Everything looks a little different right now.
In these uncertain times, it’s hard to know where to direct your time and resources - so we’ve taken the guesswork out of it.
“Between January and late March, internet traffic increased by around a quarter in many major cities,” claims the MIT Technology Review.
With the major uptake in internet usage we’re seeing a unique opportunity to gain the attention of viewers.
What’s unique is, viewers are more likely to have time to react to your marketing.
It’s the perfect time for growing your online presence and introducing new channels to maximize your strategic goals.
Rev up your Email Marketing
Don’t be shy when it comes to motivating customers to take action - the easiest method is new promotions.
Many buyers have more time to spend on research than usual - so make sure your company is at the forefront.
It doesn’t always have to be price reductions either. Something as simple as extended terms or free delivery can be a major selling point right now.
Keep your customers and prospects informed by delivering educational information straight to their inbox, and keep your contacts up to date on your product offerings and how they work.
Offering how-to product demos and educational materials keeps customers active on your site and develops trust in your brand.
Other details, like your company’s origin story or an overview of day to day operations can also be of interest to readers.
Building a personal connection with your business partners is the key to a long-lasting relationship.
Create Lead Generating Content
Create fresh content that will attract new leads to your site.
Attaching video content, e-papers, or how-to demonstrations, encourages viewers to seek further information about your company.
Optimize your existing website copy and blog pages for lead generation, keeping SEO in mind.
Stay consistent with your social media pages but don’t be afraid to try new things.
Keep track of analytics to determine which new methods work best.
Remember to generate content focused on benefits rather than features: what it will improve in the life of the customer, rather than details and facts about the product.
Consider hosting webinars in place of any missed trade shows, networking events, and of course, sales meetings.
According to Paramount Business Coach:
“Hosting a webinar allows your business to showcase its expertise, industry knowledge, abilities, skills, products and services. Your webinar also benefits from the human element – allowing you to put a real face to your business, helping your audience to engage with and even become emotionally invested in your business.”
Being so interactive, it can also provide further background information on what exactly your leads are looking for and what challenges they’ve come up against.
And don’t forget - webinars can be recorded and re-used in future video content!
Redirect Google Ads Budget
At this unprecedented time, many companies are tightening the purse strings when it comes to their marketing budget, so at Omesa Creative, we’ve developed a strategy to maximize your ad space.
First off, focus on the industries where the majority of your revenue is already coming from.
That may not always be clear to smaller companies. If that applies to you, focus on the industries of your most high profile accounts.
The more specifically you can target your “ideal customer” through Google Ads, the better your results will be.
When questioned if Google Ads really work in a recent article, Hubspot claimed:
“Google Ads have a click-through rate of nearly 8 percent. Display ads yield 180 million impressions each month. For users who are ready to buy, paid ads on Google get 65% of the clicks. 43% of customers buy something they’ve seen on a YouTube ad.”
That’s a resounding YES!
Google Display ads are mostly image based vs. their search result counterparts.
Utilize the Google Display network to increase your brand visibility. As we all know from social media: video and images capture the attention of viewers fastest.
Google states: “The Google Display Network has over 2 million sites and reaches over 90% of people on the Internet, across websites, apps and videos.”
And explaining the benefit to advertisers: “Get your content in front of audiences that are aligned with their personas. These are typically image ads that draw users’ attention away from the content on the webpage,” Hubspot continues.
Explore other channels as well. Facebook has extremely targeted demographics to choose from and even includes a tool using customizable forms to convert leads.
And as much as you’re looking for them, your future leads are looking for you, too!
Enhance Web Live Chats
Neil Patel reports on a study finding “a 10x decrease in the odds of making contact with a lead after just five minutes without a response.”
And of those “companies that responded in ten minutes compared to five minutes saw a 400% decrease in the odds of qualifying that lead.”
Not only is live chat the user-friendly method of communication, it’s also convenient, efficient, and cost-effective.
With the mentioned uptake in online traffic, it’s a great time to enable your customer service team with live chatting abilities. Smaller companies may find it easier with one dedicated live chat employee.
You can also set up your website to trigger the live chat when visitors land on key product and services pages, FAQs, or your contact information. What to do when you’re not in the office?
Easy to implement, automatic messages can be sent through live chat for the initial outreach. Similar to an out of office, providing that immediate feedback is essential to retaining leads.
The same concept can be applied to generating a live chat for customers viewing your site for an extended period of time.
Live chat is an easy way to create an immediate connection with your leads.
Enable Online Business
Another way to generate solid leads is by adding a quote form to your site.
Visitors can be turned into leads with a basic quote form listing a few specific questions.
Substantial purchases may require more than a “Buy Now” button; a quote form allows the buyer to begin the process of communication in a way that feels low-pressure.
It’s best to ask minimal questions and not ask the buyer to divulge sensitive information such as budget or profit margins.
Requesting contact information, timelines, and information about their specific needs are safer options.
The point of the form isn’t to determine the quality of the lead, it’s meant to open the door to further communication.
Don’t expect to make a sale through your quote form alone. Ensure your sales team follows up in order to qualify each lead in a timely manner.
If you sell products, this isn’t just a great time for marketing, it’s also the perfect time to enable your site with e-commerce abilities.
Website Builder Expert shares:
“Ecommerce sales currently account for 17.2% of all retail sales, with online shopping itself growing 13.7% year-on-year. There’s really never been a better time to get online.”
And that was before the pandemic.
With the consistent increase in online traffic in mind, and the physical restrictions on buyers of all types, we can reasonably expect that number to soar in the coming months.
Introducing e-commerce has many advantages. If your products can be easily shipped, e-commerce removes the limits on location based customers.
Looking to get into international markets? Online sales lead the way.
Another major benefit: it’s extremely cost-effective.
And another added bonus? You’ll be open for business 24/7.
Overall, a unique opportunity to strengthen the foundation of our businesses is here.
Through the various methods we’ve shared — like enhancing brand visibility, developing e-commerce abilities, or redirecting advertising efforts — any sized company can find success.
Whether it’s generating killer new content, growing your email marketing, or introducing proactive customer service like live chat, inspire your future customers into action with these fresh ideas.
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. So let’s rise to the challenge together!
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