Web marketing is an exciting field. We have a multitude of tools, channels and techniques at our disposal to successfully promote a service or products and develop digital sales. There are many challenges: developing the audience for your website, converting visitors, building loyalty … But it is not always easy to understand all the ins and outs, as there are so many digital marketing jobs !
Content marketing as a pillar of the digital strategy
Content marketing (or content marketing for lovers of the language of Molière) is playing an increasingly important role in companies’ communication strategies.
The idea is to create content (blog article, eBook, infographic, video, etc.) to increase awareness, establish expertise and improve SEO… Quite a program !
In practice, many businesses fail for lack of time or skills in the field. But if the subject interests you, know that today it is possible to become a real expert in web marketing thanks to specialized diplomas: yes, learning digital marketing is within everyone’s reach and the market is very buoyant! In this article, let’s take a look at two very popular concepts that produce good results: content marketing and social selling.
Use written content that contains visuals
It is important to use visual content and to ventilate the text well, for example with « bullet points » and section titles. And don’t be afraid to make your content less formal, it will only be more enjoyable to read.
Publish social media content at the right time and in the right format
When you post on social media is essential because it can reach your audience if done at the right time. You must also systematically integrate visual content into your publications, our brain reacts more quickly to visual stimulation. Also consider using tools like Buffer that can optimize the best time to post for you.
Use videos in your content marketing campaigns
Videos are used more and more in content marketing and can become a significant asset in your strategy. It is important to use quality equipment, especially since the costs have fallen sharply in recent years. Adding a call to action to your videos is also important.
Profit from social selling
Social selling consists of using social networks to increase sales, especially in B2B. Knowing that a majority of people are on social networks on a daily basis, we understand better why the field of social selling is booming !
What are the advantages of social selling in concrete terms ? And above all, what are the steps to follow when you want to set up a sales strategy on social networks as a business ?
The key concept of social selling is to develop relationships on social networks and to give the appropriate information to the right people in your network, in particular through a relationship of trust. And yes, as in any « traditional » sales process, the key remains in establishing a good relationship and in demonstrating expertise in your area of expertise.
Step 1: Attract attention and position yourself as a visible expert
Probably the longest step in the process, but how important! To attract the attention of your potential customers, you must first be visible, and above all show that you are an expert in your field. To do this, you must establish a clear presence with a profile photo as well as a quality description. Sharing content in your area of expertise is also a good way to show your skills in the area and build trust with your audience. You can also identify online communities such as groups or forums in your field to discuss and meet your potential connections.
Step 2: Engage your contacts and build a lasting relationship
Once you have generated enough interest, you need to identify engaged and interested contacts and build a trusting relationship with them. To do this, you must make contact with them in a personalized way and clearly state your intentions. In this step you can also request a physical or telephone meeting if you have a good feeling with the person.
Step 3: Convert your contacts into prospects
Once you have a list of prospects with whom you have a good relationship, you need to create a list, ideally CRM type, to keep up to date the information and relationships that you have with each of your privileged contacts. You thus have all the elements in hand to close a sale. But watch out for the timing! If you are too urgent or not enough, you could miss a sale. It’s up to you to find the perfect time to close your sale.
Step 4: Build customer loyalty and maintain a lasting relationship
Once you’ve made a sale, you shouldn’t neglect your relationship with the customer. Quite the contrary! Retaining your customers is an extremely important step, and allows you to benefit from positive word of mouth from your consumers who become real influencers.