3 Simple Ways to Stand Out in Online Media

Recent statistics show the average consumer receives up to 5,000 promotional messages per day, alongside other stimuli. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, text messages, e-mails, voicemails…and the list goes on. Whether you’re a small business owner or a retail marketer, how will your savvy marketing stand out in a world saturated with over-communication? 3 Simple Ways to Stand Out in Online Media will help

The phenomenon we’re experiencing is commonly called communication fatigue, and it’s reshaping the way we view advertising and media messages, particularly online. While print and television advertising used to be the main marketing methods, you’ll need to be more creative to reach today’s audiences.

Successful marketing in this era isn’t just present—it’s interactive. And, it isn’t just inspirational—it inspires action.

That may sound daunting, but here’s 3 Simple Ways to Stand Out in Online Media to help cut through the clutter online:

1.   KEEP IT SIMPLE

As communication channels increase, consumers are craving consistency and simplicity. Rather than over-communication, focus on strategic communication.

To help keep you on track, determine a few key messages and filter all your online communication through that frame of reference. For example, if you want to portray family values, make sure that all of your posts and advertisements are family-friendly. If you want to position yourself as a local, small business offering quality customer service, focus your message on local topics of interest relevant to your market.

This tactic is also key for design elements (consumers gravitate toward clean lines and short, easy-to-comprehend copy).

2.   ENGAGE CREATIVELY

You are missing a major opportunity if you aren’t doing outreach as part of your online marketing. It’s not enough to just post information. You need to spend some time researching your online audience and reaching out to them. Discover what their interests are, and how you can get them talking about your product.

An easy way to do this is to monitor key terms and hashtags related to your business or product. Start an online conversation with someone posting about similar interests, and show users who are posting about your product or service some special attention. If someone “checks in” to your business online, don’t forget to thank them. Another angle to generate more engagement is to tap into news that your target audience finds interesting, and then tie that information back to your business.

Be creative in your responses! Don’t be afraid to inject some humor to personify or “humanize” your business or services.

3.   INSPIRE ACTION

The goal of your online promotion, above attaining brand recognition, is to inspire users to take action. More and more today, permission marketing is the preferred way to gain a loyal customer base. Permission marketing means a consumer is asking for more information—and is already interested on some level in your product or service—rather than receiving the information “cold.”

How do you get the consumer interested in your product or service?

Create campaigns that interest and motivate your target audience. Maybe that means integrating a platform into your website that asks questions and prompts visitors to a page to opt-in to specific email promotions, based on their answers. Or, it can mean generating an online campaign to create buzz around a certain product or service, which leads the consumer to follow your business online.

For example, if you are selling dog grooming services, you could create a local campaign encouraging people to submit their dog’s “bad hair day” photos for a prize, and then offer a discount on your services.

It’s not always easy to stand out and effectively reach your target audience online. If you need help with strategic communication, social media or creative online campaigns, SKYFALL BLUE offers services catered to your needs.