Marketers love to talk about trends. They love to predict what’s going to happen next, what changes will take place, etc.
Don’t get me wrong. I can spend hours on end talking about trends — it’s the geeky thing to do!
But here’s the thing.
I realized our marketing industry trends we talk about range from “DUHs” to far-fetched ideas of how we see marketing.
Most of them won’t even happen for years to come — and when it does, there will be talks of newer trends by then. My point is. It’s never ending. And we tend to get caught up in the newness of things that we miss obvious opportunities right in front of us.
But it certainly makes good fodder, content marketing materials and even become the agenda of entire seminars.
Just like concept cars at auto shows
I think of marketing trends are similar to concept cars at car shows. This is how I look at it, at least.
They come with all sorts of promise, innovation, and predictions of the future — but it’s all theoretical. Seldom practical.
Granted, marketing trends is not as amorphous and unrealistic as auto innovations — but it’s pretty close in my books.
Businesses and consumers are quick to reject innovation that hinders their ability to enhance their experiences.
So don’t be surprised that more than half of the trends you read about may not see the light of day. And if they do, businesses may find it challenging to monetize it.
Let’s spend our time talking about shorter term marketing strategies.
You know what I mean.
The ones that will give you the impact you need for your business within the next 6 months to 18 months.
In the grand scheme of things, only a very small percentage of businesses have the resources to invest in long term marketing innovation.
Majority of the business world cannot afford to be early adopters and take risks, as calculated as it may sounds.
Unfortunately, as trends and predictions emerge, the internet will be, if not already, flooded with content — videos, articles, whitepapers, research, conferences — it’ll be everywhere.
But that doesn’t mean you have to cave in to the pressure — your business will not crumble just because you’re not ready for the new stuff.
Be realistic and do what is necessary. And these are things that are more immediate, short-term, driving the sales you need to sustain your growth.
3 practical things to focus on and making them effective for your small business
Getting maximum coverage in Google search
Many businesses still need to allocate sufficient resources to both organic and paid strategies to win in Google.
Strategies for SEO and Google pay-per-click is similar whether you are a national or local business — but the tactics vary quite widely.
Make sure you have complete coverage for your business across Google’s network. After all, it’s the 800 lb. gorilla when it comes to online searches your customers use when looking for your products and services.
Here are areas in Google your business should be participating in.
- Google Ads (Search / Retargeting)
- Google display advertising
- Local listing through Google My Business
- SEO rankings in Google SERPs
- Google Shopping
Each of these Google marketing channel requires specific skill sets to implement and execute properly. They are necessary if you want to remain relevant and competitive in your industry — and in truthfully, to stay in business.
When I talk to prospects, the two things I often hear are either
“I don’t have time to spend on building campaigns and optimizing my website.”
Or
“I’ve tried it before and the ROI wasn’t good.”
Visibility and advertising across Google’s marketing tentacles is table stakes. It’s no longer an option to opt out or put off for later.
If you’re not fully leveraging every tool available through Google, you need to start exploring and be resourceful.
Missing out on your Google strategy can be costly to your business and make it nearly impossible to catch up.
Social media content and advertising
Social media is here to stay. But yet businesses are not investing enough effort and time.
In fact, 9 out of 10 prospects I talk to don’t even have a process in place for their social media strategy. They are winging it.
It is necessary to create your social media strategy if you want to be relevant to your customers. Why? Because that’s where they spend most of their time.
Putting your brand in front of your customers consistently is a tried and true tactic.
Doing these things will strengthen your business’ social presence in the long game:
- Post content that is relevant consistently; create a content calendar and a schedule.
- Engage with your followers, and other people’s content; respond to both positive and negative comments.
- Boost posts that has high engagement to broaden your reach to more people.
- Create custom audiences you can advertise to; make sure you sequence your ads by creating content that adheres to these simple steps: Engage -> Connect – Convert.
- Retarget your website visitors via Facebook Ads
Website tracking and analytics
Everyone will tell you that you need to have precise analytics. But what does that really mean?
We’ve all heard the phrase “garbage-in-garbage-out” or GIGO. That is the essence of precise analytics.
It’s not enough just to have analytics on your website. It is mission critical to make sure your tracking pixel is implemented correctly.
Many businesses I talk to claim they have analytics tracking — majority using Google Analytics — but when we dive in for an audit, things couldn’t look more askew.
In order for you to take informed actions from the insights you gather for your website, you need the right data to guide you.
Here are a few common mistakes to avoid:
- Missing tracking codes on sections of your website
- Forgetting to add the complete 2-part script of your Google Tag Manager (GTM)
- Not excluding your IP, web crawlers, and spider traffic
- Not tracking every page
- Slopping campaign tracking; not using UTM parameters to its full extent
- Not setting up the right goals
- Internal search tracking set up
Conclusion
Businesses of all sizes can get distracted by the latest marketing trends. It happens to all of us. As a result, things slip through the cracks. Of course, that’s not a good thing if your website is your primary source of revenue.
These are three marketing channels that can contribute to a significant chunk of your online business if set up correctly. You can start marketing like a champion.
Obviously there are more things you can do when it comes to your internet marketing strategy. But before you go do the rabbit hole, make sure you are getting coverage in Google, Facebook, and Analytics.
