When deciding on a new marketing strategy you might think the path forward obvious or you might be overwhelmed by choices. Either way, it pays to consider all of the available options and to give proper consideration to their potential benefits. Any strategy will cost either in time or money and often both. Because of the open nature of the web, you also run the risk of looking bad in front of your customers and competitors, there is nothing worse than an untended Facebook page with customer queries and comments lying un-responded too.
I’ve come up with a list of over 30 different interrelated web marketing options and nearly everyone comes with a number of different methods of implementation. Some, like ‘offline advertising’ are just vague headings for a much larger number of options whilst others, like Search and Display ads fit together as different options in a larger marketing strategy.
- Article Writing
- Amazon Lists and Reviews
- Bebo
- Blogging
- Deal Sites
- Display Ads
- Directory Listings
- Email Marketing
- Flickr
- Foursquare
- Facebook Google PlusInstagram
- In Store Advertising
- Lead Generators
- Link Building
- Local Info Sites
- Local SEO
- Loyalty Programs
- Marketplace Utilization
- News Releases PinterestOffline Advertising
- Q&As and Forums
- Review Sites
- Search Ads
- SEO
- Social Media Ads
- Tagged
- Text Message Marketing
- Video Marketing
This list only contains the largest and most effective social media networks and only those big in the English speaking world. If you’re operating in a specific niche then you might need to target a specific social network like Habbo (kids) or Last.fm (music). If you’re doing business in China then you’ll want to be taking a look at Qzone and Sina Weibo whilst Friendster is still popular in Southeast Asia.This list is extensive, although it could be easily enlarged. Even with limitless money and time, trying to cover too many marketing channels would be a bad idea, your message is likely to become unclear and your customers will feel overwhelmed. Better to pick a few key channels that you know you can keep across, even at busy times.
When choosing the marketing mix which is right for you, it’s important to not only consider direct costs but also how to minimize the amount of time you’ll need to keep your various channels running. Some channels will utilize the same resources and so minimize costs. Keyword research for example, is time consuming but can facilitate a number of different marketing strategies whilst SEO is essential for Google SERPs but equally for at least half of the marketing channels I’ve mentioned.
One great way to cover a number of different channels easily is to repurpose content. You can often use copy written for your website or blog across other channels with minimal changes. On this site for a property maintenance and window restoration company, I’ve essentially used the same copy to create a company LinkedIn page. I’ve decided to change the copy around so that Google and the human reader don’t find it too repetitive (if you want to use exactly the same copy, make sure you use rel=”canonical”). I’ve also used an image from the site, cropping it to meet LinkedIn’s requirements.
In summary then, remember not only to target channels that will work well in your industry but also those that complement each other. And remember, don’t over stretch yourself. Better to start too small and build then to take too much on and end up failing at it all!
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