What are the most effective marketing strategies in the US today?

The top 10 most effective marketing strategies for both B2B and B2C organizations in the US today are:

  1. Email marketing – 83%;
  2. Website (Content and SEO) – 71%;
  3. In-person interactions –68%;
  4. Social media – 49%;
  5. Events -- 41%;
  6. Outbound calling –33%;
  7. PR – 22%;
  8. Direct mail –21%;
  9. Traditional advertising (TV, radio, print, etc.) –17%;
  10. Pay-per-click – 17%.

(Source: http://img.constantcontact.com/docs/pdf/Small_Business_Pulse_Preliminary_Results.pdf)

The Internet, through the use of search, has changed how people purchase goods and services. Consumers now are in full control of the information they get and how they get it. It is up to you to make sure you are offering content that is valuable, creditable and becomes a resource for these savvy prospects.

What is a mobile-friendly website?

The survey above demonstrates that the website is No. 2 and the social media is No. 4 in the top 10 most effective marketing strategies in the US. Therefore, how to build an effective website for your business?

The most important strategy of build an effective website isto build a mobile-friendly website. In other words, a mobile-friendly website is one that displays correctly on hand-held devices such as smartphones, iPhones, iPads and tablets. It also has these features:

  1. Loads fast – bloated sites cost more money to access;
  2. Easy to read – mobile phone screen are 1/5th the size of desktop computers;
  3. Easy to navigate – menus have limited space on mobile devices;
  4. Minimal scrolling – not just vertically but also horizontally;
  5. Avoids using Flash – because Apple products do not support Flash.

(Source: http://www.seascapewebdesign.com/blog/what-mobile-friendly-website)

Did you know?

“When Google looks at how to decide which ads to feature in its Google Ad words program, it will consider how well a site is tailored for mobile devices, things like whether it works well for touch, is made for smaller screens, has shorter load times and avoids Flash.” (Source: http://gigaom.com/2011/09/21/google-pushes-advertisers-to-optimize-sites-for-mobile/)

Why should you have a mobile-friendly website for your business?

Here are 11 reasons why you should have a mobile-friendly website for your business.

  1. Mobile surpasses desktop shopping activity;
  2. One-third online traffic is mobile;
  3. Mobile-friendly sites benefit local business;
  4. Wide range of demographics;
  5. Time spent on mobile is more than other traditional media devices;
  6. Google click-to-call feature extensively used to contact businesses;
  7. Mobile-friendly websites double conversion rates;
  8. Increasing holiday sales reported on mobile devices;
  9. Easy access to company information while on to go;
  10. Rise in mobile advertising over the years;
  11. Social Mobile Audience.

(Source: http://blog.woorank.com/2015/02/reasons-to-have-mobile-friendly-website/)

What is social media?

Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks.

Popular social media tools and platforms in the US:

  1. Blogs: A platform for casual dialogue and discussions on a specific topic or opinion.
  2. Facebook: The world’s largest social network, with more than 1.32 billion monthly active users (as of June 2014). Users create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including status updates. Brands create pages and Facebook users can “like” brands’ pages.
  3. Twitter: A social networking/micro-blogging platform that allows groups and individuals to stay connected through the exchange of short status messages (140 character limit).
  4. Youtube & Vimeo: Video hosting and watching websites.
  5. Flicker: An image and video hosting website and online community. Photos can be shared on Facebook and Twitter and other social networking sites.
  6. Instagram: A free photo and video sharing app that allows users to apply digital filters, frames and special effects to their photos and then share them on a variety of social networking sites.
  7. LinkedIn Groups: A place where groups of professionals with similar areas of interest can share information and participate in a conversation.

(Source: htt://webcomm.tufts.edu/social-media-overview13/)

Why every business needs to embrace social media?

Imaging for a moment that social media platforms are like cocktail parties and you or your brand are guests. The concept of mingling and communication works in exactly the same way – social media has broken down the barriers to communication and now allows you to talk to prospects and customers like never before.

Here are top 5 reasons to embrace the good of social media as a business:

  1. It’s free.

    kay, maybe that is not directly true… you need to pay for your broadband connection after all, but in essence it is free to use many of these social mediums (some charge). Social media marketing is a medium to long-term strategy on the whole and you need to be committed to it. Twitter, for instance, is entirely free and possibly the fastest way to build a list of prospects, but it does not stop there – you need to keep them entertained and informed and that takes valuable time.

  2. It is where your peers are.

    Social media lends itself perfectly to connecting you with other people just as passionate about a particular industry. Anyone who is anyone is joining the social media revolution. So do not get left behind.

  3. It is the best way to get publicity.

    Twitter, for instance, is a great way to communicate directly with journalists and pitch exclusives and breaking news. Prominent blogs are also a fantastic new resource worth sharing your news with.

  4. It helps you make more sales.

    Whenever you are communicating through a social medium, you are helping to build a little more awareness about yourself, especially if you have something truly interesting or exclusive to report. The more online publicity you get, inbound links you attract, journalists/bloggers you bond with etc.… the more web traffic you get and therefore more likely to increase sales.

  5. It is the future.

    Every single day that passes the more your competition promote across social media. If you do not jump on board now, you are severely hampering your chances of longevity online – which is where more business going.

(Source: http://blog.deepbluesky.com/blog/-/5-reasons-why-every-business-needs-to-embrace-social-media_69/)

The above information is provided by:
Isabella Zhang
VP of Art & Culture Exchange, SUNBC
Web Designer & Founder, AE Designs LLC

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