Various Types of Marketing right for your business and their strategic applications

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A good marketing or ads placement is not about the sweetest words, designs or tools, but about the right message, strategy and call to action

65% of what yields conversion lies not in the welcome message but in the follow up call.

A complete marketing process is one that covers awareness, interaction, engagement and reputation management with a brand and her customers

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There are two major options available for marketing. We will briefly highlight, discuss and recommend what best fits your business & budget based on experiences with past clients. There are as follows: Digital Marketing and Retail Marketing

1.       Digital Marketing:

Interestingly, when we mention digital marketing, people only think of social media management, website design, google analytics and more but digital marketing is weigh more than what you think and has been in existence longer than 100 years. 

The First Digital Marketer in History.. Source: Wikipedia

As the name implies, Digital marketing is a marketing that is designed or disseminated via digital applications. 

Digital marketing can be categorized into two: Offline Marketing and the Online Marketing. 

Any of the above mentioned is a great aspect to reach a selected audience which can yield better conversion, but let’s start with “Offline Marketing”.

a.       Offline Marketing: The offline marketing can also be divided into the conventional media placement, prints, and mobile marketing.

Image Source www.pob.com.ng

i.                     The Conventional media placement: this is the regular placements via TV, Radio, Newspapers, Bus branding, billboard etc. 

            This type of placement is usually reserved for high rated companies with huge budget even though her results can’t be fully measured. Especially for billboards
         
            If your business is a small or medium scale business don't even think about billboards lol, because you have a slim chance of getting the value for your money. Even the big players are realizing this. This is why you will find more vacant billboards on the street.

            However, if you choose the conventional media placement, always remember it’s all about 3 focused strategies to gain conversion because you only have few seconds to win the attention of viewers whether or not your focus is brand awareness or brand engagement: 

            These 3 focused strategies must align around “A simple brand message, curiosity/humour/highlighted customer needs and a call to action”.

When many things reflects on the faces of viewers, they get nothing (Eliminate too many information & distractions).

Brands like GTBank, Samsung, and Airtel etc. play this game very well. 
         
Although, graphics and quality is an essential ingredient to delivering result, conversion is all that matters for ROI & simplicity is what depicts professionalism

Image Source: Flint group

ii.                   Prints:  This type of marketing shares similar traits with conventional media, but it is widely used by small scale enterprises. (Make your placement as simple as possible with actionable phrases (Call Now, Register now, Scan to Buy etc.)

            Examples are fliers, banners, T-shirts etc. Even though print share similar strategies with conventional media placement, entrepreneurs and business experts must apply caution when maximizing this placement.

Swipe to see why this banner ads will be effective

Swipe to see why this banner ads will be effective ...Ads by @jekaplaynaija #Marketing #Branding #advertising #Food #catering

A post shared by Princesage Online Branding POB (@pobranding) on Apr 13, 2018 at 11:08am PDT

         
             As oppose the conventional media where deployment is done by advertising media or publishing firms, the prints deployment can be done by anyone through the application of DIY (Do it yourself) or a local graphic expert. Call 07081557995 for prints

            For this reason, you must identify all legal obligations, environment restrictions and fees to be paid to regulatory bodies governing your activities like LASAA (Lagos State Signage & Advertising Agency), should in case you’ll need to make legal payment for using branded cars, signage, banner, posters and even branded t-shirts etc.

            An example is a challenge we suffered with one of our client’s activation “BLUDOT Xplorer” at Shoprite Mall Ikeja in the year 2015, where we paid a fine of N25,000 for violating the Mall's rules for activation, using branded T shirts to market in the mall without proper authorization. #Coverface. Don't learn the hard way

iii.             Mobile Marketing: examples are Personalized text, voice calls, USSD/short codes, IVR, Mobile app.
         
            Personalized Bulk SMS is an extra feature from the regular Bulk SMS where you can personalize communication to multiple recipients who visited your store.

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            For example, you can send appreciation messages after each working day to all prospects and customers at the punch of one button, who visited your store or purchased an item.

           (Hi Bayo, we want to say a big thank you for purchasing XYZ, get 20% discount for your next purchase. We would love to see you again).

            You can offer discounts on next purchase or referral benefits, as this will increase your chances to boost conversion. Use talk.pob.ng for this service.

           Voice Calls: This is a recorded voice message sent to multiple number of recipients at the punch of one button using your GSM number.

           This is well used by politicians in Nigeria, but one should avoid sending spam voice calls like what most regular network providers in Nigeria do.

            I’m sure you don’t have money to waste or want to be seen as mosquitoes to your customers.

            You can send calls to customers on their birthday month, wishing them a blissful month of celebration ahead and directing them to your store for birthday gifts or discounts.

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            You can also use an influencer or celebrity to make a call to your customers, telling your customers how much they love your products or love you. Use talk.pob.ng

           USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) /short codes:  is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication technology that is used to send text between a mobile phone and an application program in the network.
         
            Applications may include prepaid roaming or mobile chatting e.g. GTbank banking code like #737 or short codes used for voting/subscription, or may be popup messages when you check your account balance.
         

            Owning this application is a little on the high side, so it is advisable to run a dedicated shared server.

            If you wish to use this kind of service or have this set up for your campaign call 08023782509 for more information.

            Your ad message should not be more than one sentence with a call to action [usually "Dial or Text (The Code)"] that explains the whole functionality and features of the services rendered by the application code.
         

 

            Please note that to have this set up, you will need your dedicated USSD code. 

            Visit www.ncc.gov.ng to get your letter approved, when this is done, we can help with the set up. 

            If you want a quick or cost effective USSD Code, contact us so we can lease one of our codes to you. 

            Interactive Voice Response works like the USSD but as the name implies, it is a voice response system and it is advised to be used for customer services as opposed marketing. 
            

        Mobile applications were mostly admired by our customers, especially those who owned eCommerce stores. 

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            There’s a general belief that mobile shopping apps retain eCommerce customers or could be used to maintain customers loyalty, but from experience I’m sad to announce to you that in reality, this is not as it seems (Ask Konga & Jumia). 
           
            

Researched conducted by Dazeinfo.com

            If you are not creating a mobile application for a specific function useful to customer’s engagement such as: loyalty reward app, video app, Ubber, games etc. then this is an unnecessary marketing engagement strategy. 
            

Image Source: AirAsia

            Building a mobile shopping app especially in Nigeria is a waste of money because email marketing, push notifications, social media marketing are all cost effective engagement tools that converts as oppose to a mobile app that will be deleted by  user in months when trying to secure space on their mobile device. 
            

Image Source: Sendmsgs

           The cost of acquisition, maintenance and ads placement are lots of money to be thrown away when an application is deleted. 

            Not to totally write off mobile application for shopping, you can create a mobile application strictly for loyalty reward, making customers realize your app is design to give away weekly discount or play games for special giveaways.
          
           My point: If your company services app doesn't solve a generally desired problem e.g travelling app, map, edit app, news app etc. other than just selling, don't waste money on mobile applications.

           If you must go for the mobile app options please put this users feedback in mind. This was gotten from an online questionnaire by search engine watch in 2014 
           

Image Source: Search Engine watch

b. Online Marketing: The online marketing has so much similarities to the regular retail marketing but this is done online and can be more effective as compared to any other marketing, because results here can be monitored, retargeted and measured.

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Your focus should be where are my customers, how to reach them, what do they like? How to interact/engage with them and how to maintain a good reputation management system.


Below are the channels that can help you meet your goals online:

·         Search engine optimization (SEO) &
Search engine marketing (SEM)

·         Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)

·         Content marketing

·         Social Media Marketing (SMM)

·         Email marketing

·         Lead Generation

·         Sales Funnel Creation

·         Video marketing

·         Building Phase:
(Website design & Blog Creation, Social account Set up and integrations, automation tools, listening tools etc.)

·         Affiliate marketing

 
 We will extensively discuss each of these areas in subsequent posts or videos, so subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel to be the first to get detailed explanations of the above mentioned

2         Retail Marketing : There are two major types of Retail Marketing; code call and Referral Marketing

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a.       Code Call: This is a type of marketing where you introduce your product or service to a new prospect (A to be customer) that doesn’t know you or have a relationship with you.

     There are specific skills and strategies you can deploy for code calling which we will explain in subsequent posts or videos.

     Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTubechannel or blog to stay updated.

b.      Referral Marketing: This is a type of marketing where you introduce your product or services to a person you were referred to by another person or customer.

     There are also specific skills and strategies to be deployed which we will discuss in subsequent posts and videos. Subscribe

     However, below are the key cover areas to consider when applying code call or referral marketing:

i.                     Get a First Approach Strategy:

           What is that unique first line you are comfortable with to open the door of conversation. Remember, “Marketing is more psychological than stereotyped”.

           Even though situations determines your welcome approach which may be compliments, humour, coincidence etc.

            You must have a default first line you are comfortable with and can easily remember that will jump start you to step two.

            For example, “My name is Omotosho Adebayo, I work with Mutual Benefits Life Assurance, I’m sure you’ve heard of my company?”

ii.                   Ask the Right Questions:

            Asking the right questions is the live wire to closing a sale or getting a promise, because this is the only effective way to identifying the need and problems of a customer.

            Where this is omitted, just know you are telling and not selling

iii.                  Apply Empathy & Acceptance:

            Accepting the feedback of your prospect is a silent key strength of the conversion that reduces the risk of argument & misunderstanding.

            It can be you taking notes of his feedback and repeating it before starting to make your points.

            For example, If I got you clearly, you mean this this this? 

            Respecting the views and feelings of your prospect makes the sales conversation more accommodating and open.

            No matter how crazy a customer’s view can be, make your product or services an alternate strategy that can better improve what they already have.

            For example, this is a wonderful idea and surely it delivered xyz results but why don’t we look at this way to get at least more success or convenience at an affordable rate. 

          You then lay the strength and features of your product or services to solve their problems

iv.                 Closing the sales conversation:

           This is the most important aspect, where the use of body language and confidence is key to a successful closing.

            Before starting your sales conversation, I’m sure you should have a sales goal for each conversation.

            Either a promise with a detailed time, closed deal, referral or reschedule for a more convenient conversation.

            With this goal in mind, you study the body language of the prospect based on the objections thrown at you and how you attended to them.

            If you have a positive feedback, be confident to request to close the deal as you send your body language using a question. 

            For example, Sir, can I help you process this now or get a technical team to get you signed up? It only takes a few steps. 

            But in a situation where you get a negative feedback, do not hesitate to ask questions where and why your customer is still not clear/interested in your offer and outline reasons why he/she is not interested in your offer. 

            It is possible that your offer isn’t good enough or not offered at the right time, or probably affordability is a major challenge. 

           Then you can apply further strategies based on your organization’s goals to help meet his or her needs like referral options, installment, trial or other zero commitments like sign ups to keep him or her updated

                In Conclusion,
                Irrespective of what type of marketing channel you choose to deploy, always start the  beginning with the end in mind.
               Define your goal, this could be awareness, interaction, engagement or reputation management. Your investment should at least yield a return on investment either in cash or kind.
              Even though, the online marketing is the most reached and newly embraced form of marketing, do not ignore the retail marketing. Set a goal of reaching at least 2 people a day who haven't heard of your offer. Complimenting this with your online strategy, you should have a sustainable business
             Above all, the success of every marketing is not getting the message to the prospect but making a good follow up call.