Digital Direct Marketing Uses Social Media to Reach Niche Customers

5 ways social know-how makes niche marketing easier

Unlike general target markets, niche markets are not defined simply by location or demographics, but by shared experiences, interests or ideas.

Niche markets are difficult to influence unless you understand the values of those in them. For instance, a realty company might want to target men who earn above $500,00 a year and prefer to live in golf course communities. To do this, the marketer will have to learn as much as possible about these men: What motivates them? What do they read? What do they look for in a golf course?

Today, marketers don’t have to guess the answers to questions like this based solely on past purchasing information and shallow observation. Now, brands can get involved and participate in the Social Media Network of their niche market to learn firsthand about its not-so-obvious quirks.Here are 5 ways to more effectively use Social Media for niche marketing:

Choose the Right Social Media Networks

Did you know some Wall Street Employees are banned from using Facebook, Twitter and Google at work? Since they are at the office nearly 80 hours a week, a social media campaign targeting them through these channels would fail miserably. Rather than making assumptions about which Social Media channels appeal to your niche, do a little upfront research. As you can see from this example, it can make or break your campaign.

Get Involved and Participate

Once you know how your niche connects, it’s time to join the conversation. Visit chat rooms and blogs that appeal to them, and listen in. If you market beer, join a chat room for craft brew fanatics. You’ll learn what motivates your target audience and what language and activities they respond to. Feel free to participate and represent your brand, but be careful not to kill the conversation with a blatant plug for your company.

See How Your Niche Responds to Other Brands

Whether they are Tweeting about a brand or liking it on Facebook, you should know what your niche thinks about your competition. This will help you fine tune your position in the market and respond to your own brand weaknesses before your customer calls you out on them.

Create Relevant Content

To stay involved, you’ll want to create content to spread across relevant Social Media networks. If you sell bamboo fly fishing rods, host a YouTube video highlighting the top 10 fly-fishing rivers in the U.S., or write a blog that discusses which flies are most effective in different areas of the country. The more valuable your content is to your niche market, the more likely they are to find it and share it.

Position Your Brand as The Expert

In addition to sharing content, you’ll want to make sure that your brand is welcomed as an integral part of your niche market. Being an expert puts you in that position. Create studies, write a blog or host a series of teaching videos, and those interested in your expert opinion will seek more information from your business website.

For more information about using Social Media Networks to reach your niche market, contact Jessica@claycreativeresults.com.

Direct and Digital Marketing for B2B Success

4 ways to optimize your strategy

Digital has changed B2B marketing in ways no one could have predicted, and it can also make the process easier and more interesting. But, if you think digital creates more confusion than opportunity, here are some tips to help get you on track with your B2B marketing efforts:

Create Quality Digital Content

When a business decides whether or not to work with you, it first must build a business case to justify the expense or purchase. The greater their investment of time and money will be, the greater amount of content you should provide to help them make that decision. You should be providing that content in a variety of digital channels beyond your business website. For instance, you could distribute whitepapers by Email, create webinars or videos, or write a series of informative posts for your blog. Keep in mind that not all content has to be sales content. Often, providing industry news and information on your home page can help bring those in your industry back to your website again and again. Eventually, they will take an interest in what you are selling.

Get the Right Message to the Right Audience

Digital Direct Marketing makes it easier than ever to tailor your message to the audience you want to reach. Segment your B2B audiences and formulate a separate strategy for each group. This may mean several versions of your eBlasts, or building multiple microsites that focus on different parts of your offering. Digital lets you deliver these messages at the right time in the business cycle for each audience, so don’t feel you have to make the same offer to every lead at the same time. Be selective and strategic.

Know When to Use Social Media

YouTube.com is a great tool for reaching B2B prospects. In fact, it’s reported that YouTube reaches 36% of all business decision makers—more than 10 times that of Forbes.com. But, Social Media is not the right choice for all of your B2B efforts. Sometimes businesses, like those in the engineering, technical, and industrial space, are less likely to seek information from social sites. Be sure to choose a digital channel that will complement your prospects level of use. You may find that your B2B clients are more likely to respond to general websites, online catalogs, industry-specific eTools, Emails and eNewsletters.

Replace Lead Generation with Lead Management

Thanks to the Internet, lead generation is now less about cold calling and more about maintaining your online presence and managing inquiries. According to Mischa Stephens, senior optimization specialist at Google, business professionals regularly rely on search and social to make their buying decisions. She says that 84% of C-level executives find search very valuable in making business decisions, and 83% of B2B buyers research online before their next purchase. When a prospective buyer searches you out, be sure your digital presence is on message and that you can follow up with a fully integrated marketing and sales process.

If you think you need help streamlining your B2B Direct and Digital Marketing strategy, email Frank@claycreativeresults.com or go to www.claycreativeresults.com

Marketing Made in USA Products to Baby Boomers

3 reasons your American-made brand should target the “me” generation

 

Baby Boomers are more interested than ever before in buying Made in the USA products. That may be a large part of why the American-made movement has grown so quickly in recent years. If you are marketing a Made in the USA product, be sure you are taking the time to understand the motivations of your largest market. Here are 3 reasons why:

They Have the Buying Power

Baby Boomers are the largest consumer group in America. Even in a recession, they still account for a whopping 40% of total consumer demand. Boomers control 70% of the total net worth of American households, own 80% of all money in savings and loan associations, and spend more money disproportionately to their numbers.

They Actively Seek Out American-Made

An April 2012 Gallup poll revealed that baby boomers are much more likely to buy American-made products than their younger counterparts. The survey polled more than 1,000 adults and found that 53% of people between the ages of 50 and 64 seek out products made in America when shopping. Conversely, only about 20% of shoppers under 30 actively shop for Made in the USA products. Baby Boomers are reaching out with open arms to embrace the Made in America movement. Be sure your brand is reaching back.

They are Conscientious Consumers

Baby Boomers have a long, proud history of being cause-conscious, and they vote with their wallets. To them, buying American is no longer just about blind patriotism. It is a socially conscious choice that helps keep jobs in our country, stimulates our economy, and lets corporations know that they will not stand for the pollution, human rights abuses and poor quality that foreign manufacturers accept as part of trade. I even found a baby boomer advocacy website that sums up all of the reasons why socially conscious boomers are buying American: http://www.babyboomergold.com/2012/08/made-in-america-a-critical-response-to-economic-conditions-in-america/

It’s worth checking out, because these are also great selling points for your American-made product.

Baby Boomers as a group are loyal to buying American-made products, and they have the money to back it up. If you are marketing a Made in the USA brand, and you don’t already have a fully integrated strategy for reaching this target market, I hope I have convinced you that it is time.

Questions or comments? I’d like to hear what you think. Contact me at Frank@claycreativeresults.com.

Connecting The Gap Between Advertising History and Modern Execution

2 Ways To Rejuvenate and Energize Your Brand

We invite you to check out our agency website where you will find a home page full of iconic history memorabilia. What inspired the decision to infuse our company culture in such a way and where do president Eisenhower and Rosie the Riveter find their place at Clay Creative? Even marketers learn from history and we stick to the roots of advertising and adapt your brand to modern day society to enhance every impression you make with your audience.

20^th century advertising changed the way brands and products reached the consumer and it brought us break through ideas to connect with them. Take for example the brilliant print execution for the gasoline company Esso. This is when research met consumer insight and an emotional connection with car drivers was created.

A tiger represents playfulness and power and driver’s behind the wheel enjoy just that so Esso used a tiger mascot to portray the brand insight…Voila.

There weren’t smart phones, digital applications and social media when we started. The basic principles that we’ve learned from past advertising must be applied to todays new media. For over 25 years we’ve been creating strong brands for our clients. Cultural norms shift every year and the technology we have today that didn’t exist in the 50’s allows us to connect your brand to your audience through hundreds of advertising channels.

The famous brands we’ve grown up with and have used our entire lives did not evolve over night. It takes strategy, research and brand development to keep your brand alive in the 21^st century. Here are 2 ways for your brand to reach its’ maximum potential.

1. Adapt to new cultural norms: Our society has evolved into a multi-tasking time constrained world where consumers are connecting to your brand in more ways than one and your brand must adapt to the change.

• Does your audience read the newspaper or browse the web with a smart phone. Keep in mind your demographics when targeting your audience.
• How does your audience benefit from using your product?
• There is a big difference between focusing on product attributes and product experience. Since product attributes portray your product as easy to use or physically appealing, focus on these for clothing and home entertainment products.
• How do people use your product and where are they using it?

2. Execute product re-launches and brand extension: Just because you have a top selling product or service doesn’t mean you don’t have to create something new.

• Consumers are interested in what is new and newsworthy. Think about it, it’s why we pick up newspapers and magazines.
• Release relevant information about your products through social media.
• Expand your brand through releasing newly updated versions of a product. Apple is a master at this. iPhone users scoot to the edge of their seat every year and anticipate a new phone with different software and new capabilities.
• Learn how your customers use your products.
• Always remember there are ways to expand your brand no matter how simple your products are.