6 Steps to Cut Down Online Marketing Costs and Double Your Results

With the abundance of social media channels, the constant talk of marketing strategies, and the whispers of algorithm changes, it can be overwhelming for marketers to feel confident about where to invest their budget.

Things can get expensive. Rapidly. And you don’t have the time (or money) for that. You need to get your marketing message across convincingly and on budget.

From blogging to business marketing automation to email lists, here are six steps to cut down online marketing costs and double your results.

1. Gain thorough customer insight  

First things first, you want to make sure you have a complete picture of your customer to avoid costly marketing mistakes. Gaining knowledge of your various customer segments, shoppers’ wants, and decision-makers’ preferences will help you circumvent these misunderstandings.

Ensure that your business has a marketing automation software that is able to store this data and be updated quickly and simply, and be utilized for downstream marketing. Frequently survey, research and gather customer information to continue to guide your marketing decisions.

2. Start a blog

If you haven’t already, your business needs to start a blog. While passion, persistence and an ability to connect with your audience are necessary, blogging is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most cost-effective ways to communicate with a significant number of people.

For your business, having a blog situates you as a leading thinker within your industry or niche and allows you to deliver an enormous amount of value to potential clients or customers.

3. Utilize SEO

Once you have started to create blog content, you are going to want to reallocate some of your marketing budgets to an improved mobile-friendly website with search engine optimization (SEO).

In today’s world, the majority of purchase decisions occur due to a search engine, so you need to have your website ranked high — otherwise, the rest of the advertising steps will prove rather fruitless.

That being said, SEO is a challenging undertaking. But once you master it, you can promote practically any product or service with a limited budget, making it one of the most low-cost ways to market your business online.

4. Employ content marketers

One of the best ways to achieve SEO success is to employ content marketers. As one of the most popular methods for reaching the right audience with little to no money, content marketing entices purchasers to your online presence by providing valuable and relevant knowledge that uses well-read authority websites to assist you in building near-immediate visibility.

Professional content marketers and copywriters will not just create content but most importantly tell your brand’s story. They will be able to create white papers, compose social posts, create a website landing page, infographics, and other ways to get the word out about your brand.

5. Start building your email list now

The best time to start building your email list was yesterday, but right now is the second best time. It is a low-cost method with an incredible return on investment. Your email list will comprise customers who have opted in, which is precisely what you want.

It obviously isn’t easy; but when done right, it is downright effective. Have your content creators generate compelling content like infographics and online tutorials to attract customers who will hopefully sign up to your email list. Then, you have to continue providing useful information for your subscribers on a periodic basis.

Always keep in mind the consumer and how you can add value to their lives and, over time, you will begin to see results.

6. Automate as many processes as possible

The term “marketing automation” refers to the software or platform that automates your marketing for you. It is essential for streamlining your marketing processes and reducing your costs.

Marketing automation processes are revolutionizing how organizations manage their time and targets, enabling marketers to adjust their focal point to the most likely convertible prospects.

Ask around, and most marketers will tell you that currently, their greatest challenge is endeavoring to balance a strong presence on a variety of social media platforms and channels.

However, by automating some of your processes (for example e-commerce confirmation emails, automated contact points and shipping details), you are cutting down the time and monetary costs of this process.

Other benefits of marketing automation software include:

• Creating segments, which separate customer lists into unique categories
• Generating and nurturing leads with higher purchase potential and sending your sales team actionable leads
• Sending the right specific message at the right time to the right person
• Maximizing social media

As long as you have a plan in action, these steps will greatly assist your firm in cutting down your online marketing costs while also doubling the results. Additionally, never shy away from PR or publicity placements as they are always free!  

While internet marketing should be your primary priority, make sure that promotion is also integral to your strategy. Whether it is article writing and placement, media relations or public speaking, you can utilize free internet PR directories and paid PR wire services to get your business out there. So, here’s to your marketing success!

AUTHOR BIO

Tomi Saikkonen is the Vice President of Liana Technologies, Middle East. Just like you Tomi is fascinated by the possibilities of digital marketing and technology. He actively seeks out ways to help businesses and organizations across industries to improve their digital marketing ROI.