What is Digital Marketing?
Marketing and media have evolved past billboards and radio ads. The digital space is the new titan in business marketing. America has 272.6 million smartphone users spending an average of 5.4 hours on their mobile device per day, According to TechJury.com. Businesses are finding new ways to reach the consumer in our hyper digital world. Instead of drawing consumer attention to television for commercials or hoping consumers watch movies for product placement, businesses now place their product directly in the hands of the consumer – through digital marketing.
Your sales team fields inbound requests, but also sources and develops new leads. Your digital marketing should do the same. Social media, content creators and paid ad space on social media is the new “product placement.”
Everybody is already looking to social media for entertainment, so if a trend now involves a product you distribute or personally create, you not only have word-of-mouth marketing, but you have thousands of people purchasing your product in an attempt to follow the trend. Though trends are fickle and quickly pass by, there is always the chance that you gain new loyal customers that truly enjoy the product.
How to Build a Well-Oiled Marketing Machine
The first step is creating organic content on social platforms. Your content in blogs and on video must engage audiences as they visit your pages and platforms, just as a sales team member would effectively engage a caller or someone who walked through your door. With every social media having a distinct target audience, the ability to find at least one platform for your brand is easy. The company has to balance “teaching” content with insights, offers and promotions.
Short-form, long-form and musically inclined have different platforms where they primarily thrive. The similarity of formats allows you to put content on multiple platforms. It’s possible to have short-form instructions on TikTok for quick how-to videos and then leave a link to a YouTube channel with more in-depth information on the steps and why to do it.
Many comedians market their jokes via TikTok or by teasing stand-up snippets on Youtube. On their channel, they will also have a link directing audiences to their website, where the full stand-up special is available for purchase. It’s best if you have a full understanding of the spectrum of multiple platforms or at least have one member of your team be proficient in one or two different platforms. That’s where Green Vine Marketing comes in. More on that in a bit.
When has it Worked?
Wendy’s is a recent success story for a major corporation focusing on the integration of marketing methods. In 2015, Wendy’s decided to go in a different direction for their marketing. It started with one viral tweet in response to a customer.
Because of the buzz this response generated, Wendy’s went on to poke fun at competing brands openly on social media. The restaurant chain gained almost a million new followers the first year because users were curious who Wendy’s would diss next. Twitter was then filled with customers going to Wendy’s to buy food just so they could tweet “at” the company.
Then in 2018, Wendy’s went viral again when they created a fully produced mixtape with six diss tracks all aimed at other fast-food chains. The mixtape garnered so much attention that it was covered on national news. Wendy’s then started trending on Twitter, Youtube, Spotify, national news and personal blog sites.
Millions of people that at least knew of Wendy’s are now more inclined to visit just because they can’t go anywhere without seeing the brand referenced. Many other brands are now imitating this format with more and more companies attempting to go viral on social media by appealing to a younger audience.
Don’t Forget Your Call to Action!
When you want customers to help market for your company, you have to give them a “call to action”. A call to action tells the consumer specifically what you want them to do and how to do it. Steer clear of words like “can” and “perhaps” in your CTA. They don’t demonstrate authority or create a desire for the person to take immediate action.
Try something like, “Are you looking for a partner to help you plan and coordinate your marketing efforts? Connect with Green Vine Marketing.” Seriously, connect with Green Vine Marketing . We’ll help you navigate the digital landscape to connect with your customers.
