More than ever before, businesses and marketers are turning to a marketing approach that, unlike traditional brand and direct marketing strategies, encourages consumers to regularly interact and participate with a business. Engagement marketing is based on the idea that consumers should be active participants in the business and its marketing strategies. From social media to email campaigns, the Web has provided multiple venues for marketers to engage their audiences with valuable content, two-way conversations, multimedia and lead-generating calls to action.
Engagement marketing is all about strengthening relationships between businesses and consumers. For years, consumers could only watch a television commercial or glance at a print advertising product without any real interaction on their part. While these traditional marketing methods can still be effective, one-way communication fails to provide a way for customers to effortlessly respond and interact with the company. The mission of engagement marketing is to encourage a two-way conversation with customers through new venues like social media sites, blogs and email campaigns. Since customer relationships are the core of any business’ success, any organization will benefit from incorporating the following engagement marketing methods into their business strategy.
Social Media — Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are ideal for engagement marketers because they provide ways for brands to create a two-way dialogue between businesses and consumers. This communication can also take place faster than ever before with the accessibility of social media on smart phones, iPads, laptops and desktop computers. For those who are new to the idea of engagement marketing, it’s best to begin by developing a presence on social media. Before you post anything, you must be in sync with your target audience and what they are looking for. It’s essential to be able to confidently answer the question, “What content is most valuable to my audience?” This could be anything from an article on a problem that your business solves to a photo that your audience would find interesting. Another tip is to run social media contests to promote engagement, attract fans and keep your audience engaged and entertained. Give social media followers a reason to look forward to seeing your business’ posts pop up in their newsfeeds.
Blogs — A blog is only as effective as the content it contains. Like social media, when developing a blog, it’s essential to put yourself in the consumer’s mindset to determine what content would be most valuable to them. Depending on your industry, create articles that provide solutions to the needs or problems that your customers face. While it’s fine to include information on your business, avoid self-promotion. Consumers are far more receptive to valuable, interesting content than straight sales pitches. For more information on blogging, read our articles, “Should My Business Have a Blog?” and “5 Blogging Mistakes and How to Fix Them.”
Email Campaigns — Targeted email marketing campaigns can successfully build engagement, build brand awareness and nurture leads. By creating punchy, interesting taglines, strong content and engaging graphics, your emails should look professional and appealing to readers. It’s best to include a variety of content since everyone takes in information differently. For example, include an article, photos and a brief call to action that encourages readers to get in touch with you. If someone replies to an email, it means that they have demonstrated an interest in your company or services. Make it a top priority to contact them within one day, at the latest, or you could miss out on a potential customer or client.
By nurturing interactive relationships with customers and providing them with valuable content that they will look forward to reading, your business can increase brand loyalty and customer engagement. Not only will you be able to strengthen relationships with existing customers but these customers will be far more likely to talk about your business, share your content online and recommend it to their friends and family.
For more information, please contact The Public Relations and Marketing Group at (631) 207-1057 or johnzaher@theprmg.com. You can also visit our blog for more valuable articles, advertising spotlights and more.
