No matter what industry you’re in, if your business expects growth, it should be advertising. You can’t just launch a website and expect to be successful. Growth requires new customers. And to reach those customers, you need to advertise. For small and medium enterprises, SME marketing is more important than ever!
Advertising isn’t a walk in the park, however. Not everybody has a silver tongue ready to win the hearts of their audience, or time to spare on marketing research. Due to a lack of resources, effective growth marketing is inaccessible to many SMEs.
Over 8,000 platforms and tools have emerged to help companies engage with large ad platforms such as Google Ads. These tools often feature the snooze fest that is marketing jargon, forcing you to learn a whole new language. Plus, they’re expensive and time-consuming.
So, what can SMEs do to punch through all that noise and run effective ad campaigns?
The marketing world is overwhelming. It's no wonder people feel intimidated. To run effective ads there are a few things you need to get to grips with first. Let’s turn that noise into plain English for you.
Ad platforms are where ads get published. If you’ve been on the internet, you’ve seen them before.
Google Ads is the biggest online advertising platform. You know those ads you see at the top of the page every time you Google something? Those are Google Ads! Other major platforms include Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads and Amazon Ads.
The ideal ad platform for you will depend heavily on your target market. Make sure to do your research!
Reach, engagement and conversion all monitor different things. One thing they do have in common is how they track the relationship people have with your content.
If you have a tonne of reach, but very little engagement, there’s something wrong with your content. Engagement has more value than reach, but conversion is king!
A Sales funnel maps the customer's journey from their initial awareness of your brand, through to purchase. Lead the customer through the funnel by creating engaging content for each stage of their journey. Here’s how it works:
Stage 1: Awareness
A potential customer hears about your brand. This is often achieved through ads, but articles and podcasts are effective options, too.
Stage 2: Interest
Pique the potential customer's interest with informative targeted content such as e-mails, newsletters and social posts. Improve your chances for success with special offers and free trials.
Stage 3: Conversion
Testimonials and reviews win customers over. Here, the customer purchases your products and services!
Stage 4: Retention
Now that the sale is complete, the hard work doesn’t stop there. Keep customers coming back by continuing to communicate with them through offers and brand messages.
It’s a competitive world out there. To stand out, an SME marketing campaign needs to get things right. First off you need a great product that people want to buy, at a price your target market can afford. Competitive pricing does help you stand out, but be warned, it will cut your profits.
You can also ask customers for reviews. A good testimonial provides social proof, giving future customers the confidence to buy from you.
Running a successful ad campaign requires more elbow grease than simply launching a Facebook Ad. All the cogs in your marketing machine need to be well-oiled and functioning. So, what do you need for an effective growth campaign?
1. A great user interface
If your user interface is janky, people won’t want to shop on your site! Make sure your website and checkout are a joy to use.
2. The right product for the right price
Markets for different products are made up of different demographics. Different markets won’t behave the same way. You need to sell the right products to the right people at the right price. Keep an eye on what your competitors are charging to stay ahead of the curve.
3. A sales funnel that works
Sales funnels drive conversions by gathering awareness and interest for your brand. Effective growth campaigns lead customers through the funnel with engaging content that answers questions in a tone of voice they can trust.
4. Creating & monitoring ads
Releasing strategically placed ads that speak directly to your target audience is key for growth. To have a clear picture of the impact of your campaign, analyse the data. When it’s time to release a new campaign, you’ll have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t.
Tech Stacks
To keep track of the advertising process and its effectiveness, many marketers use tech stacks. These are collections of technologies that work together to guide and automate marketing efforts. While they sound simple enough, they’re notoriously hard to set up. Stitching together the right tech stack, taking into account all of the above, takes time, money and expertise. SMEs often don’t have the resources to make it happen.
SMEs should get to know their customers. If you want them to part with their cash, it’s time you talked their talk and discovered where they hang out online. You couldn’t do it without your customers, so place them on a pedestal.
Next, invest in content. Post in places you know your target market visits. This is how you achieve new customers and growth. Remember to provide content that creates value through each stage of the sales funnel.
You can forget the ocean of expensive marketing tools and throw out the jargon. By utilising the powers of AI and our in-house marketing boffins, Owlee simplifies and automates the advertising process. It's our all-inclusive solution to SME marketing.
From your creatives to your audience targeting to your campaign's launch and optimisation, Owlee does the hard work for you. So, if your business is struggling with its advertising, why not give Owlee a try?
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