Five Techniques to Use Digital Marketing to Drive Revenue
For companies that want to grow profitably digital marketing is no longer a nice-to-have option in the repertoire of lead generation techniques. With broadcast and print advertising losing effectiveness each year, digital marketing should be a critical component of your brand’s growth strategy.
In the last 5 years, digital marketing techniques have evolved so much that they are no longer integrated, and are failing to meet key growth objectives. In a study published in Forbes, 63% of marketing and sales professionals reported generating website traffic and leads as their company’s top marketing challenge.
Despite a decade of business growth, companies have not successfully built a steady demand generation engine, and as a result, are not consistently meeting revenue targets.
According to Business Growth Expert, Terri Maxwell, the reason digital marketing is not achieving objectives is because, “although lead generation tools have changed, people buy for the same reasons they always did, they just buy a MUCH different way.’
Maxwell, who invented a concept called Authentic Demand Generation™ has discovered that there are 5 strategies to ensure your digital marketing is effective.
- Tie digital goals to revenue, not website traffic.
- Tell stories rather than sell products, leveraging satisfied customers; and think of online reviews as your best marketing tools.
- Analyze traffic source to capture more than 60% of overall traffic from organic (rather than paid or social traffic).
- Create value-based tools to capture buyer interest (rather than try to sell products).
- Use social media to build connections, rather than promote your product.
Tie Digital Goals to Revenue, Not Website Traffic
Maxwell says the biggest mistake a Digital Marketing Agency will make is tying ROI measures to traffic goals rather than revenue-based ROI. She notes, “Who cares if you have thousands of new visitors coming to your website each month. If they are not engaging with your brand, they won’t remember you tomorrow.”
By tying digital marketing objectives to REVENUE specifically, it will show you which techniques will both grow your brand and increase website visibility, as they are not one in the same.
Stories and Reviews Should Top Your Advertising Strategy
Like it or not, buyers rarely respond to advertising messages. They want to be entertained, and love stories about what makes you different, or how you can help them, more so than ads that tell them to buy from you.
Involving your customers in telling your story is key, and the best way to do that is through online reviews. If your brand is not leveraging online reviews because you’re afraid of negative reviews, you’re missing out on the best marketing technique invented.
“When I started my sales career in the early ‘90s, I exceeded my quota every year by leveraging satisfied customers to introduce me to new customers and to speak on our brand’s behalf. Today, online reviews are your success story and client testimonial, and the more transparent you can be, the more successful your growth strategy will be, EVEN If you have bad reviews.” Maxwell notes.
Stop Playing SEO Games and Go for Organic Traffic
SEO vendors have monopolized digital marketing strategies in the last five years. Maxwell says “Don’t be confused. SEO games do not generate revenue. Organic traffic does. If you can build an SEO strategy that drives organic traffic versus just listings on Google, your SEO strategy is working.”
Create Value-based Tools Versus Trying to Sell Stuff
Another of Maxwell’s success techniques is creating value-based tools to allow potential customers to interact with your product or service prior to buying. SaaS-based software vendors have capitalized on this by giving away 30-day trials of their software.
Maxwell notes, “Letting your target market try your product has always been a winner. Today, there are many tools that make that simple, and they are always worth the effort.”
Use Social Media to Build Connections, Rather than Promote your Product
Maxwell’s last digital marketing technique doesn’t actually drive revenue, but actually builds brand loyalty.
“In 2006, one of our largest clients was Wholly Guacamole, and all we did was post recipes and fun facts about guacamole. Their social media presence skyrocketed because we weren’t trying to sell anything, but focused on the relationship with our customers.”
Maxwell noted that brands that are growing profitably use their social media properties as brand extensions rather than digital marketing tools.
Are you searching for a guaranteed ROI from your digital marketing efforts?
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