What Kinds of Marketing Tactics Should You Be Using?

Growing your business requires effective marketing to connect consumers with your products and services. But with the advent of online technology, there are more ways to market than ever. Which marketing strategies are right for your business? That can be a difficult question, especially for leaders of small and growing businesses who are pulled in a dozen different directions daily. 

Despite the slew of marketing platforms available, you can still break down today's most effective marketing strategies into the following basic categories, many of which may be great for your business. 

Digital Marketing: A Key Component of Marketing Strategy Today 

When it comes to marketing, it's hard to find a business without some digital footprint these days. Even businesses that rely primarily on foot traffic for sales often have a listing on Google My Business. With the overwhelming majority of consumers looking up businesses online before their first visit, you need to ensure your prospective customers' first online impression is good. 

With digital marketing, there's a sea of options, ranging from mobile marketing to online PR. Given the evolution of how we consume media, even some television and radio show advertising falls under the umbrella of digital marketing. No matter which options you choose, it's essential to integrate digital marketing strategies into your business plan and budget. 

Audio Marketing: Radio Still Wins Consumers Over 

Despite the expanding number of marketing channels, radio still wins hearts and minds nationwide. That's especially true in regional markets, where local broadcasters' warm and familiar voices are an indispensable part of millions of Americans' commutes and other daily routines. It's tough to beat the power of broadcast radio programming that families have grown up listening to, and in a financial context, it's hard to beat radio's cost per reach. 

With the rise of digital marketing, radio has gotten a big boost. Not only can consumers listen to their favorite radio programs from virtually everywhere with a smartphone or virtual assistant device. However, many businesses have learned that pairing radio with various forms of digital marketing can substantially boost their brand awareness, reach, and credibility with their target audiences. 

Content Marketing: Keeping Consumers Engaged and Educated 

A regional medical and tech hub like La Crosse boasts plenty of consumers eager to learn more about what they buy. Creating content that doesn't directly sell but instead offers insights to enthusiasts about their hobbies, professionals about their industries, and visitors about the area helps prime consumers to purchase. Moreover, it helps you engage with your existing customer base and encourage repeat purchase behavior. 

Content marketing takes many forms. A home improvement shop can post explainer videos about common household products, while a B2B tech company can publish a branded podcast about the latest innovations. Regardless of your content marketing strategies, make sure they align with your brand image, values, and audiences

Social Media Marketing: Connecting to Your Community 

Social media marketing may see its greatest usage among younger generations. But there's a social media platform for everyone and consumers of all ages on them. It's the perfect platform for recreation and entertainment industry content, from the latest indie concert to Oktoberfest. But it can also be effective for businesses from all industries that understand social media is for less formal and more engaging content. You can let your brand personality and the people behind your business shine here - and be rewarded for it. 

Plus, social media marketing is an excellent platform for two-way connections. Message consumers, and they'll often message right back. Just be strategic in the way you choose to connect with consumers here. Consumers will quickly tire of and reject heavy-handed sales pitches, jargon-filled messages, and anything that feels inauthentic to your brand. But carefully crafted messages on social media can draw members of your community to you online and in real life. 

Email Marketing: Reach and Relationship-Building 

With curated email lists, it's hard to beat the cost-per-reach email marketing provides. Email lets you connect with consumers with automated personalized messaging that can help you introduce them to, inform them about, and sell your product. But one of the best benefits of email marketing is your ability to keep customers engaged after they purchase from you. Using insights you've gained from them from point-of-sale and previous email feedback, you can personalize the marketing messages they receive further and offer them promotional opportunities that are simply too good to pass up. 

Of course, you don't want to fill their inboxes with nothing but sales pitches. Email marketing is ideal for delivering non-sales content about your product/services and industry that can bolster your brand authority and credibility. Pairing an email marketing strategy with customer support interactions can help you derive more value from each customer. And email marketing can also help you gain invaluable insights that help you align your promotional, packaging, pricing, and product strategies more closely with your audience. 

Influencer Marketing: Credible Voices Promoting Your Brand 

Throughout business history, many consumers have taken cues about what to purchase from others. And perhaps never has that been more the case than in today's celebrity-obsessed era. But you don't need a seven-figure advertising budget to get a Hollywood A-lister to promote your product. There are self-identified influencers online with sizable fanbases who appeal to broad audiences. There are micro-influencers with small but growing or niche fanbases as well. And then there are trusted local figures whom communities have long trusted who have, in recent years, begun to monetize their credibility. 

Choosing influencers who can authentically promote your business and are aligned with your brand's image and values is key. It can be tricky, but it can be a great way to connect with your local community and even draw in some consumers outside your target audience. 

Event Marketing: The Power of Face-to-Face 

Digital may be indispensable these days, but that doesn't mean that consumers aren't still craving face-to-face interaction. While today's customer journey may begin online, for most, that journey still ends up in a physical location. And when you leverage promotional opportunities, such as discounts and giveaways, to optimize that physical location, you can increase your sales. 

But these aren't the only event marketing strategies available to you. Depending on your industry, an awards ceremony, business roundtable, tradeshow, sponsored event, or networking lunch or dinner may be ideal for your business. Not only can you pitch people face-to-face, but a successful event can also garner positive word of mouth, good press, and more positive marketing benefits. 

The Right Marketing Mix for Your Business 

No matter what business or industry you're in, you should employ several types of marketing strategies to maximize your chances of success. Pairing different types of marketing can have an even bigger effect than you can achieve by using individual methods alone. For example, pairing radio with digital can help you target your audience more effectively, bolster your consumer's ability to recall your brand, and make your brand more credible in their minds. 

Even if you're on a budget, you have a lot of options available to you. It can be tough to know where to start, especially when you're a sole proprietor, a small business filled with generalists, or a small or medium-sized business facing operational, financial, or other challenges. That's where we come in. The marketing experts at Mid-West Family La Crosse can help you identify affordable marketing strategies to increase your brand's reach and reputation while helping you achieve your sales goals. 

Ready to connect with the right consumers in Western Wisconsin to grow your business? Contact us today.