Do you “think differently”? Apple’s slogan encourages each and every one of us to embrace our uniqueness, but when we are running a business, embracing being different can be much harder than we realize. Forging out a section of the market that is dedicated to your product is a major task that we all have to go through. But now, the landscape is chopping and changing at such an accelerated rate we can find it thoroughly overwhelming to find the right methods to promote our business. It’s always going to change, but what are the best processes we can take advantage of?
Social Media
It’s still one of the biggest ways to promote your business. Nowadays, social media platforms have become one of the, if not the most essential tool for businesses. Customers can learn about a business, gain access to all of your business’ resources, such as video clips, but can also put reviews of the business on a platform that everyone can see. As a result, it’s important that your social media skills are second to none, but also, your product is up to speed. And while we can’t all be perfect, the ability to handle a customer that is unhappy and is plastering their hatred of you all over social media is a skill that you need to acquire. But when it comes to getting more people on board with your product, Social Media Optimization is probably the biggest tool to use this year. Much like Search Engine Optimization, putting specific digital flags into your content will naturally get your business to stand out. And while Search Engine Optimization can be performed by yourself, you can always look for companies and resources to do it for you. Look at this link to get some idea of what can be done; while SEO is still a vital process to get your business at the top of the Google rankings, you need to put some of your focus onto optimizing your social media. You can do this by adding your location to sites like Facebook or Instagram, using social media advertising tools, but also by using a link in your bio that goes to a landing page.
Podcasting
As part of your content bombardments on customers, podcasts are one of those forms that can be devilish. While a podcast is easy to create, and costs little to no money, the preparation that goes into a podcast is where you will reap the benefits. Using a podcast with content that is thoughtful, but is also at no cost to your customers will bring them round to your way of thinking. Podcasts are big business now, but a poorly executed one could drive customers away. The great thing about a podcast is that it is a method in which to build trust with your audience. It’s a very personal media, where one or two voices keep the listener enthralled and entertained during their morning commute or in the car, and so it’s a very intimate form of engaging with a customer. This is why it’s important when creating a podcast format that your passion shines through. It can be easy for a listener to detect whether you are just paying lip service for the sake of promoting a specific product, which is why it’s important to keep your content fresh, but also relevant to you. It also gives you the opportunity to interview influencers in your industry, naturally building up your contact base. In addition to this, it’s a way for you to establish a dialogue with your customers, such as the comments box at the end of the podcast page. As well as this, you can provide useful links and show notes, which builds up customers’ overall knowledge. And while you might think that the podcasting market has all but been conquered, depending on your own specific niche, it is still possible for you to find a way to stand out.
Creating Genuine Content
Now people are demanding more transparency than ever before. We are all becoming savvier in relation to when we are being targeted by advertisers, and we don’t ever click the banners at the bottom of the web pages anymore. As a result, it’s vital to promote your business as authentically as possible. This is where ephemeral content can be particularly useful. Ephemeral content is short-lived, it lasts for a very small amount of time before it disappears. Thanks to Snapchat, there are other platforms like Facebook and Instagram following Snapchat’s lead. And as a result, there are more platforms than ever before to provide this ephemeral content. It’s a great way to engage with younger users, but it’s a perfect method for any social media user. You might find it counterproductive to put effort into something that may only last a few minutes or 24 hours, but it’s certainly a way to make an impression on your customers and potential consumers of your product. By sending out content at the same time on a regular basis, this can help to create a sense of anticipation for your product. You could take advantage of the Fear Of Missing Out in this respect, but also there are so many ways for you to engage with customers via this method, from Q&A sessions, as well as “how to” videos, or explainer videos. Because we absorb most of our content over smartphone now, ephemeral content is one of the marketing methods that can keep an audience engaged while on the move.
Right now, thinking outside the box is very difficult, but if you try these approaches, they may very well benefit your company in so many different ways. It’s certainly difficult now to be different, because everybody’s going via the same platforms and channels, but this is where your products and your brand needs to stand out. There are marketing tools we can all take advantage of, but when trying to establish a relationship with your target market, this is where being different, albeit on the most commonly used platforms, will help promote yourself positively.
