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Are you a marketing manager struggling to reach your objectives due to lack of marketing budget?
A lot of the time traditional marketing attitudes and a resistance to change can prevent your marketing strategy from moving forward.
We understand that it can be a challenge to convince members of senior management on the value of implementing new marketing tools and techniques if they’ve not previously been proven in your organisation.
So, here’s 5 compelling reasons you can take to a digital dinosaur to convince them that the time to change is now...
Reason 1: “Buyer Behaviour is changing - If we don't change with it, our business will be left behind”
Approximately 85-90 percent of all customers are researching new products and services online.
The marketing model has shifted from interruption to trust, and due to technology advancements such as ad-blockers, on demand TV and caller ID, buyers are now in control.
Instead of bombarding unqualified prospects with unsolicited calls, emails and adverts, we need to earn their permission to market to them. This brings us on to our next point..
Reason 2: “Content is king…but it takes time to get it right”
In the world of marketing, content is still king. Companies who get it right not only provide products or services, but also information.
It’s pointless writing two blog posts per year and expecting traffic to shoot up. Content must be regular and integrate within your wider marketing strategy.
Effective content is written around keywords which buyers are searching for and above all, must always add value so that people feel an urge to share it.
To give two examples: infographics will drive traffic and links to your company website, which will increase your SEO rating and generate new leads.
Whereas free guides, white papers, and interviews with experts, will establish your business as a valuable source of information and a recognised thought leader.
Reason 3: “Competitors are getting ahead”
A recent survey conducted by Accenture found that 83% of organisations have a holistic digital strategy and a central team in place, and that 90% of executives said their organisation has high expectations on how digital technologies would leverage their business.
Even if your competitors aren't ahead, it might not be long until they will be, and if not, that's even better. In sectors such a manufacturing and engineering where marketing isn't as tech savvy, there's an even bigger opportunity to get ahead through implementing digital marketing techniques.
Reason 4: "Social Media Marketing isn't just a nice-to-have"
We are all slightly overwhelmed by the avalanche of information we have to face on a daily basis. Unless you are using your marketing resources to dynamically engage and interact with your customers, it can be a challenge to capture their attention.
This is where your social media strategy comes into place.
It isn't about having a few more followers on Twitter, or posting pictures of the office fun run on Facebook, a good social media strategy should also contain some form of targeted prospecting to generate leads for products or services, such as:
- Promoting webinars and seminars
- Increasing registration and attendance to live events and trade shows
- Promoting your expert interviews
- Increasing the downloads of free guides and white papers.
Social networking is, above all, an opportunity for you to connect with your clients, strengthen your online presence, and establish your brand as the go-to specialist in your field.
Reason 5: "In 2015, more than 50% of content will be consumed on mobile devices"
You may have heard the term 'Mobilegeddon' banded around the past couple of weeks? Google's newest algorithm update is now penalising websites that aren't optimised for mobile, and quite rightly so.
Did you know that nearly 70% of mobile users have admitted turning to a competitor's website after a bad mobile experience?
From Google's point of view, sending mobile search customers to a badly optimised website will give them a bad user experience, therefore devaluing their search engine offering.
Take a look at our recent post for the low-down on mobilegeddon and what you need to know.
It's not all about what Google want though, your customers will be demanding it too, so you will need to adapt your marketing strategy to stay ahead.
The question is no longer 'should we invest in mobile' its 'how' should we invest in mobile.' By embracing mobility, you will have access to new and unprecedented marketing opportunities and tools.
What these are will be determined by your business type and goals, but it could include; mobile apps for your products or services, adaptive design, QR codes, augmented reality, and location-based advertising.
Bonus Reason 6: You don't need to do it all inhouse
Not got the resource inhouse? A lot of the time, the biggest objection to investing in more marketing budget is the lack of internal resource to implement it properly.
This either means outsourcing to an agency, or bringing in more people to share the workload. Here are some pros and cons to each approach.
If you're considering the outsourcing approach, take a look at our (unbiased!) guide to choosing the right agency to suit your business' needs.