How to Create Customer-Centric Digital Marketing Strategies that Resonate with Buyers
UnboundB2B
Helping Tech companies with AI-driven marketing to deliver full-funnel, scalable solutions for sales and marketing.
Buyers want to be seen and heard. The moment there’s a disconnect, they’re gone.?
That disconnect might be in poor website optimization, lack of personalization, or your off-brand use of AI where there should have been a human element.
We’ll walk you through creating better digital marketing strategies if you want to avoid these pitfalls, especially in a post-COVID world full of online, informed, aware buyers and new marketing technology tools focused on artificial intelligence (AI).
1. Tailor your digital marketing and SEO to fit the buyer’s journey
Building brand awareness is more than targeting keywords or using a specific content template. To create messaging that truly resonates with customers, you need to know your ICP (ideal customer profile) and each step of the buyer journey.
Generally, there are three stages in the buyer’s journey - awareness, consideration, and decision. What’s important to understand is that you wouldn’t use the same type of content for the awareness phase as the decision phase.?
In the awareness phase, the prospect becomes aware of the problem your product solves. So, you should use top-of-funnel thought leadership content that brings attention to these challenges.?
As they move on to consideration, they’re now thinking about different solutions to their problem so you would use case studies and product comparisons. This way, you can help narrow their options while adding value.
And then, in the decision stage, they’re ready to spend money, and your goal is to convert them. Here, you might use special product offers, testimonials unique to your brand, and how-to guides showing your product in action.
If you were to try and open up the conversation with a special product offer during the awareness stage, it would likely create a negative customer experience. And they will walk away.
This is why creating customer-centric experiences with content that reaches the right audience at the right time in their journey is crucial.
Likewise, you need to take the same approach to SEO. Make it your goal to adjust your focus on key phrases that appeal to and meet the buyer on their journey.?
2. Proactively plan around seasonality in a post-COVID world
We already know that COVID-19 had devastating effects on brick-and-mortar stores.?
The shift to online shopping was historical.
As a result, it seems e-commerce brands are launching more seasonal marketing campaigns than ever before.?
Not only that, but they’re being launched sooner, more aggressively, and with more promotions.?
But the truth is, it works for some businesses and not for others.?
The key question - how do you find the balance, and how can you be sure your seasonal campaigns will be profitable?
This is one strategy that’s never changed - look at the data.?
We have a few years’ worth of data post-COVID, so what can we learn from it? Well, we might learn that some businesses will need to start planning for Black Friday in the first week of May.?
By looking at the data, you can tell where the peaks and valleys are. Then, you simply plan around the peaks. Take what you know, add what outcomes you want to see, and then reverse engineer your future success.?
If nothing else, you’ll have some insight into common trends throughout the year, and you can adjust your plans and budget accordingly.?
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3. Website optimization (and mobile optimization)
Website optimization is pretty straightforward. If you know what to look for and what to optimize, it may be as simple as sending some instructions to your developers. Or making the changes yourself.?
The four most important areas are:
As such, ensure your website is not being held back by slow loading times. A slow site is a quick way to drive away customers who aren’t afraid to buy elsewhere.?
Remember, we want to create customer-centric experiences. Keep your site up-to-date, fresh, and on-brand so that you don’t create a jarring experience as people navigate it.
Depending on your demographic, your product might sell better on mobile than on desktop. So, make sure you focus on mobile optimization, as well. The last thing you want is for buyers to have a hard time navigating or completing a purchase on their mobile device. Only the very motivated will go out of their way to find a desktop or laptop. Don’t make it hard for people to buy from you.
Another thing about today’s buyers is that they know what they want. And if they come to your site looking for it, will they find it? Or will they be given irrelevant (or worse, incorrect) results in the search bar??
Ensure your search function works well and that each product has detailed product information (tailored with the appropriate SEO keywords). This makes it easier to find what they’re looking for or browse through your catalog through filters.
4. Leverage AI tools appropriately
Yes, AI is an explosive topic, but should we be using it in our digital marketing and SEO?
Not to downplay its significance, but AI is a tool like any other. You use it when the outcome it produces is appropriate to the situation.
This isn’t the complicated question that people make it out to be. Using AI for SEO when it comes to, let’s say, product descriptions is a great example. Since they’re product descriptions, it’s better to leverage AI since you’ll remove the risk of human error.?
Plus, you can ensure each of these descriptions is filled out and hits the right keywords and phrases. Just think of all the time you’ll be saving your marketing team. They’ll be grateful and able to focus on more creative and valuable tasks.
On the other hand, if you need content tailored to your target audience, it likely requires a more human element. So, you could take two approaches - keep the writing 100% human, or use AI but only once you’ve established a rigorous review process. This review process allows you to ensure all copy is on-brand and factual.?
5. Market and sell to people
Finally, remember to look at all content through the personalized lens of your customer.?
It doesn’t matter if you’re selling to businesses or directly to consumers. Either way, you’re marketing to a person. Focus on that person. Meet them where they are in their journey. Create an experience that they will want to revisit. That’s how you turn clicks into conversions.?
Personalize their experience so that your message and brand resonate with them. Build brand loyalty and expand your tribe. Seek to understand them, to see and hear them. And then, simply keep your message consistent.
As digital marketers, how do you meet your customers where they are in their journey? What are some other ways to optimize your website? And how do you ensure you’re creating customer-centric experiences that keep customers coming back??
For more actionable solutions to everyday marketing challenges, check out this episode of the Real Talk Real Results podcast.
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