We are JM2 (JM Squared) Webdesigners & Marketing from Cullman Alabama but that is not what we are talking about today. We are going to talk about the power of two great digital marketing products that separate are good but together can be great. We hear many social media marketers say you need social media and a website is a waste of your dollars and marketing time. We hear the opposite from those that do websites but not social media in that you only need a website and social media is a waste. Both thought processes are the furthest from the truth. Quality marketing requires you to use both and use both effectively! They should work together, complement each other, and help drive traffic to each other. Why you need both we will describe in this article and this will certainly not be a complete list, but it surely will show you why you need both.
What you will notice is the pros for each are very similar but handled different. as your audience may be the same but are still different This difference is what makes both an important part of an effective marketing strategy. You might be targeting the exact same audience on both marketing channels but need to captivate them in entirely different ways. Social media is sharing information where a website is educating in deeper detail and driving users through a predefined sales process. Social media can be seen more as a browsing experience as information is given to you based on what the social media platform believes will interest you and drive advertising dollars to them where going to a website your visitors are going through a search engine and looking for direct answers to a specific question that came up in the search engine query the site visitor performed.
Social Media
Social media has more people on it in any given day than many of our websites will ever see in its lifetime. Millions to over a billion users visit social media on a daily basis. Not all of them will ever see your products and services, not even if they are next to your business. The closer they are to you the better your odds are though. They have to have shown some interest in your products or services or social media will hide you from them (unless you boost your post -- we'll cover that in a bit). There are many great tools that are available to streamline your efforts, analytics, and interaction with current and future customers. Key items to do with social media are:
- Consistency post based on the social media channel you are using. For Facebook the magical number is three posts per week (but can change based on your audience)
- Quality content – share content that you've created, entice people to go to your website, and share information that will benefit your audience.
- A key item to remember is keep your content on your site. This will give you more influence and control over your company assets.
- Video – pre-recorded and live. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point (just like your content)
- Pictures (include it with your content)
- 20% sales (or less) - No one likes to be sales pitched all the time, if ever. One in five posts at most should be what you strive for. In many instances we do even less. We use our time to educate and inform users more than sell. Education is as much of a sales tool as a paid ad.
- Boost to specific audiences (age, gender, geographic location) - This is ever more important. Social media is becoming a "pay to play" land. You might be thinking that you are already spending a lot. Social media boosting can be as low as $5 a week (or day if you want to spend a lot) for small business. We like the dollar a day spending and reach hundreds of people per day as we narrow the criteria down to age, job position, etc.
With your content and everything you need to drive people to your website. The key here is it is your website. You own it, you control it, and your competitors are not on it (hopefully; unless you allow paid ads and they are slick enough to target correctly).
Websites
Websites are controlled by you and promote you and only you. You have the complete control of your audience. You can drive every visitor through the sales process (e.g. sales funnel). Whether it is to further educate and keep them tied to your brand, or to teach them how awesome your services are.
- Consistency update the content of your website - Blogs are a great way of adding new content without taking up a ton of time. One blog a month will do significant returns on your search engine results (if you have quality content)
- Quality content - No one will read content that sucks. People are looking for answers, education, and want to make informed decisions. Provide them with content that works and helps them be a better person. They will not only remember it but they will remember you as well.
- Video – pre-recorded and live. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point (just like your content)
- Pictures (include it with your content)
- Sales – this should be everywhere but shouldn't appear pushy. People coming to a website know you are selling. Just don't push it down their throat. Websites are very closely tied to the search engines (there's more than just Google!). Your website needs to be fast (speed might kill but being slow on the internet will basically kill your business. A 1 millionth of a second delay on Amazon.com and you've lost a million dollars. For our small business customers, we know it's not that extreme, but we treat every customer like this as we know the importance of speed and you should as well.
When it comes to the search engines you have two types. We prefer "organic" which means you've earned your place and best of all you're doing it without paying to get there. We also understand the reasons many of our clients use paid advertising to get to the top spots. They might not be able to achieve the top two or three organic listings as their competitors truly own that space due to many factors. Paid advertising allows you to show above them but comes at a price per click. When it comes to the search engines most of us think about our websites, but have you thought about your images as well? When organic SEO is done, and done well, you will have most, if not all, your images within the search results under the keyword phrases you want.
Conclusion
You can see from the above that both social media and websites are virtually identical in that you need to have:
- Consistency in a regular posting schedule will help stay in the heart and mind of your customers
- Quality content that is written for your audience
- Your content should answer the question your customer is asking - People ask different questions and this is why blogs are awesome quality content tools as they provide a way to answer different questions about the same product you might have talked about a few months back.
- Every day video and visual media (pictures) is important. Make certain that you use it where appropriate and educate your audience.
Have a process with following up with your customers through a sales funnel. This could be lead generation forms, newsletters, or using a list of current customers. A key item for social and website marketing is that your information follow a "marketing plan". This plan should not be like throwing spaghetti against a wall and seeing what sticks. This can work short term but will almost never work long-term. Take the time and establish a marketing plan to grow your business.
When it comes to marketing your company let your passion and your culture come through. Don't be fake and don't be stuffy (unless your business is being stuffy and then by all means be stuffy!). Marketing is a game and a game any company can do themselves (did we just say that?!?!?!?). The key when determining to do this in-hoes or to use a marketing company is where is your time best spent, what are the costs, and which way will help your business grow to where your dream is?