By Saumya Gupta
Picture the Roman Empire as it is. A great and glorious empire in its time that made every other ruler bow down in front of its power and superiority. History has a lot of references that mention Rome in very significant ways. What’s new is the fact that a reference to marketing is as much a part of history as it is. Weird? I don’t think you’d feel that way after reading this blog. Plus, you’ll find interesting stuff as you read through it. So, shall we begin?
Roman Gladiators
Have you watched the movie, Gladiator? Oh, you must! Not that it shows marketing strategies in Rome, but it will make you familiar with the term Gladiator. Some historians say that the most successful and well-known gladiators in Rome were paid to wear products to advertise them. It was a type of influencer marketing to make people buy those products. Those gladiators who were assigned the job indeed had to be famous. Their popularity and respectful position made them potential influencers in the eyes of business owners, who chose them to promote their products.
Marketing in the 21st Century
Travel and come back to the 21st Century. At this moment, the market is full of ideas and innovations that make competition heavy and tough. Centuries later the picture might have changed, but the basic idea remains the same. People get into marketing to generate sales and increase the popularity of the brand.
I think about marketing as a communication skill that is extremely essential for business owners nowadays. Marketing is not an event, it’s a process that needs to be carefully planned and executed to see profits in real-time. And for that, a brand should be able to communicate its message to its audience. Research and follow-ups are a part of the process, which makes it extensive all for the same reasons. If marketing is done effectively, your audience tends to stick. It’s because they find the brand authentic, and its products unique or of good quality. No doubt there’s competition in the market, which is why good marketing is a way to eliminate that in parts, one by one.
Treat marketing as a conversation that you’re having with a stranger. A good conversation will make you understand the needs of the customer. This will further give you insights, and generate good leads and meaningful customer experiences. Always remember, good bonds with your customers can lead you to great profits in the future. After all, there’s a word that goes around in the marketing world: brands that put their customers first sell more products in the long run. I would again emphasize that marketing is not an event that gets over within a span of a few hours or days. Instead, it goes on for months or even years. That’s how long it takes to establish a good image for the brand you set up. Marketing is the process by which you build the brand altogether.
Types of Marketing
If you think that marketing and advertising are the same, then you need to cross that off permanently. Advertising is only a small part of marketing. There’s a whole lot more that can be included. Some brands don’t even use advertising at all while stepping into the social world to grow their brand.
For an easy analysis, you can divide marketing into offline and online methods. Offline marketing is traditional, in the sense that it consists of advertising in print, radio, and television. It can also involve attending events like concerts, conferences, trade shows, and fairs. Another sub-category of offline marketing is word of mouth marketing, and it can also be done digitally.
Considering the world’s situation right now, online marketing is more in demand. Online or digital marketing is more efficient. Because of the internet and its widespread connectivity, every person has an online presence. Any marketing campaign done online is seen by millions of people in no time. Let’s take a look at some online marketing techniques that you can use for your brand:
1. Content Marketing
Quality content is always well received by people who are considering your brand or are already a part of it. The right tactics used in content can make your customers feel more connected to your brand. You should be able to communicate your brand’s ideas and products while publishing them online for your audience. Content marketing can take place offline as well. In its digital form, it includes blogs, social media posts, infographics, videos, and images.
2. Social Media Marketing
Grow engagement with your audience over Hobo.Video, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. Since these platforms have a significant number of users, you can put up your content with the right hashtags and under the right category to get noticed. Existing customers of these sites engage with your brand and further reach a wider audience through digital as well as offline WOM marketing.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
By using the right keywords and optimizing your website’s content, you can make your business more visible on search engines like Google and Bing. With time, your site would be able to attract more traffic from searches.
4. Email Marketing
It’s a very efficient way to attract more customers. Through email personalization, customize your content for every customer to suit their individual needs. Also, it’s important to ping their emails regularly so that they remember your brand. You should be able to create a subscriber list for this, as it’s a prerequisite of email marketing.
5. Influencer Marketing
This type of marketing is very popular nowadays. In fact, influencer marketing is the new buzzword when it comes to successful brand collaborations. Instagram is one very famous platform where influencers make videos to promote products. It encourages online video shopping through video reviews. This makes customers think that the product is authentic. Hobo.Video is another social marketplace that is driven by online videos. Influencers and brands can enter into paid or barter collaborations. Whatever suits their needs, influencer marketing is in trend today. Several brands, big or small, go for it.
6. Native Advertising on Facebook
Facebook has its own algorithm that displays advertisements that are endemic to the network. It seems that Facebook is not in demand anymore, but that’s not true in any sense. Even with other platforms in demand, Facebook bags in 2 billion monthly active users. It’s only safe to say that advertising on Facebook’s network can prove very beneficial for any brand. Facebook uses its own content format like many other websites. Because of its large existing user base, it’s possible for Facebook to provide timely measurable performance and target the audience according to the brand’s needs and customer expectations.
7. Retargeting
Existing customers already had an interaction with your brand. Contact them as well as potential customers to make a sale. One way to do this is email retargeting. Enquire your customers about the products they’re interested in, and send them a catalog with similar products too. You can use other tactics as well to attract sales.
Marketing is not an event, it’s a Process
As I wrote earlier, marketing is not something you can wind up within a few hours or days. It’s a long and complex process that requires the right strategies. It takes time to get used to the process, but once you do, you’d be able to identify the latest trends that are circulating in the market. It also gives an insight into customer experiences and that comes through active engagement with the right audience.
As a brand, you can choose to use offline or online marketing. You can also choose both and plan your tactics accordingly. Understand that it’s important for you to know your audience as well as your products very well. This will help you choose what’s right for your brand, be it the product, or the marketing strategy you use to build your brand. Digital marketing might be in trend right now. But, offline WOM referrals too can be one of the efficient ways to authenticate your brand in the eyes of potential customers. Why would people refer to your brand? Simple. If you have good products, people will talk about them and spread positive word of mouth.
Conclusion
Setting up a business might seem risky or uncertain. But if you do own one, it’s necessary to do everything you can to expand it over time and look for a good output. In the initial phases, profits won’t come naturally. That’s because marketing is a process. Through marketing, you can set up an image of your brand in the social world where people would view your content and products. Be so good at it that people cannot resist the urge to shop with you. Work on your content, deliver it on time, use the right keywords, and approach your audience regularly. Make these your mantra, and always be on the lookout for new and unique ideas to make your brand stand out!
