp up your local SEO efforts!
5. Be Mobile Friendly First
Back in April, Google threw the business world for a loop with their mobile update. But this loop is not to be feared! Just ensure that your site is optimized for mobile. You would not believe how many sites we see that seem to be stuck in 2001. Ladies and gents it’s 2015 and your customers are browsing via tablets or smartphones! These are words to live by. Ensure that your customers don’t lose patience and close their browser in disgust by implementing a responsive web design and ensuring your pages load quickly.
