This blog is the fourth and last installment in a short series on choosing which marketing media is best for your business. In both times of crisis and on a regular basis, how do you put out content? This series looks at the differences between various methods of media communications. Our goal is to help you decide when to use which option to best harness the different attributes and needs of your target audience.
How are you doing these days? Are you and your business ready for re-entry or are you in a space where the world of telecommunications is continuing to work for you? Regardless in which of the 50 states you and your business reside, the world is opening up amidst the ongoing global pandemic that is Covid-19. Whether you’re shifting your marketing game, changing the focus of your advertising, or looking to spread your wings for a wider reach - we’ve got you covered. Perhaps ebooks and newsletters are the perfect addition to your arsenal at this time.
eBooks and their many benefits
eBooks are more than the one you download off of a friend’s page as they try to share the subtext of their first novel. These read like a book, can be filled with illustrations and graphs and tend to have strong calls to action. Far closer to a book than a white paper, an eBook can have color or no color, can be 10 pages or 100, can be in the form of a PDF or a presentation; seriously, you can call just about anything an eBook. Avid fans even often refer to them as the ‘hip and stylish younger sister to the nerdy white paper’. Think you’re ready to make one of your own?
Get started by showcasing your authority, focusing on an interesting topic designed to educate your reader. Do your relevant research, outline your chapters, and enrich the details with data. Then add your call to action, contact details, and that snazzy back cover. Now that you’ve got this piece of advertising ready, set it loose in the world and see what happens. Your eBook can act as the heart of your marketing campaign with all other content designed around that key piece. Build your marketing list, allow your subscribers to opt - in , and utilize this form of media as a critical lead generation tool. With each turn of those well-designed pages, your readers are introduced to a new concept or service available. Make it downloadable, make it brandable, and remember to repurpose content from that eBook to use in other marketing tools.
Newsletters and how they can boost your marketing plan
Remember when your youth group, religious organization, or high school PTA put out their newsletter? Turn that into a marketing method for today and you’ve got one heck of a way to keep your organization on the minds of your target audience and share that focused information with your clients. An effective newsletter has catchy headlines, detailed, fresh content, a strong call to action, and is easily read on mobile devices. Written for a like-minded audience, your regularly scheduled printed or e-distributed newsletter reminds your readers that you’re a partner in their lives and broader community.
In your marketing arsenal, newsletters are a great way to pass along helpful tips, establish authority while showcasing your expertise, and keep your brand in the forefront of consumers’ minds. Be creative, make it interesting, stay somewhere in the range of 1-25 pages, keep in mind those clicks for time spent in your webspace, and be mindful of that split between your information and sales focus.
Know your audience
This is your business. This is your marketing plan, your advertising scheme, and your content calendar about which we speak. Regardless of which content related path you take, keep in mind that it’s your messaging that actually matters and how it is received. It's how you tell your story that makes the difference. Each medium captures a portion of your story and each audience member interprets it in her own way.
As we navigate this unprecedented journey amidst a global pandemic it’s our job to seize the moment, frame our messaging, and allocate our resources wisely. You know the solutions your customers seek - be the provider that can assuage their fears and assist their needs. Keep creating content, opening up new channels of communication, and connecting while safely social distancing. The day will come when we can physically share the same 6 feet of space with our clients and tell our story while breathing the same shared air space again. Until then, keep learning, keep elevating your marketing game, and keep finding ways to broadcast your story. Stay safe, friends - you matter.