In this issue, articles include: Fresh Social Media Marketing Ideas, How to Use Hashtags To Grow Your Business, 7 Effective Ways To Market Your Business Without Breaking the Bank and How to Use YouTube to Market Your Small Business.
Direct Response Marketing Campaigns That Deliver Results
There’s no denying that direct response marketing – when done right – is hugely effective. The problem is that It is often attempted in ways that are Ill-conceived and poorly executed. When that happens, the results aren’t good, and people give up on it.
I’m here to help. What does it take to create a direct response marketing campaign that delivers results? Here’s what you need to know.
What is Direct Response Marketing?
Let’s start with the basics and explain what direct response marketing is. Direct response marketing is a type of marketing that is designed to provoke an immediate response. An example that most people have probably seen is a sales page for a product. The page might include benefits of the product, customer testimonials, and a personal story that’s engaging and gripping.
In most cases, direct response copywriting includes multiple attempts to get the person being targeted to take the desired action. The action might be buying a product, subscribing to a service, or filling out a lead form. When it’s done well, direct response marketing should generate leads and sales at a higher rate than other types of marketing.
What Are the Elements of an Effective Direct Response Marketing Campaign?
There are four main elements that any effective direct response marketing campaign must have. Here they are.
- A personalized message for a targeted audience. The only way direct response marketing can be effective is when it is targeted to a carefully chosen audience. That way, the content can be personalized to address the needs and pain points of anybody who reads or watches it.
- Content that is clear and compelling. Direct response copy isn’t effective if it can’t be easily understood. It should avoid jargon or confusing language and get right to the point. At the same time, it should offer a compelling argument to take the desired action. The argument might include a personal story and research to support the argument. It often uses psychological triggers to compel the people who see it to act.
- A sense of urgency. Because direct response marketing is designed to get an immediate response, building a sense of urgency into your content is a must. There are multiple ways to do it, from putting a countdown on the page to articulating a deadline for the deal being offered.
- An irresistible call to action. CTAs are used everywhere in marketing, but some are more compelling than others. With direct response marketing you’ll need a CTA that is clear, direct, personalized, and easily accessible. It should focus on a single action that readers can take immediately.
If your direct response marketing campaign has these four things, the chances are good that it will elicit the response you want and generate leads or sales at a high rate.
Ideas for Direct Response Marketing Campaigns
There no one “correct” format for direct response marketing. That said, some types of direct response marketing work better than others and it’s your job to choose the campaign that will resonate with your target audience. After all, they’re the people you want to impress.
Here are 6 different ideas for direct marketing campaigns that you may want to try.
Contests or Giveaways
Everybody loves a freebie which is why contests can be a terrific way to generate leads. Your direct response copywriting should indicate:
- The requirements for entering the contest
- The rules and prizes to be awarded
- The benefits of the prizes
Running a contest can help you to collect leads. They can even be used to boost sales if you link the contest entry to a required purchase.
Referral Program
Referral programs are a preferred form of marketing for a reason. Consumers are four times as likely to buy a product or use a service when they are referred by a friend. They also tend to be more loyal when they find a company through a referral than they are when they find it on their own.
Direct response marketing can be an effective way to generate referrals. In most cases, consumers expect a reward in return for a referral, so it’s important to remember that when creating your campaign. Money (which can be in the form of a discount) or free merchandise are the two most preferred rewards.
Social Media Ads
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram offer an affordable way to run a direct response marketing campaign. People on social media are there to emotionally engage with content and that’s what direct response campaigns do, too.
Both Facebook and Instagram offer users the chance to create Stories, which can be an effective form of direct response marketing. You can also create visual or video ads to engage your target audience and convince them to take the desired action.
Upselling
The Sunk Costs Fallacy is a psychological phenomenon that encourages people to double down on expenditures and investments. For that reason, upselling is a highly effective form of direct response marketing.
In upselling, companies target customers who have made an initial purchase with an “upsell” – a related offer that adds immediate value to the purchase they have already made. For example, a consumer who purchased lawn care services would be inclined to purchase fertilizer or soil treatments right after their purchase.
Text Messaging
Text messages have a 98% open rate, making them far more likely to be opened than email. They also provide a perfect format for short direct response marketing campaigns designed to encourage an immediate response.
The chances are good that you have received at least one direct response text. Most include an embedded link that allows the recipient to take the desired action with a tap of the finger.
Chatbot Messaging
On a related note, programming a chatbot to interact with your followers via Facebook Messenger can be an effective direct response marketing technique.
Chatbots can be programmed to make product recommendations and link to special offers for the people who message you.
Direct response marketing campaigns deliver great results. The key is to include the required element and make your content clear, compelling, and irresistible.
8 Social Media Myths to Leave Behind in 2021
There’s no question that social media marketing is, and will continue to be, important for local businesses. That said, there are a lot of social media myths that are annoyingly persistent and believing them can hurt your business.
So, let’s bust some myths! Here are 8 of the most widely believed myths that you need to stop believing if you want to grow your business with social media.
#1: You Need a Presence on Every Social Media Site
The notion that you need a presence on every social media site is one of the most harmful myths for business owners. It takes time, effort, and money to maintain an active presence on ANY social media site and nobody has time for all of them.
What you need is an active and meaningful presence on the sites that offer you the best opportunity to connect with your target audience and engage your customers. Nothing else matters. Most local businesses should be on Facebook. B2B companies should have a presence on LinkedIn. If you’re selling an aspirational product or service, then it makes sense to be on Instagram or Pinterest.
Does this mean you should never try something new? Of course not! Set up a profile and give it a try. But if the site you choose isn’t giving you the results you want, cut it loose.
#2: Fans and Followers are Worthless if They Don’t Become Paying Customers
You should use social media to attract new customers. That’s obvious and it makes sense. But I hear a lot of business owners who think that followers who aren’t paying customers aren’t worth having – and that’s not true.
Your fans and followers don’t need to buy from you to be useful. Having a large following can raise your profile and help new customers find you. If you’ve got fans or followers who have a lot of clout, you’ll get some of it by association.
Most importantly, a follower who doesn’t buy your products could still refer their friends and followers to your business. You should run ads designed to attract paying customers but don’t ignore the benefits of followers who aren’t your customers. They’re still helpful.
#3: It’s Useful to Have Your Friends and Family “Like” Your Posts
It’s a common misconception among business owners that asking friends and family to “Like” your posts will help you get more engagement. The bad news? Social media algorithms are more sophisticated than that and you need a wide range of people to engage with your posts.
Does this mean you should tell the people who care about you not to like your posts? Of course not! What it means is that you should always be asking your fans and followers to engage with your posts – and giving them a reason to do so. Ask a question, encourage them to share your posts, and most of all, share content that’s useful and entertaining so they’ll want to engage with you.
#4: You Shouldn’t Schedule Posts on the Weekend
It’s a common practice for businesses not to share new social media content on the weekend. While it’s true that some of your followers might not spend as much time on social media on the weekends as they do during the week, you shouldn’t assume that weekend content is unnecessary.
Instead, try scheduling a few weekend posts to see how they do. You can use Facebook Insights or whatever analytics tool you prefer to determine which days and times are the best for posting.
#5: You Must Respond to Social Media Comments Immediately
There’s no doubt that it’s important to respond when a social media follower asks a question or leaves a comment. But responding in a timely manner doesn’t mean you must drop everything to respond immediately – with one exception.
If you have incorporated your customer support with social media, then you should be sure that you can respond as quickly as possible. A lot of local businesses have added chatbots to Facebook Messenger to minimize wait times for their customers.
However, a comment that doesn’t require customer support involvement can wait a little while for a response. As a rule, try to respond within 24 hours.
#6: Social Media Posts Must Always Be Businesslike
Social media is social first and media second, but a lot of business owners forget that. Their social media posts are as dry as dust and don’t get any engagement. And they wonder why.
Don’t be afraid to inject some personality into your social media posts. Even if you offer a professional service, you can still use appropriate humor or compassion in your posts. This is the place to showcase your brand personality. Make sure that anybody who is empowered to post on your social media accounts understands the persona you want to project.
#7: You Need Endless New Content to Post
You need to have some new content to post on your social media sites. However, there’s nothing wrong with repurposing or resharing old content if you don’t have time to write something new.
Keep in mind, too, that you can “curate” content by finding articles in industry publications and posts from influencers to share with your followers. Provided that you keep the content you post relevant your followers will be happy to see it.
#8: Social Media Marketing is Free
This final myth is one that I hear often. While it is free to set up a social media account for your business, you’re unlikely to get the results you want without spending some money.
Social media algorithms have grown increasingly sophisticated. The only way you can be sure that your followers will see your most important content is to boost it. Social media marketing can help you get your content in front of potential customers. The good news is that you don’t need to spend much to get the results you want.
The 8 myths I have listed here are all past their prime. Let go of them and you’ll see your social media marketing results improve – and your business grow.
The 3 Most Common Mistakes Everyone Makes with Facebook Ads
Did you know that the average Facebook user clicks on 12 ads per month? It’s true – and it illustrates why Facebook ads are still one of the most cost-effective ways to connect with your target audience and promote your business.
If only you weren’t messing them up.
Look, we can’t say whether your Facebook ads are perfect. Maybe they are. But the truth is that most people do mess them up – and the mistakes they make cause their ad campaigns to be more expensive (and less effective) than they should be.
Fortunately, there’s a quick fix. Once you understand the 3 most common mistakes people make, you can stop making them – and starting to get the results you deserve. Here they are.
#1: Targeting Ads to People Who Aren’t Already Fans
This first mistake can be a real head scratcher for small business owners. Aren’t you supposed to use Facebook ads to grow your audience?
The short answer is no, not really. You can – and we’re not saying that you should never run an ad that targets new customers. But you’ll get more engagement and more clicks if you target the people who already like your company.
If you think about it, it should make sense. The people who follow you on Facebook are qualified leads. Some may have already bought from you but all of them are people who had enough interest in your company to click that Follow button.
Running ads that appear only to followers is a great way to nurture leads, encourage repeat business, and let your followers know that you want them to connect with you.
#2: Not Testing Your Ad Images
Very few people can get an ad right the first time they create it. Even professional marketers struggle with creating ads that work and it’s what they do for a living.
A case in point? Ad images. The right image can stop someone mid-scroll and get them to click on your ad. The wrong image will make them ignore your ad or – worse – view it with disdain.
There’s only one way to find out which image will resonate the most with your target audience and that’s to test multiple images.
Now, we’d be remiss if we didn’t say that you should be testing everything in your ads. But images have the potential to make or break your ad in a heartbeat and that means you should be prioritizing them. You may want to check out Facebook’s breakdown of ad image best practices, here.
#3: Not Segmenting Your Ads
The third and final mistake we want to tell you about is one that may also be the most common: not segmenting your ads.
There’s no denying that it requires less effort to create a single ad for to reach every follower. The problem is that an ad that’s highly appealing to one follower may be a complete dud for another. You’ll be better off thinking about the various segments of your target audience and creating an array of ads to appeal to each segment than to try to shoehorn everybody into the same box.
Let’s consider one potential example of this. Imagine a flooring company that has multiple service areas and locations. They create a single ad that targets their entire list of followers. That might be okay, but think about how much more successful they would be if they:
- Created location-specific ads that let their followers in each service area know that they are a local company.
- Used images that were tailored to each location.
- Offered location-based incentives to people who click on each ad.
The main thing to remember is that it’s rare for a “one size fits all” ad to be as effective as an ad that is targeted to a specific segment of your audience. People are far more likely to respond favorably to an ad that is meant for them than to one that’s trying to be all things to all people.
Facebook ads are undeniably effective if you do them right. By reviewing your existing ads and eliminating the 3 mistakes we’ve outlined here, you can get more engagement, more clicks, and more leads than you are now – without spending more money.
March 2021 Magazine
In this issue, articles include: 8 Social Media Myths to Leave Behind in 2021, Marketing Campaigns That Deliver Results, How to Reduce Your Subscribe Rate, and How To Identify Your Audience and Find Them Online.
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