My clients’ Top 4 Questions – Answered!

Clients often come to me with a variety – or all – of the following questions. So I wanted to share them with you – in hopes that they will both help you better understand how your marketing works, and to determine how you should best move foward.  Here are the top 4 questions:

1.  WHAT is the most effective way to spend my marketing dollars?
2.  WHICH are the most important marketing channel/tools- social media? SEO?  Email marketing? Print?
3. HOW can I best utilize my website?
4. WHERE and HOW do I reach potential customers? (I know marketing is important…But ultimately I just want more sales.)

WHAT is the most effective way to spend my marketing dollars?

First and foremost, you need to spend your dollars where you are most likely to reach your target audience – that means potential and current clients/customers.  So determining where to spend your dollars will mean first  determing WHO your target audience is, second WHAT your message will be to appeal to them, and last, WHERE that audience spends their time. And then you start pushing that message to them.

WHICH are the most important marketing channels/tools- social media? SEO?  Email marketing? Print?

Answered most simply, one is no more or less important than the other. And you most likely need to do a mix of all of them. But let me explain: It truly depends on your business AND the budget you have to use.  That said, overall, certain channels tend to be more effective across industries.  Email marketing, for example, is known to have the highest ROI (Return on Investment) regardless of your business. Social media is a must for both brand development, customer connection, and establishing a professional, valid business. Search marketing is crucial for businesses needing to attract people looking for a certain service or product. On the flip side, print advertising is often ineffective (though can still be for certain businesses), and tends to have high costs with little return. In sum, the best way to determine what marketing channels you focus on starts with answering Question #1.

HOW can I best utilize my website?

Beyond the basics that your website MUST have (user-responsive design, clear navigation, appealing graphics, SEO Optimization,etc.), you need to think of your website from your target audience’s perspective, with two key questions in mind: 1) WHAT does  my audience want from my business? and 2) WHAT do I want my customer do on my website? For example, you likely want them to either sign up for your email list (gain a lead), contact you, or purchase something.  So when designing or updating your website, think about these questions first.

And last but not least…WHERE and HOW do I reach potential customers?

After you complete Q #1, there are plenty of ways and websites to research the best places to reach certain demographics.  And often your answer will be a mix of things – such as Facebook targeted ads, targeted search campaigns, and email list development.

And last but not least, the above may seem daunting, but partnering together we can get your business on an upward track with little work from you. Contact me with any questions!