That quote — actually a misquote — is often attributed to Mark Twain upon the humorist reading his own obituary in the newspaper. At least that’s how the best versions of the tale go.
The same sentiment can be attributed to print marketing. Despite the exaggerated rumors, print’s not dead. Far from it. In fact, renowned marketing guru Dr. Victor Frankenstein most succinctly summed up the current state of print marketing when he famously declared to colleagues, “It’s alive! ALIVE!” It’s true. Look it up.
While the rise of digital has heralded a new age in marketing, don’t believe the smarmy slicksters and snake-oil salespeople when they tell you it’s time to administer the last rites on print marketing and lower the old girl into the ground. Sure, she’s gotten a bit up there in years, but all those years have provided her with a wealth of experience and trusted reliability. And she’s still got a few feisty tricks up her sleeve. Just consider a few of these stunning statistics from printisbig.com:
U.S. advertisers spend $167 per person on direct mail, earning $2.095 in goods sold — a 1,255% return on investment.
Direct mail marketing response rates are 37% higher than email marketing rates, and they also result in a 40% increase in online donation rates.
80% of households read or browse their advertising mail, and print is 59% more engaging than online articles.
Forestry is the most sustainable of the primary energy and materials industries.
Sill not convinced? OK, aside from facts and figures, let’s talk about some of the psychological aspects of how people interact with print materials.
Print provides a tangible, tactile experience for consumers.
The physicality of a publication, brochure or direct mail piece gives consumers that sensory experience that helps to solidify your message in the mind. Not only do print materials hang tough with the staying power to remain in homes or offices for longer periods of time, they also prompt stronger emotional responses in the reader. In a study conducted by the U.S. Postal Services and Temple University’s Center for Natural Decision Making, print materials bested digital offerings in most categories, including review time, stimulation, memory speed and confidence, desirability, and valuation. This is not to say digital isn’t valuable, but instead, that digital and print used together can be an unbeatable combination to reach customers.
Print provides a trusted credibility.
A report by MarketingSherpa set out to determine which advertising channels consumers trust most and least when making purchases. In a survey of 1,200 consumers, print ads topped the list.
As the survey’s author summarized: “Print ads were the top advertising channel according to our survey, with four out of five Americans (82%) telling us they trusted newspapers and magazine ads. In fact, the five most trusted channels were all traditional channels.
Print holds Attention.
An article from Modern Litho noted that websites are often skimmed in as little as 15 seconds; however, readers become more engaged when it comes to print materials, spending 43 minutes reading a magazine on average. Because print has been shown to hold attention, it allows a much more meaningful experience.
Print marketing provides a quiet, dignified and reputable way of conveying information to an audience.
SaveOn’s team helps countless businesses stitch together the creative marketing plan that has helped to bring their vision to life. See how they can help your business by reaching out today for a consultation.
In the unofficial history of coupons, Coca-Cola is often cited as giving birth to the couponing movement when the company offered slips redeemable for a free glass of the magic elixir at any soda foundation way back in 1887.
From that trailblazing idea more than 130 years ago, the concept of offering consumers a bit of a tease to get them in the door or to try a new product has become an unwritten code of conduct for businesses of all stripes and sizes. Over the decades, couponing has gone from a sweeping trend for many to almost a lifestyle for some, with websites, books and even television shows dedicated to the art of mastering a savvy deal.
And the forward momentum isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Let’s face it: Everyone loves a deal. It’s part of human nature. There’s a certain psychology that comes into play when you think you’re getting over on someone by striking a great bargain or finding a special value. It makes us feel good about ourselves, and it makes us feel productive and efficient. On the flip side of the cash register, it builds brand loyalty and invites potential buyers to explore new experiences.
The market and consumer data giant Statista released a 2021 report on U.S. coupon market trends that showed coupons are more than a mere gimmick — and although more and more people are putting the scissors back in the junk drawer in favor of digital deals, coupons are still shaping how consumers shop and influencing the shopping decisions they make. Some of the most striking statistics include:
U.S. coupon use dominates:88% of survey respondents in the United States stated they had used coupons for shopping in 2020. That is slightly down from levels in the 90% range the prior two years, but the showing is nonetheless extremely impressive and hard to ignore.
A taste for something new: Ah, to be young and adventurous again. The younger the customer, the more likely they seem to be to let a deal inspire them to try something new. Among respondents, 89% of millennial shoppers in the United States would try a new brand if they were offered a coupon or discount. That makes millennials the most likely generation to do so, ahead of Generation X respondents with 86%.
The bargain of bare necessities: The U.S. shopper survey indicated household items (46%), restaurants and food delivery (41%), and grocery delivery (40%) were the most-searched-for coupon categories. That shouldn’t be a surprise since the survey was conducted in the middle of a global pandemic. Yet, it’s no stretch to think those areas would generate the most attention regardless of the coronavirus.
Season’s greetings: 62% of survey respondents stated better prices would influence them to try a new store or online retailer during the holiday season.
Tip your postal carrier: The mailbox still matters. Roughly 40% of survey respondents stated they looked in the mail for discounts or offers for shopping in physical stores, proving that going old school still has some swagger.
Coupons still matter. With more shopping options and more ways to reach those future customers coming to light every day, perhaps they matter more than ever. They build an unspoken bond between a business and consumer: If you’re willing to give my shop, product or service a chance, I’ll give you a bit of an incentive. The idea may be more than 130 years old, but the formula for success still works.
And by the way, that little Coca-Cola upstart is still in business.
SaveOn has been helping businesses connect with consumers since 1984. Contact us today to explore how we can help your business reach its fullest potential.
Advertisements are everywhere. From TV to billboards to your phone, it’s tough to go through an entire day, let alone an entire hour without seeing an ad. On average, people see 4,000 to 10,000 ads a day, according to Forbes. So how can you break through the noise and make sure your ads are heard? Is it even worth it to advertise when people see so many a day?
Yes. Ads still are influential and — when done right — have the potential to engage new and existing customers.
Whether this is your company’s first-time advertising or you’ve been running them for years, there are ways to improve your ad campaigns and increase your bottom line.
Creative
Any successful ad campaign starts with unique, memorable ad creative. You want your ad to break through the clutter of competitor ads, so you need to ensure your ad will stand out. Look at what all the companies around you are doing — and do something different. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your normal ad creative and push your boundaries.
Like any other marketing piece, start your process by identifying your audience. Next, determine what your key message and call to action will be. Once you have those key elements figured out, you can start brainstorming ideas. Things to consider while brainstorming ad creative are:
Research: Research is the key to creating effective ads. Use primary and secondary research to test out colors and ideas as well as learn about audience preferences and behaviors.
Brand standards: Although we encourage you to push your boundaries, you still need to stick to your company’s branding. Make sure you keep your company’s voice, logo, colors and fonts intact when making new ads.
Advertising medium: What medium will be the most impactful for your audience? Keep in mind what platforms your audience spends the most time on, which ones they are most interactive with ads on and which ones your budget allows you to invest in.
Appeals: Will you make an emotional appeal, bandwagon appeal or maybe a humor appeal? There are many types of appeals you can use to capture the attention, hearts and memories of your audience.
Timing
Anyone in sales knows that timing is the most important part of the process — you have to be there when your audience is ready to buy. Although ads don’t always entice people to buy right away, they plant seeds for when people are ready to make a purchase. You can use ads to raise awareness about your products and services, company, and values. These ads will help keep your products and services top of mind when the customer is deciding between you and a competitor. Having seen your ads, they will already know who you are and why they should buy from you; and they will see you with more credibility than a competitor that they haven’t heard about.
Ads also give you the ability to talk to customers 24/7. You don’t have to wait for them to drive by your store or come in and talk to a sales rep.
Repetition
One of the reasons your ad campaigns may not be performing is lack of repetition. Like we said earlier, people see thousands of ads a day. Repetition will help them remember your ad.
Do you remember the HeadOn commercials? Yes, they were annoying, but you didn’t forget what HeadOn was or how to use it.
You don’t have to be as repetitive in commercials as HeadOn was, but you will see more success in your campaigns if you are repetitive over time. Running ads for at least six months helps you consistently stay top of mind to buyers. That’s not to say you have to run the same ad. As a matter of fact, we suggest changing up your ad creative periodically to not let your audience go ad blind.
Offers
If you’re offering a discount or incentive for people to buy your product or service, make sure it’s a good one. It doesn’t have to be outrageous— it just needs to be enticing enough to get people to change their habits and choose you over a competitor. For example: A pizza place wants to bring in new customers, so it decides to offer $2 dollars off. That offer probably won’t make many people change their mind. It doesn’t appear to be that much off, and it doesn’t build excitement. If that same pizza place was offering free delivery, that may be enticing enough to switch. Even though free delivery is only a dollar or two more, using the word “free” builds excitement and catches people’s attention. That kind of offer is enough to at least make people check out your site or menu.
Additionally, really good offers like 50% off or buy-one-get-one-free are sure ways to get people to give your product or service a try. In a report from AMG, 66% of shoppers said they like BOGO the most out of all discount promotions. They also found that 93% of shoppers reported they have taken advantage of BOGO promotions at least once.
Advertising campaigns won’t do anything for you if your product or service aren’t great and aren’t delivered to the customer’s expectation. Once you put a product or service into market, keep an eye on customer feedback. Watch your online reviews, monitor social media, use call tracking and digital analytics, and track your coupons. The information you glean from user feedback will help you 1) determine if you are delivering on your promises, 2) ensure your advertisement is effective, 3) adjust and improve ads, and 4) improve your products and services overtime.
We understand tracking and analyzing data isn’t the easiest thing to do. That’s why our team is here. We use the latest technologies to track and analyze your ad campaigns so you can make informed decisions and see hard ROI.
To learn more about how we can help you create ad campaigns that actually yield results, visit SaveOn.com/business.
Opinions vary on the official origin of email. Some trace its history back to the mid-1960s. Others proclaim its founding was in the ’80s. Regardless of the true birthday of the email, it could be argued that it has lost a bit of its luster. If email was indeed founded five decades back, the first email scam probably came out four decades, nine years and 364 days ago.
Now with a plethora of scams, mountains of unnecessary spam and co-workers who woefully abuse “Reply All” etiquette (Yeah, I’m looking at you, Carl), it may seem a bit of email’s initial shine has dulled over the years — but you’d be wrong.
Email — and in particular email marketing — is still a vital and vibrant strategy for businesses of any size. And the best part is that new innovations in email marketing can streamline your tactics, connect you to the customers who are looking for you and bring a bigger bang to your ROI. Here’s a look at four trends to consider this year:
Get Personal
“Customers don’t just want to feel like another cog in the works; they want to feel valued by the companies they invest in,” according to the email marketing firm Benchmark. “One problem that can occur in email marketing is the lack of personalization that comes with automation. A key trend to follow is instead leveraging robotic process automation and AI to create personalized emails that speak to your consumers. This means using automation and AI to send targeted emails that appeal to your specific audience segment. Analyze your customer’s shopping habits, opening rates and favorite products or services to then create an email that speaks to those behaviors.”
Follow the Drip
No one likes to be overwhelmed, but underwhelming potential clients isn’t a great alternative either. That’s what makes a drip campaign ideal: It’s like the Goldilocks of email marketing — not too hot, not too cold, but just right by breaking down marketing communications into a series of “drips” spread across a specific timeframe and that require specific responses.
“This ensures consistent and cohesive communication between the subscribers and the company. Moreover, it gives the customer a sense of control over their inbox. … That’s why drip email campaigns tend to perform better than regular email campaigns,” according to NetHunt. “Specific actions taken by users activate the launch of the sequence. Emails that get sent out as a part of a drip campaign are more responsive and create a much ‘friendlier’ communication between each side. They are not overwhelming; all the necessary information comes in ‘drips,’ saving effort of having to traipse through a hefty copy. The customer gets the exact piece of information they expect to receive.”
Include a Video
Video is way a way to communicate quickly and effectively to an audience. Incorporating video into an email marketing plan can help you stand out from the competition. Even just including the word “video” in the subject line of an email can increase the open rate, according to SuperOffice.
“Video email marketing can be a great way to convey a lot of information without making your emails text-heavy. For tutorials and how-to videos, it’s a great platform. What’s more, 91% of consumers revealed that they watch an explainer video to learn more about a service or product,” AdWeek wrote in an April 2021 blog. “It’s also important to prioritize concise content over wordiness. Long paragraphs can look cluttered and make your email harder to read.”
User-generated Content
User-generated content has been a big hit on e-commerce sites because it brings a sense of bonding between consumers and a brand. It’s not surprising it’s transitioning to email marketing.
“Consumers find UGC 9.8 times more impactful than influencer content, and 78% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions,” according to Sleeknote. “Strategically injecting it into your emails is the perfect way to humanize your content and get a tip of the hat from your customers.”
There’s probably no reforming Carl of his bad email habits, but SaveOn has digital solutions designed for every business. Tap into our resources of more than 140 million opt-in email records in our database. Target your message to the audience you want to reach using over 750 filters including geography, age, gender, household income, levels of interest and more. Visit saveon.com/business/digital to find out how we can work for you.
There’s a reason the midway is typically the most popular area at a fair.
It’s the dizzying mix of lights, music, and the seemingly endless rows of games and contests where you have a chance to win that giant, pink, stuffed teddy bear that has been crisscrossing the country all summer and now taunts you as it dangles from the canopy of the carnival booth.
Yes, Yogi, you will be mine before this day ends.
You can feel it even when making a friendly wager with an acquaintance. No matter how mundane the bet or how miniscule the prize, there’s that moment when your pulse quickens, the adrenaline kicks in and the dopamine fires up in your brain as the contest begins. “Could it be possible? Yes, it’s true! If my wall of paint keeps drying faster than his, I may really have a chance to win that last slice of the pizza we bought two days ago!”
You get the idea. It’s the rush. The thrill of competition.
Everyone likes to be a winner. Even more, everyone loves being presented with the opportunity to win. It’s why contests are an easy and ideal promotional tool to help build brand interest and awareness. Here’s a look at a few basic reasons contests should be a part of any marketing strategy.
1. Contests Build a Fan Base
Free stuff is fun and gets attention. The power of promotion is a tried-and-true method to increase Facebook likes and shares — and some contests even urge people to spread the word on the event. According to American Express, “a basic enter-to-win sweepstakes with a lower barrier to entry often provides the best option for those just starting out with social media contests or without a large base of fans in place.”
2. Contests Engage Consumers
The first step of a contest is to get someone’s attention. The next step is to get that person excited, engaged and to take action. “A contest is often distinct from the typical content that brands put out. It pushes people to interact with your brand because they anticipate fun and gain the chance to win something of value,” Submittable wrote in a blog post. “Contests also promote and multiply user-generated content that gets customers more involved and makes your brand more memorable to them and people in their networks.” That user-generated content could be anything from photo submissions to user-made videos.
3. Contests are a Data Treasure Trove
“Contests also offer advantages from a research standpoint. When people sign up or agree to participate, you can collect names, contact information and get answers to other research questions,” according to Chron. “On a giveaway for a television, for instance, a manufacturer may include questions about participant TV habits. When consumers sign up at local electronics retailers, they fill out forms with their information and answers. Companies collect this for research and analysis to better promote that product or something else in the future.”
4. Contests Increase Sales
“The logical and necessary evolution of the benefit of your contest after building awareness and increasing your subscribers is increasing your sales,” said Neal Schaffer, founder of digital marketing consult group PDCA Social. “Contests are a great way to convert your business leads into valuable customers — especially in the case of the winners because they had just tried your product for free (if you chose the wise path of offering your product as a gift and not a random iPad) and they will most likely return to purchase more if your product satisfies them.”
Effective as well as cost-effective, contests are a reliable form of marketing that can boost your business as well as the business of your partners in the eyes of the public.
At SaveOn, we offer monthly contests that showcase the products or services of our various business partners, from winning a tank of gas to walking away with a new KitchenAid Mixer or a gift card to a garden center. Find out more about SaveOn and how we can help take your business to a new level by visiting saveon.com.
In his early 20th century work “Mending Wall,” American poet Robert Frost wrote that “good fences make good neighbors.” Due to the technological advancements of the 21st century, that phase can be revised to denote that “good geofences make great customers.”
Deploying the wrong marketing strategy for the desired result can have all the grace and subtlety of a Sherman tank. Sometimes the big and noisy scattershot guns need to remain holstered in favor of the surgical and exacting preciseness of the simple scalpel. Geofencing is a digital marketing tool of such delicate and effective accuracy in aim and intention.
Geofencing is a location-based technology that allows a business to define a geographic boundary and then create a virtual barrier around the location that communicates with mobile devices entering the area. That communication can be anything from a text message to an email alert to an app notification.
According to Business 2 Community, mobile ads with geofencing have double the click-through rate, and 53% of shoppers visited a retailer after receiving a location-based message. With geofencing being compatible with 92% of smartphones and the average user spending five hours a day on a mobile device, the odds of finding success with this marketing technique fall greatly in the favor of the brand sending the message.
Used wisely, geofencing can communicate with potential customers who may already be interested in the service or product you offer. Content can be tailored to specifically to customers in the geofence who are already more inclined to be open to receiving information associated with your brand. For example, a vehicle dealership might geofence an automotive show to highlight the dealership’s ongoing offers, promotions or events. This targets an audience base that is likely already interested in your product.
However, the effect of geofencing can take an even more hyperlocal approach by setting up a perimeter around a competitor. Such a tactic provides customers the ability to immediately comparison shop or, at the very least, raises awareness of an alternative local option, according to GeoMarketing.
Finally, geofencing helps to personalize the customer experience by finding desired group of prospects for your business, delivering ads to them and providing businesses with the ability to track the success of converting prospects into customers.
Geofencing can be extremely helpful for businesses looking to generate new leads, promote exclusive offers, distribute information about upcoming sales or events and so much more. Geofencing enables your business to reach an audience of potential customers based on where they are and have been. Whatever your message might be, geofencing allows you to reach an audience of real-world people who are already in the proximity of your brand and who could eventually become loyal, valued customers with the right information while they are there.
SaveOn takes great pride in providing a well-stocked arsenal of marketing options that fit whatever need you have and reach whatever audience you want. For more information on how we can help your business target the right customers, visit saveon.com.
You have a great company, and you have a solid product or service. You are even doing some advertising and marketing to attract new customers, so why aren’t sales where you expected? To get the results you want out of your marketing efforts, you need to have a well-rounded, fully thought-out marketing plan from inception to execution. Our team has put together a guide to creating a marketing plan that is sure to result in the hard ROI your company is looking for.
Brand Positioning
Every good marketing plan starts with research and background. The first thing you should do is perform a SWOT and competitive analysis. The SWOT helps your company identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The competitive analysis will show how your business and products compare to your direct competitors. It’s important to know what your competition is doing, as well as how they’re positioning their companies and products because you need to differentiate your business from theirs.
Using the information from your SWOT and competitive analysis, you will be able to identify your company’s key differentiators and unique value proposition, or the one thing that sets your business and offerings apart from the competition. This will help you formulate messaging that speaks to your distinctive attributes.
Finally, before you can form messaging and a marketing plan, you have to determine who your target audience is. A big mistake many businesses make is trying to talk to everyone. There’s no reason to waste your money marketing to people who have no interest in your products or services. Although you may get less impressions or have to spend more initially to reach people in your target market, it’s worth it in the end because your efforts will result in more qualified leads, sales and new long-term customers. To identify your target audience, you will need to ask yourself demographic and psychographic questions like:
What gender are they?
Where do they live?
How old are they?
Are they married and do they have kids?
What is their education?
What do they want?
What are their pain points?
Where do they go?
You can learn more about who your audience is through customer surveys, reviews, competitive analyses and creating customer personas. Additionally, you can use resources like call tracking. Call tracking data allows you to know where your calls are coming from by ZIP code, day of the week and hour of the day. All of this allows you to make educated decisions about your advertising campaign and coach your call center or receptionist to make the most of the leads you receive. At SaveOn, we offer call tracking to our advertisers at no additional cost.
Once you have your research and background information finished, your next step is setting a budget.
Budget
Businesses should have a firm budget identified before drafting a marketing plan. You will need to take several things into consideration when setting a budget:
Your marketing plan will need to include a variety of marketing and advertising mediums.
Will you outsource artwork and creative for the campaign?
Will you need to purchase software to execute and track the campaign?
How long will your campaign run?
You will most likely want to leave a little room in your budget for additional costs. Looking at past marketing campaigns can help you estimate costs for your upcoming marketing plan.
After your budget is approved, you are ready to start drafting your marketing plan. The first step is identifying your goals and key performance indicators.
Goals and KPIs
A plan without an end goal is a sure way to waste your money. By setting SMART goals, you ensure your campaign is headed in a good direction, but it also is achievable in the timeframe you set. After setting your SMART — specific, measurable, accurate, realistic and timely — goals, you will need to identify KPIs. A KPI is a measurement that tells you if your campaign is meeting its goals. KPIs can include but are not limited to:
Revenue growth
Number of new customers
Website visitors
Digital ad conversions
Your next step in your marketing plan is identifying the strategies and tactics needed to reach your goals.
Strategies, Tactics and Marketing Mediums
Now that you have long-term SMART goals, how are you going to achieve them. You need to create a few strategies and tactics to carve a path out to reaching your goals. Strategies should be a big-picture plan to reach a goal, while tactics should be concrete, smaller steps to get there.
For example:
SMART goal: To increase visitors to our website by 10% by Dec. 31, 2021.
Strategy: We will use digital marketing to drive people to our website.
Tactics: We will implement geofencing, retargeting and SEO/SEM.
Your strategies can and should use a combination of marketing techniques to reach your audience.
Types of Marketing
Content Marketing
Content marketing is creating shareable material that you put online, such as blogs, videos, e-books or webinars. The purpose of these marketing tactics is to position your businesses as a thought leader, answer customer questions before they have to ask, create brand equity, attract new customers and increase sales. These can be valuable tactics for your business because they are easily accessible and sharable. They drive customer interaction and inevitably convert to sales.
Email Marketing
Email marketing allows companies to send commercialized messages to your segmented audiences. You can promote sales, offers, information and more to your customers. In the United States, more than 90% of people 15 years or older use email, and email marketing has an ROI of 4,400%, according to OptinMonster. That means, for every dollar you spend on email marketing, your company will potentially see a $44 return.
If your email database isn’t quite large enough to reach your audience, you can always use advertisers to help you. SaveOn has more than 140 million opt-in email records in our database. We can help you target your message to the audience you want to reach using more than 750 filters, including geography, age, gender, household income, levels of interest and more.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and more to promote your products and services. According to Statista, there are more than 3.6 billion people on social media today. Businesses have a great opportunity to reach their target audiences on social outlets, increase brand affinity and convert fans to sales. In fact, 70% of business-to-consumer marketers have gotten their customers through Facebook, OptinMonster found.
Businesses with a strong social media following can gain sales and customers through creating engaging content with calls-to-action. Those without a large, active following can still find success on social media through social media advertising. Social media advertising tends to be less expensive than traditional ads and gives businesses more control over the ad spend.
We offer social media advertising to our business partners. Our team of advertising experts help create messaging, set up campaigns and monitor your budget, so you get the results you want without the stress or hassle.
Digital and Mobile Marketing
Digital and mobile marketing is using the internet and online digital technologies like desktops and smart devices to reach audiences. A Nielsen study found that chief marketing officers said they found digital marketing was more effective than traditional marketing like TV or radio, and 82% of CMOs expected to increase their digital advertising budget. Additionally, 50% of consumers who search for a local business on their mobile device visit a store within a day.
SaveOn has years of experience working with companies to deliver effective digital marketing campaigns. We’re able to offer our business partners special lowered digital advertising prices, and we specialize in mobile marketing, geo-addressable fencing, websites, retargeting, SEO/SEM, event targeting and deliver marketing messages.
Direct Mail Marketing
Direct mail marketing is the process of delivering marketing materials directly to people’s homes through magazines, inserts, postcards, flyers, catalogs and more. Although email and direct mail campaign tend to generate similar response rates, a MediaPost study found that direct mail marketing generates five times more purchases than that of email marketing.
SaveOn connects millions of local savers in Chicago, Detroit, the Twin Cities and West Michigan to businesses through its monthly magazine, inserts and postcards.
Coupon Marketing
Coupon marketing has been around for decades and has not let up in popularity or effectiveness. In 2019, 91% of Americans ages 35-54 used coupons, and 77% of consumers spend $10-$50 more than planned when using a coupon. We strongly suggest incorporating coupon marketing into your marketing plan. If you need help reaching new customers, using a trusted couponing source like SaveOn is a solid choice. We send coupons from local businesses out to millions of consumers in Chicago, Detroit, the Twin Cities and West Michigan each month through direct mail and digitally.
Write Messaging
Now that you have your marketing mediums chosen, you’re ready to write your messaging. Messaging should be targeted at your audiences identified earlier in the process and optimized to each marketing platform. Remember to always stick to your unique differentiators, and don’t be afraid to venture outside the box with your ideas.
Evaluating Success
Finally, your plan must be measurable. A marketing campaign can only be called a success if there is something to indicate whether you reached your goals or not. Use your KPIs to see if you reached your goals. If you find that something isn’t working, evaluate why and change it. The people who you are marketing to are constantly changing their opinions, wants and needs based on the world and what they’re being offered. Make sure you are open to trying new marketing methods when things no longer are working. Staying up to date on marketing trends is an important piece of the planning and evaluation process. Our team at SaveOn is here for you. We specialize in shining a light on your company’s unique offerings and can help you identify and reach your target audience through our marketing solutions. To learn more about our marketing programs, visit SaveOn.com.
In retrospect, Pete Townsend seems a bit more of an oracle than a songwriter when he penned The Who classic “Going Mobile” in 1971.
A half-century later, there are upward of 5 billion unique mobile users worldwide, and 2.7 billion of them use smartphones, according to the digital-insights gurus at DataReportal. In the United States alone, the Pew Research Center estimates that 285 million residents will have a smartphone by 2023. Then there’s the oft-cited statistic released several years ago by the Mobile Marketing Association of Asia indicating that more people on the planet own a mobile phone than a toothbrush.
As disquieting as that information may be to the American Dental Association, the growing use of mobile isn’t going away and shows no signs of plateauing anytime soon. It’s a reflection of the changing on-the-go world, and every day more people are relying on their mobile devices as their window to view and stay in touch with the wider world wherever they may be.
All of this is why mobile marketing is essential to incorporate into the marketing strategy for any business. Your audience is no longer a static target. To reach them and get your message seen and heard, you have to meet them where they are at any given moment. There are a variety of ways to use mobile marketing, and often different methods are employed to meet different needs. Some of the most common strategies include:
Mobile apps:Smart Insights reported 2020 saw 35 billion mobile app downloads. Companies that have mobile apps are primarily targeting existing customers through promotions and increased engagement to enhance retention and reward loyalty. Coupons and special deals can transform existing customers into brand ambassadors.
Mobile game marketing: Mobile gaming is a booming business, with 2.7 billion gamers around the world at the end of 2020, according to Pocket Gamer. Additionally, an average of 234 daily minutes spent gaming is anticipated by 2021. Advertising appearing in mobile games through pop-ups and banner ads is an exceptional way to promote new products or deals.
Location marketing: Location-based marketing strategies such as geofencing and geotargeting puts your business in front of an audience at a predetermined location. Location marketing is an ideal tactic for small businesses seeking to target a particular audience in a specific community.
QR codes: Quick-response codes work with any camera-equipped smartphone and provide a wealth of data from text to URL links, sending consumers directly to whatever information a business is looking to put in front of eyes.
There is a plethora of other mobile marketing avenues that can be explored to meet the distinct objectives of a business of any size. It’s important to experiment with different approaches and then analyze and benchmark results to see what works best for you. However, being succinct in your message is key. Mobile devices have small screens, so make your message count in a low word-count to have the biggest impact.
SaveOn can keep you moving to reach your audience at any place and any time. Find out more about how we use mobile marketing to help our clients obtain a higher level of success by visiting saveon.com.
But that quippy proverb takes on a whole new meaning now. After the tumultuous year the business community just experienced, it’s likely many business owners are pleased to see the number 2020 in the rearview mirror.
A new year brings new hope and new opportunities. It’s a reset button, a fresh start, a tabula rasa to reexamine your goals, recommit your determination and reinvigorate the idea that the unknown days ahead contain unlimited potential for success.
However, just because the days ahead are unknown doesn’t mean you have to approach them unprepared. There are steps that can be taken to help kickstart success and begin 2021 — ah, that beautiful number that seemed to take so long to get here — with a bang.
The coronavirus pandemic that tested the limits and endurance of the business world isn’t over, but the sun appears to be coming up over the horizon and the dawn of better days are approaching. Here are a few tips to help you put your best foot forward and greet 2021 chin up and head-on:
Don’t make your marketing budget an optional expense: Although many businesses continue a day-to-day struggle to keep the doors open, the lights on and make payroll, it’s never a good idea to stop thinking about marketing strategy. The marketing budget may be smaller than in years past, but it is still a vital component for your business to keep your name in front of the right eyes. It’s an investment in you.
In a forbes.com article, PostcardMania founder and CEO Joy Gendusa explained that the company slashed its marketing budget following the 2008 recession to detrimental effect, losing $5 million in revenue by 2009. The lesson: The marketing budget is sacred.
“Where possible, you need to get the word out to prospects and customers alike that your business is alive, kicking and ready to be of service,” Gendusa wrote in the article.
Bolster your social media presence: From the mom-and-pop shop to the national chains, a strong social media presence is a critical strategy for success in the 20th century. We live in a world where word of thumb has replaced word of mouth, and social platforms are one of the best ways to stay connected with your current customers and raise your profile and awareness with your future patrons.
With more than 3 billion people worldwide using social media every month, the potential for engagement only keeps growing, according to an article in marketinginsidergroup.com.
“If people don’t know about your business, they can’t become your customers,” the article states. “Social media boosts your visibility among potential customers, letting you reach a wide audience by using a large amount of time and effort. And it’s free to create a business profile on all the major social networks, so you have nothing to lose.”
Put your business on the Google Map: Take the time at the start of the year to update your Google My Business profile. Google My Business provides business owners with the ability to have their companies pop up in local search results and appear on Google Maps. Setting up a Google My Business profile is relatively simple and can reap numerous rewards when properly optimized — from improving engagement to boasting your business in local search results.
An article in business2community.com, recommends filling the Q&A section of the profile with frequently asked questions, adding images or video and responding to all reviews.
“A robust Google My Business profile is more important now than ever. If you want to show up when local searchers are trying to find businesses like yours on Google or in Google Maps, a complete and optimized Google My Business profile is the place to start,” the article states.
It’s important to also take stock of the previous year and pinpoint what did and did not work for your business. However, equally important as looking back is looking forward. You invested your life into your business, so do your homework and study up on the trends and predictions being made in the coming year to determine how you can better reach your customers.
SaveOn has been helping business of all stripes extend their reach to target audiences for years. Find out more about what SaveOn can do for you by visiting saveon.com.
Having a solid consumer product or service is only half the battle of owning a successful business. The other major piece of the puzzle companies try to perfect is getting customers through the door. A recent survey found more than half of Gen Z, millennials and Gen X are actively trying to shop at local establishments.
How do you get local patrons through your doors (or onto your e-commerce site)? Promotion.
Here are nine promotional tactics that can maximize your company’s local traffic.
Social Media Advertising
Social media advertising is a great way to introduce potential local customers to your brand, products and services at a relatively low cost. You can advertise on a number of sites or apps, including:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Snapchat
TikTok
These popular platforms vary in spending minimums and advertising options, but they all have one thing in common: control. You have absolute control over your campaigns. With social media advertising, you can adjust creative, spending audience and more throughout the campaign at no extra cost, as seen in traditional advertising.
Another benefit of advertising on social media is that your ads can be seen 24/7. With traditional media, you often pay a flat rate for an ad — and if people don’t see it, they don’t see it. Social media ads run all day and night, and they bill by impressions, clicks or conversions. This results-based billing method is enticing to companies that have a tight budget and need hard ROI.
A third pro to social media advertising is your ability to easily target and track audience engagement. Social media platforms let you target people by age, gender, location, job titles, interests and more, so you will be able to get as specific as you want, ensuring your money is going toward the people most likely to buy your offerings. Additionally, the analytics included in the platform will let you know your impressions, reach, clicks, audience demographics, etc.
Digital Advertising
Digital advertising is another way to meet your audience where they are. In fact, a report from Hootsuite and We Are Social discovered people are spending around six hours and 42 minutes on the internet every day. This presents a unique opportunity for businesses to target their local audiences through digital ads.
Through online advertising, your business can increase brand awareness, build a better understanding of your audiences and their behaviors, and create higher-performing content.
Like social media advertising, digital advertisements are billed based on interaction and run 24/7. You can also adjust creative more easily than traditional ads. This type of advertising has a few popular options for advertisers, including:
Geofencing – Targeting audiences by building a geographic boundary. When a mobile device enters the geofenced area, some form of ad will be triggered to populate their phone.
Retargeting – Ads that are sent to people who have recently visited your website to remind them of your brand, products or services.
Display – Push ads that appear based on targeting parameters.
Search – Pull ads that appear when someone searches keywords that you have paid for.
Traditional Advertising
Traditional advertising includes newspapers, magazines, billboards, radio and direct mail. Although we’ve talked about some of the downsides of traditional advertising, there are still many benefits of using traditional media.
For one, your target audience may prefer to see ads on traditional platforms. Older generations like Gen X, baby boomers and traditionalists tend to be more receptive to traditional ads than millennials and Gen Z.
Another upside to using traditional advertising is it gives your company a bit of legitimacy among people who are unfamiliar with your brand. Younger generations who grew up with the internet know to be skeptical of scams and fake news online. If they are unfamiliar with your brand, you may come off more legitimate in traditional media because they are thought to be more trustworthy.
Finally, by advertising out in the community, you will be sure to reach people locally and build word-of-mouth publicity.
SEO
Search engine optimization is another tactic that can be used to promote your business and pull people into your website. Simply put, SEO is the process of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search results, according to Moz. Ensuring your website has useful content, includes keywords that people are searching for (without overdoing it), have informative title tags and meta descriptions, and build qualified inbound links will help you rank higher in organic searches, which will drive people into your website.
Sponsorships
Sponsoring community events has two major benefits. First, it can get your business’s name out in front of the right local audiences. Secondly, it generally supports good causes or organizations that help your community. Local sponsorships tend to not be overly expensive, and they also help your brand build credibility and good rapport. Sponsorships sometimes will even include the opportunity to have a booth or table at the event, which gives you the chance to meet and talk to potential customers. This is an awesome way to introduce your company in a fun and authentic way.
Host a Sale with a Community Link
I’m sure you’re thinking, “We have sales all the time, and it only brings in a few extra purchases.” What can make these sales more exciting to potential customers is connecting them to a local event like a big game, community event or gathering, or a holiday that your town loves. Bringing locality to a sale or having it connect with other things happening in the area makes your sale more relevant, adds an excitement element, brings attention to the sale and will likely attract more local customers to your business.
Offer Samples or Product Demos
Who doesn’t love free samples or trying before you buy? People love to get free stuff and know exactly what they’re buying. Giving away free samples and offering product demos give the customers a chance to test out your product or service and see that they can’t live without it.
Strategic Partnerships
Strategic partnerships are used all the time in marketing. Starbucks and Barnes and Nobel, Spotify and Uber, Nike and Apple, and Taco Bell and Doritos are famous examples of hugely successful strategic partnerships. Partnering with a local, reputable business does a few things. It expands your marketing efforts, doubles your audience reach, adds value for media coverage, creates excitement and builds brand credibility. Many local businesses form partnerships every day to increase local traffic to their businesses.
Content Marketing
Breaking through all the noise from the internet, advertisements and media is harder than ever for businesses. Content marketing is a proactive strategy to create interesting, shareable content in which your audience is interested. Your content should have a narrative and tell a captivating story. This helps you appear authentic and gets people genuinely energized about your products and services without feeling like you’re just trying to sell to them. Types of content marketing can include:
Blogs
Social media
E-books
Videos
Photo galleries
Websites
Webinars
Infographics
Podcasts
Paid ads
Our team has been working in the marketing realm for decades, not just promoting our own brand but helping connect businesses to local savers. We are always here to guide you, answer your questions and to help you increase sales. Learn more about how partnering with SaveOn will help you reach your business goals at saveon.com/business.
