In-person marketing will remain difficult for the foreseeable future. Small businesses must find new and innovative ways to attract new customers and generate interest. Luckily the transition to online marketing and digital customer acquisition is an easy one to make.
Chances are your business is already using one or more digital channels to keep in touch with customers: your website, email marketing, and social media activity, are all ways to enhance the client experience and generate new leads. In this day and age, it’s rare to see someone without a smartphone- your digital marketing channels are literally right in the hands of your potential customers and new leads.
In this post we’ll explore how Green industry businesses can use digital channels to generate new wins to make up for the loss of in-person marketing? It’s (way past) time to put a little more focus on your on-line presence.
Simple website improvements
Your website is YOU. Make sure your website content clearly states the services you provide and covers the specifics your potential customers could be searching for. Also, make sure the cities or areas you work in are clearly listed. For example, someone looking for snow removal in Naperville, Illinois doesn’t want to search through businesses that only serve the Waukegan area, even though both neighborhoods are part of the Chicago suburbs.
Make sure it’s easy for potential customers to contact you. A contact form that allows consumers to request information or a price quote is a great start. But offering other options that could capture the customer’s contact details earlier in the decision-making process might also go a long way in replacing leads from cancelled trade shows and/or marketing events.
Capturing the contact information of new leads requires providing something of value to them. People are willing to exchange their contact information (such as an email address) if they think it will ultimately be worth their time. And luckily many options are available to you.
A traditional way of generating marketing buzz and capturing contact information is through a contest or the offer of free services. Another popular Green industry option could be to start a loyalty program with periodic offers sent via email. Or, if you have a blog on your website, encourage customers to subscribe to your blog to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and improvements in your area of expertise.
Emails that help sales
Once you have contact information, that rolls right into the next easy win- email marketing. By providing useful content or offers on a regular, sustained basis, you’ll be able to maintain brand awareness and hopefully turn your leads into new customers. So those who may not have been ready to bite on an offer immediately can be gently, digitally nudged along until they are ready to use your services.
Email marketing doesn’t need to be a big ordeal. It doesn’t have to be something you create weekly or even monthly- a quarterly update on trends and improvements could be enough to keep in touch with these customers. In fact, email newsletters can mimic your sales team by providing high quality information to generate and renew interest.
Social media and reviews
Once you have your website copy and email schedule sorted, you should turn your attention to social media. The most important consideration in social media marketing is actually figuring out which social media channels are likely to reach your target customers.
Twitter has its moments, depending on your target audience. Instagram is also a great place to share stunning photos of your work. And everyone has Facebook- a company page could drum up some positive reviews (don’t forget to streamline your posts by linking your company Facebook and Instagram accounts, made easier by the merging of the companies). Of course there are many, many others…
Speaking of reviews, a company that has a good social media reputation with previous customers is a key consideration for potential new customers. For example, improving your “star” rating by asking those who value your service to spend a little time reviewing your business on-line is a must to help increase your business opportunities online.
When it comes to social media you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Using content that is similar to or the same as your email marketing keeps messaging consistent across the board and makes the whole process more efficient.
Digital marketing can help grow business opportunities
Just as handshakes have turned into video calls, marketing needs have shifted from traditional, in-person methods to digital tactics. Now is the time to refresh your company’s on-line presence to help generate new leads, capture attention, and keep your company top-of-mind.
