In the past, marketing agencies relied on a few basic channels, such as billboards, direct mail and cold calling, to drive sales. Thanks to the internet, however, these agencies have access to a broader range of channels to help clients succeed. Here are seven effective strategies used by marketing agencies to drive sales.
1) SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a common strategy used by marketing agencies to attract customers for their clients. When a client sells a product or service online, the marketing agency will optimize his or her website for higher search rankings. Known as SEO, the ultimate goal is to achieve a top search ranking for the client's keywords. Because a website's traffic is directly influenced by its search rankings, SEO is an effective marketing strategy for driving sales.
2) LinkedIn Networking
Networking is a time-tested marketing strategy used by agencies. It's become even more effective in recent years, however, with the advent of LinkedIn. Touted as the world's largest networking site for professionals, it allows business owners to engage with other like-minded professionals. According to research cited by HuffingtonPost, 84 percent of users have generated multiple business opportunities using LinkedIn.
3) Email
Of course, marketing agencies also use email to drive sales for clients. According to a survey conducted by GetResponse, it's the most popular channel for marketing professionals, with 53.6 percent of respondents saying email is either excellent or good. Email marketing involves promoting a business's products or services via email. This typically begins with collecting prospects' email addresses, after which the marketing agency sends those prospects marketing messages. Seasoned marketing agencies know the importance of using the right approach with email. There are certain practices for the best email marketing that agencies must follow, such as honoring opt-out requests, sending emails at the right time, personalizing subject lines and monitoring their Sender Score.
4) Content Marketing
Content marketing has become a fundamental strategy used by successful marketing agencies. According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), this inbound marketing strategy costs 62 percent less and yields 300 percent more leads than outbound marketing tactics. Content marketing involves creating, publishing and sharing high-quality content for a specific audience. Rather than simply advertising a product or service, for example, a marketing agency may publish content that's relevant to the business's audience. Some of these prospects may find the content, after which they inquire about the business's products or services.
5) Video
While technically a segment of content marketing, video continues to dominate the digital marketing industry. Research cited by Forbes suggests that 80 percent of all internet traffic will consist of video by 2019. Marketing agencies can drive sales for clients by creating engaging videos and sharing those videos on platforms like YouTube, Facebook and the client's website.
6) Blogging
Blogging was once used strictly for sharing personal thoughts and opinions. However, it's since grow to become a powerful marketing tool. According to HubSpot, more than half of professional marketers say blogging is a top priority.
7) Referrals
Finally, marketing agencies use referral programs to drive sales and improve their clients' reputation. A referral program involves rewarding customers for recommending a business to new customers. Granted, some customers may recommend a business without being rewarded, especially if they had a positive experience with the business. A referral program, though, drives more sales by encouraging customers to recommend the business. If a customer is rewarded with a 10 percent or 20 percent off coupon, he or she is more likely to recommend the business to their friends or work colleagues.
Successful marketing agencies know the importance of using digital strategies in their marketing efforts. While many marketing agencies still use offline tactics, the advent of the internet has opened the doors to a new world of marketing opportunities.
Guest post courtesy of Walter Bodell
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