How do you make your promotions stand out in the marketplace? Start with a well-crafted social media plan, a dash of marketing expertise and a rock solid mound of data in what “works.” Our very own Charlene Blohm, founder and president of C. Blohm & Associates co-hosted an edWeb.net webinar with Linda Winter of Winter Group titled, “Let’s Be Direct: How to Improve Your Education Marketing Results.” During this moderated panel, they discussed best practices to make marketing promotions more personal and effective. They touched on different ways to use email marketing, new techniques to reinvent traditional media and best practices for using social and mobile media. Below are a few key messages we learned from Charlene and Linda:
The Social Scene:
- Engage, engage, engage – Interactions on any social media platform are necessary and practicing this technique during timely events is most impactful. Encourage your followers to like, retweet, share and utilize your hashtags.
- Don’t tell if you can show – Think about it, when sharing an enticing image, people are more likely to click or read your content. Data shows that when interactive media is used, your community is inspired to take action, therefore spiking engagement.
- Share more than once – Don’t feel like you’re limited when sharing content. By sharing two, three, even four times, potential followers and influencers have a greater chance of seeing it.
Keep in mind: When engaging and sharing content, your actions need to be strategic, and your priority should be mobile. More than 90 percent of users access their social channels via a mobile app, and if your customers are accessing services there, you too need to be present.
Let’s be Direct:
- Shake up the marketing mix – In marketing emails, include tips and hints into your practice that are nonpromotional. Send these messages on Thursdays and the weekend, as people use the end of the week to catch up on materials they’ve missed.
- Include something useful – When sending your message, say something that is meaningful to them and relate it back to how it will benefit them.
- Be personal – As you’re crafting your email message, include the recipient’s title and first name. After you’ve sent them information, ask for their feedback and what they need from you and your services.
What does this all mean? Mastering your marketing plan isn’t going to happen overnight. The trick is to get people engaged with your brand, and to do that you need to carry your ideas across marketing channels. Be precise, be aware and know that everything you do needs to be mobile accessible.
Regardless if you’re getting started in your marketing efforts, or are already a skilled driver, these ideas are still applicable. The key is to stay current and listen to both your brand and consumers.
CB&A would like to thank Karen Billings from SIIA-ETIN for moderating the panel, Lisa Schmucki at edWeb.net and Tom Magadie from MCH Strategic Data for hosting the webinar and Linda Winter from Winter Group for sitting on the panel with us. Without their partnership, this webinar wouldn’t have been possible.