Marketing on the Gulf Coast: 5 Tips from Experts

There are a variety of tactics you can use to enhance your marketing strategy. Digital and TV advertising still reign supreme, but methods like cause marketing are also useful. With so many avenues toward success, it's hard to know which one is right for your company.

Here are some tips to improve your marketing strategy from the experts here at FOX10 Gulf Coast.

Crafting Quality SEO-Driven Content

SEO-optimized content on your company's online landing page pushes your business to the top of search engine results. It also makes your company more legitimate in the eyes of potential customers, leading to more conversions. Any blog posts on your company's page should be formatted correctly and be free of any grammatical or spelling errors.

Some customers only scan paragraphs for specific keywords, so make sure to use them in your content. Another important thing to mind is keeping longer sentences to a minimum. Text that runs off the page is difficult to read on a mobile device.

Mobile marketing and mobile-friendly landing pages are both crucial to your brand's success. Fifty-two percent of website traffic in 2018 comprised of mobile users. Even during in-store visits, many customers also visit the brand's website at the same time to read product reviews.

Engaging with Social Media

Advertisers are beginning to realize that there's a gap between customers and small businesses that can only be filled with engagement. Using social media allows you to easily reply to customers' comments and concerns at the press of a button. In fact, 70% of consumers are more likely to use brands that reach out on social media.

In addition to answering direct queries, you should also actively search your brand's name and hashtags on social media. When a customer posts about a positive experience, like or share this content with the rest of your following. When you engage with your followers, your business appears more human in the consumer’s eyes.

Perfecting the Customer Experience

Without a positive customer perception, even the best marketing strategies won't perform as well as intended. A customer should visit a physical or online store and find the products they need with little hassle. They also expect to be greeted and assisted in-store or have available support online.

Lower prices and promotions aren't the things customers value the most: it's the experience. Eighty-six percent of customers would rather do business with a brand that provides the best customer experience, even if the products were more expensive. Similarly, 32% of consumers said that they would avoid a company after just one negative experience.

This is another reason why your brand's social media presence is so important. People often interpret unresponsiveness to questions asked on social media as evasive and detached. Being available to your audience shows that your brand is dedicated to creating the best customer experience.

Integrating Marketing Tactics

Another way to create a positive customer experience is to make your marketing as accessible as possible. Online advertising is essential, but you may also want to run your ads on television as well. Print advertising is also widely trusted by the public and even increases brand recall by up to 75%.

However, you shouldn't rely on just one channel of advertising. Integrating TV and digital advertising guarantees more success compared to when these methods are used separately. This is because many people are using their mobile devices while watching TV, or vice versa. A good call-to-action  from a TV ad can quickly increase traffic and sales on your business's online store. 

Another advertising strategy to consider is cause marketing. More people are talking about important social issues, and consumers want to know where their favorite companies stand. Seventy-one percent of consumers expect brands to be transparent about what causes they support. Furthermore, 75% of customers only want to do business with companies that support the same issues as themselves.

Being Authentic

Eighty-six percent of customers rely on authenticity when deciding which businesses to support. Cause marketing can be an invaluable tool to your marketing campaign, but only if the message is genuine. If your company's mission and past business endeavors don't align, consumers will see your brand as dishonest.

Marketing on the Gulf Coast and Your Business

Unfortunately, many small businesses often waste precious advertising dollars on strategies that aren't effective. To ensure the greatest ROI, it's important to utilize multiple marketing channels and social media. Doing so will make your brand more credible and authentic to your customers. If you're ready to reach your marketing goals, reach out to FOX10 Gulf Coast today.