At the beginning, breaking into media meant being exclusively confined to print. Nowadays however, media is growing. It is rapidly expanding beyond the constraints of paper and ink, and into a boundless digital realm. Print is out of fashion; yesterday’s news and today’s chip wrappers. And with this development of the digital side to media, so too have we seen the expansion of the job market, including the creation of entirely new careers such as digital marketing and SEO Glasgow consultants and pay-per-click analysts. This all comes as good news to Millennials. Despite the negativity surrounding this generation of workers, and fears over the impact of the economic recession of 2008 on their social and financial welfare, media positions itself as the professional field most welcoming to this eager new workforce. In this domain, Generation Y will far outstrip their professional mentors, with their second nature approach to social media and technological dexterity.
marketing
Creating outstanding marketing campaigns using the newest tools and the best talent can achieve good results for your firm or business, connecting you to more customers and clients. Integrating multiple channels as part of your marketing effort can create even better results. As you unify your marketing strategy, you also have a chance to unify your team in pursuit of your organizational objectives.
Holistic marketing recognizes the interdependence of every department in your firm and creates a unified effort that works toward achieving common goals. Use the following elements to build a marketing strategy that supports all your stakeholders, including your customers, and builds a valuable and sustainable brand.
Relationships
Your holistic marketing strategy should emphasize building strong relationships between your brand and its stakeholders. Aside from developing customer relationships, you must strengthen ties with your employees, investors, partners, vendors, and government. As a result of relationship marketing, your company will build a framework that supports long-term success.
Integration
Your marketing plan should work in concert with your other business strategies as well. Such an integrated effort will increase the value your firm delivers to the marketplace. Accomplish this by using outreach marketing solutions that create a multifaceted approach that integrates numerous marketing channels into a synchronized whole. Integrated marketing will create a common and consistent perception of your firm for your entire audience. As a result, your customers will have realistic expectations of your brand and thereby become more satisfied and loyal.
Employees
Market your firm to your employees to make your marketing approach more holistic. Such a tactic requires you to proactively increase employee engagement and satisfaction as they work to achieve your organizational goals. When properly executed, your internal marketing strategy will result in happy satisfied workers that ultimately deliver high-quality goods and services to your customers.
Community
Modern customers expect businesses to give back to the community in the form of charitable giving and environmental responsibility. Include societal marketing as part of your strategy to let your target market know that your business values more than profits. Demonstrating ethical, environmentally sustainable, and human-conscious values will build fantastic relationships between the community and your firm. Talk to a content marketing agency to see what types of community events might work best for your brand.
Creating a marketing strategy that covers your entire firm gives you a chance to create valuable synergies that deliver outstanding short and long-term results. Integrate every aspect of holistic marketing to create a brand that has universal appeal to your internal and external stakeholders and your community. As a result, you will create a valuable brand that is known as much for its character as it is for its products and services.
The idea of marketing your business can be overwhelming, especially if your advertising budget is small. The good news is, however, you don’t have to spend millions of dollars like the big dogs to draw in new business, especially in the information age.
Here are six low-cost ways to advertise your business:
1. Create Awesome Content
If your business has a website, it’s important to keep it up to date by posting new content a few times per month on a blog. This shouldn’t be a 300-word sales pitch, either. By generating good content, this can create relationships, bring in new visitors and even capture leads. Consider using Google’s keyword planner tool to get some content ideas to show you what people are searching for.
2. Contribute an Article
Advertising on popular websites could cost you thousands of dollars; however, if you were to be a guest author, you may be able to write an intriguing piece for free. A lot of websites out there are looking for guest authors to create compelling content for them. In exchange, you will be able to add your business name in your author byline or even within the article. Every website will have its own policy, but as long as you’re able to get a link back to your website, this is great for creating relationships, SEO purposes and drawing in traffic when they click on your link.
3. Join LinkedIn and Facebook Groups
Consider becoming an industry expert on popular Facebook and LinkedIn groups. As the groups notice you know what you’re talking about, some may reach out to you to help them with their own efforts. Also, from time to time, as long as the post allows it, you may be able to reference to your business, drawing in valuable targeted traffic. If you feel there isn’t a good group in your industry, consider creating your own group, but if you do, try to make it informative, not an advertisement for your business.
4. Get Free PR with HARO
HARO, which stands for Help a Reporter Out, will send a few emails every day with a list of reporters who are looking for people to answer their questions. This list, which is extremely popular among entrepreneurs, will primarily list reporters from media outlets most of us have heard of. Joining the list is free, and if you feel you can help any of the reporters on the list, send them an email to see if you can help. Most of the time, they will be more than happy to cite your business when they create their piece.
5. Participate in Local Contests
If you have a smaller brick and mortar business, see if your local community is offering any contests or prizes. For less than $50, it’s a great way to get your name in the community and offer a great prize at the same time. To find these contests, either search online or visit your local Chamber of Commerce. If there are no contests, consider creating your own.
6. Take Advantage of Video Marketing
YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine. Creating informative short videos can improve your search engine visibility and even drive in new leads. All you will need a simple camera, some basic editing skills, and you can get started in less than five minutes. Like creating your blog content, be sure to create an informative video people will want to share, and don’t forget to add a small watermark in the corner with your business name and logo.
Applying these low-cost marketing strategies are sure to allow your business to grow if done properly. No matter how small or large your budget is, these methods can be applied to any market strategy.