5 Long-Term Marketing Strategies That Won’t Break the Bank
In a post-pandemic society, only time will tell how much more our lives will continue to change. In the midst of social and economic unrest, businesses of all shapes and sizes might be feeling pressured to take swift action. Some have even begun to shutter the practices they deem unnecessary or less important.
Unfortunately— and often—marketing and PR efforts get the ax. The data suggests that this can be a big mistake. Instead, let’s talk about reshaping your marketing and PR strategies to become cost-effective in the midst of economic uncertainty. Here are a few examples of some good marketing goals.
Step 1: Build Your SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of crafting your online presence to attract the right audience. If you do it well enough, curious consumers find you; this is what we call organic traffic.
Begin by using a free keyword tool to find search terms related to your business. Look for words or phrases that get a small-to-medium audience, not a big one. After all, you want to rank for those keywords, so a lot of competition is not ideal.
Once you’ve got a list of good keywords put together, you can begin reshaping your website copy and blog posts to include them. This will help people find you in their search engine results. It’s a lot of work! But better to attempt this alone first, rather than overpay another firm who wouldn’t be able to deliver the best results. Dinging your SEO can and does happen—and it is very hard to recover from. The Forum has seasoned experts on hand who are able to provide a skilled perspective on a variety of factors such as how to protect your website from bad traffic, enhance your SEO results, beat out the competition, and more.
Step 2: Build Your PR Portfolio
Next, it’s time to get the word out about your stellar reputation and excellent products. The fastest way to do this is to solicit testimonials. Ask valued customers to review your brand or business. You can either list these testimonials on your own website or on other relevant review sites.
Create a press release for your latest news. Give it a catchy headline, highlight its unique nature and how it serves your audience, and deliver it to local media. If you have specific contacts with local publications, radio, and TV stations, let them know you’re available for press.
Again; this takes a good amount of legwork and dedication. But there are few better long-term business goal options for establishing your brand in the marketplace—and these are quite easy on the wallet! You’re also in luck. The Forum offers top-notch, professional PR services for the brand or business looking to establish a substantial name for themselves, in any field or industry.
Step 3: Build Your Social Media
Finally, this is no time to forget about your accounts on social media platforms. A consistent presence is key, as is authentic and heartfelt communication. If you haven’t already, implement consistent themes and graphic imagery into your posts. The goal is to have a customer know that your company is the one talking with just a glance.
It’s also smart to present yourself as an expert in your industry. You don’t just sell shoes, you know shoes. You don’t just like skincare, you are pioneering and innovating your way through the skincare industry. Talk about your product from a top-of-the-line perspective, and your audience will respond.
Sometimes things happen that get in the way of regular social media posting. A global civil rights movement and a deadly international pandemic both forced brands to rethink their social media strategies in 2020. No matter what, be flexible and sensitive to what’s happening in the world. Need a social media manager? The Forum can do that.
Step 4: Invest in Digital Marketing
Speaking of social media, one budget-friendly long-term business goal strategy during times of uncertainty is to invest in digital marketing. Digital marketing encompasses everything on the Internet—our smartphones, computers, and most other technical devices.
Internet usage is at an all-time high. Three out of ten adults in the U.S. say they are online constantly. This translates to a ready audience that can be engaged easily. Social media and email newsletters are two highly recommended and low-overhead ways to communicate with prospective buyers, as is SEO. The Forum’s content experts can craft these deliverables on your behalf.
Finally: Hire a Reputable Agency
Developing cost-effective marketing strategies is no easy feat. If you’d like to take action on the steps above but don’t have the skill sets or the manpower readily available, hire a reputable marketing and PR firm to do the work for you. Economically speaking, it’s by far the smartest choice. The Forum is a public relations and digital marketing agency based in San Diego with a wide variety of services to meet most of your brand’s needs. Contact us with questions about long-term marketing strategies that will work best for your business—particularly in the post-pandemic era.
