Your Marketing Mix

Your Marketing Mix

How To Attract Qualified Visitors to Your Web Site

by Suzanne Engels, WebArtNTech,
Ellen Silverman, Copy That Gets Results

 

The key to attracting qualified visitors to your business, online or offline, is the right Marketing Mix. Buying behavior has changed in the new world of technology. Consumers want knowledge. Marketing today is more about interactions than transactions.

Ask yourself:

• Who are my customers?
• Where do they come from?
• What are they talking about online?
• How do they want to receive information?
• When do they buy?
• How do they buy?
• What motivates them to buy?

Every year one of our business networking groups hosts a panel discussion titled "Your Marketing Mix". Suzanne speaks on the newest web marketing opportunities, but we are always amazed that the lists of strategies, tools and techniques grows exponentially every single year! And they continue to leverage digital AND traditional marketing.

For example:

A nationwide retail product mix includes brochures (print) and trade show setups (exhibits), linking to a great 'anchor' company web site for post-show info, with email/direct mail signups, phone followups, Facebook, Twitter (social media) and blogs for interactive communication with potential clients and customers. Not to forget the networking and referrals that result from this strategic mix.

Most business websites rely on extensive SEO to attract prospects from Google and the other major search engines, but not everyone. Established "experts" with a focused niche and great referrals put their marketing dollars into PR and a basic SEO strategy built around their brand - name, company name, and client list.

Off line marketing strategies cannot be overlooked to drive people online. For example: Speakers distribute handouts and leave-behinds to encourage follow-up web site and blog visitors,  email subscriber signups and 'like' my Facebook page. Business cards, letterhead, printed promotional materials - ALL should list internet contact information.

Local and Regional businesses use business networking events offline and online. They get on the map - for enhanced search results with Google Places for features such as 'click for directions', coupons, event announcements, photos and more.

Nationwide (or international) businesses rely less on SEO and put more emphasis on public relations campaigns to attract interest and drive prospects to websites and phone contacts - then use social networking and email newsletters to interact with prospects and customers.

Freelancers in many industries follow Twitter and use LinkedIn for job leads, while certified professionals make sure they are listed in industry directories that have a "Find A Professional" search box. Journalists and those who can write, develop followers by regularly posting interesting and timely blog articles.

The guerrilla marketing tenet is still true -

27 exposures of a business brand

- before a person takes action. Today that exposure can be on-line, off-line and/or in-person, and with thousands of marketing exposures each of us is exposed to in a day, the number of impacts needed to build recognition and initiate action keeps growing.

Therefore it is crucial to find the ideal marketing mix for your small business or non-profit - one with the right balance of cost and effort that connects with your target market where ever they hang out, online and off.