From KPI’s to ROI’s, pay-per-clicks and conversion rates, there’s a whole lot of marketing jargon out there, so let’s strip it back – if there’s one thing you really need to understand if you are going to win new business, it’s your marketing reach.
What do I mean by your reach?
Broadly, I’m talking about the people you are putting your business, product or service in front of. Conduct a webinar online that demonstrates your expertise as a consultant and you might have 30 attendees. Pay for some PPC or good SEO and you’ll be in front of lots of people, you’re just not sure they are the right people. Put an ad in the Mail on Sunday for a new product you’re launching, and that number might be 600,000 plus. (Yes, I know it’s an old-style print media, and it’s more complicated too, as it excludes the online edition – and it’s not the right target market for many products and services – but you get the point!)
Impressive reach? Well, not necessarily, as reach alone will only get you so far. Putting your content in front of people doesn’t automatically mean that they are engaging with it. It’s where businesses often fall at the first hurdle – the companies that build the best engagement with their customers tend to be the ones that know them really well.
After all, if you don’t understand who is seeing your product or service – and crucially, what they think about it when they do – it’s a bit like winking at someone in the dark.
If you don’t know who is looking at you, it really is like winking in the dark. You know you’re winking, but your potential customers don’t.
New website?
For many businesses, the first port of call will be to invest some time and money into creating a new website, which can be a great place to start by giving your marketing a boost. Here’s the catch, though: creating a new website doesn’t guarantee you’ll win new business. In fact, it means very little if no one’s reading it. Much again, like winking in the dark!
If you’re struggling to win new business and engage with your customers, despite perhaps a brand-spanking new website and active social media accounts, it’s probably down to two key reasons:
- No one has seen your proposition (your reach is likely too small, and/or crucially, you may not yet have understood how to be seen within the sea of other competitors and products).
- Your messaging just isn’t compelling enough.
At the end of the day, reach means very little without effective targeting and even less if you haven’t got your messaging right.
Content is crucial. The type of messaging you are putting out there really matters when it comes to delivering results. In a matter of seconds, you need to be able to catch the attention of your audience, engage with them and persuade them to want to know more. In other words, your website home page has got to be able to work really hard for you.
Improve your marketing reach, and you’re one step further to getting your business in front of your target market. Flashy websites can be great, but they need to be founded on strong messaging and engaging content. Remember, it’s not just about your audience finding your website; it’s also about making your business look good when they get there.
Social media isn’t the be-all and end-all
There’s no denying that social media can be a powerful platform for marketing your business and getting your product in front of new people. (It’s not great for everyone!)
Is it then the marketing panacea that many assume it to be? Well, perhaps not…
Many businesses slip up by not understanding that when you spend time on social media platforms such as LinkedIn (Yes, it’s now ‘social media’) and Instagram, you are being controlled by the algorithm. The algorithm is constantly fluctuating and can be both a help and a hindrance; while it can offer opportunities for greater visibility and engagement for your business, it can also prevent your posts from being shown to the people who are most likely to buy from you.
Most importantly, you’re not in control of the platform’s reach.
Social media is a fickle business, and understanding how it works is the key to getting the best results from it. Algorithms tend to favour valuable, informative content that sparks user engagement, so once again, content is king.
Being adaptable and staying up to date with changes is really important but remember that having a social media presence isn’t the only way to go. It’s about making social media work for you in a way that makes sense for your business and most importantly, for your customers.
How to turn your reach into new sales
If you’re in a rut with your marketing, and feel like your reach might be holding your business back rather than driving it forward, all is not lost.
It’s never too late to go back to basics – focus on these key elements, and you’ll no doubt start to see better results from your marketing (in fact, get these elements right, and they will positively impact every part of your marketing);
- Get to know your market and audience inside out – how can you expect to attract and engage with customers when you don’t know what they want/need and what makes them tick?
- Build your reputation to increase brand awareness and develop customer loyalty – many bigger brands are able to sell their products based on reputation alone!
- Gain credibility as a business your customers can trust – demonstrating your expertise in your subject can be a really powerful way to market your business and build reassurance.
- Provide some social proof to demonstrate that your customers think you’re great!
- Make your content count!
If you need a bit of help with your marketing or are simply looking for a few useful bits of tips and advice to get started, feel free to get in touch with me – I’d welcome a conversation with you.