Back in the day as we saw on the hit tv show, Mad Men, using print advertising for newspapers and magazines, posters and billboards, and producing television commercials with or without a brand spokesmen, or radio ads with jingles (does anyone else miss those old jingles besides me? Not the ones using popular rock songs, but the cute, “local” ones? …Sorry. I digress) were all the rage.
Today, we have so many more marketing channels to add to our traditional marketing mix to get “our world” to see all the content we do. From digital ads to blog posts to social posts, to email and text messaging, to video shorts and webinars. So, which ones should you use?
01. Social Media (Traditional and Emerging Platforms): Killing it!
Social media still reigns supreme. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and even Pinterest are where e-commerce, fashion, and lifestyle brands are thriving. Other industries need to choose their platforms carefully.And we know there’s a growing pushback due to misinformation concerns, with people cutting back on their time spent on these platforms. Despite this, influencer marketing and short-form video are still effective, especially for younger audiences.
I’ve seen other channels with better returns on ad spend. However, Social is the Queen Bee in getting your Brand name out there, and in Google’s newest algorithm, it’s all about your “Entity” i.e., your Brand. So when you post, be personable and timely, consistent with your messaging, and not sales-y. Social is there to be, well, social. And not as a used-car salesmen (apologies to all used-car salesmen).
02. Video Marketing: Totally killing it.
Video is where it’s at. Whether it’s YouTube tutorials, TikTok clips, or Instagram Reels, video content is engaging audiences like never before. Short-form video continues to grow, and industries like tech, education, and even hospitality are really leaning into this.
There’s no denying the dominance of Video. Use it on your website, on your Social platforms, create your on Youtube page. And it’s fun. Our Clients are a kick to work with. Brainstorming, being creative, casting the right people, writing scripts, getting the perfect lighting. I ain’t saying it’s easy, but it is fun!
Suggestions: Keep it short, know your audience, engage them with a good story, put your website or phone number on it.
03. AI-Driven Automation: Definitely makin’ a SPLASH!
This is all about efficiency and channels for customer relations and even lead generation. AI is becoming a go-to tool for businesses to streamline their marketing strategies. For example, personalized recommendations in e-commerce or automated customer support (Chat boxes) in industries like healthcare and finance are helping companies make smarter marketing moves without the need for massive human resources.
04. Email Marketing: Continues to kill!
Yep, email is still alive and kicking. It’s one of the most effective ways to reach customers, especially in industries like e-commerce and finance. Heck, in just about any industry. With automation and personalized video emails, companies can deliver highly targeted messages that really resonate.
Send out an email on a consistent basis, but don’t spam them. The main point is to send out something your audience wants to read. Something interesting, useful, helpful!
05. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Always kills!
Since it was first introduced, SEO has been killing it. (And as a Search Engine Optimizer myself, you’ll see this section is longer than the rest.) SEO is super relevant, but the rise of AI-powered search engines is not making it easy on us; it’s changing the game, and organic traffic is taking a hit. Businesses have to get savvier with their SEO strategies.
One way is to provide content that is relevant to 2, count ’em, 2 audiences: our customers/future customers and the search engines.
Google looks for entire topic clusters and related keywords to determine relevance.
We need to optimize the content so our customers see us as Experts with Experience, know us as the Authority on the matter, and know they can Trust us. The ol’ E-E-A-T acronym that all web people should live by.
Providing all that SEO goodness and best practices, our other audience, Google and other search engines, will learn what we are all about and are worthy of moving up the search engine result pages.
Big point here with regards to content: Don’t put out content just to put out content. Don’t add to the noise! Your readers will be bored, even annoyed. Google will see it as, well maybe not spam so much as a bad user experience in seeing the same content repeated. A bad UX doesn’t rank well.
Hint: There’s more to content than the written word. Hence “video” being up there as #2.
Here’s a bit more info on SEO, should you be interested.
06. Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Killin’ it!
Put your money where you mouth is. We marketing mavens blend creativity with analytics to target audiences for powerful results. SEM includes the use of pay-per-click (PPC) ads, Display Ads, and search engine optimization. They all should play nicely together giving a consistent message.
For those interested in diving deeper into SEM, check out this comprehensive guide by WholeSum Agency.
Combine Digital Channels with Traditional Channels
You may very well need both. But listen, you’ll need to know “where” your audience is so you can utilize the optimum channel for it. The TV Mad Men had it easy: 3 tv channels, a handful of radio stations and popular magazines. In 2024, we have a growing number of streaming tv and music platforms, plus local and cable tv stations, and a social media environment that continues to expand.
Here’s a tip: if you have separate departments responsible for different channels, be sure to keep a consistent message, a specific voice of your brand across the board. Keep those internal communications channels open!
Give it a try. It’ll be fun.
(again, not easy, but fun!)