Getting the word out about the products and services your business offers is important. Failing to use modern marketing techniques can lead to you losing your competitive edge. But on the other considering the factors which can help you to create a successful marketing plan is a good move. A recent study showed that nearly 80 percent of the small businesses polled said they did not invest in content marketing. Developing a well-rounded marketing plan that includes everything from content to social media marketing is imperative when trying to create quality sales leads. Before you jump into the online marketing process, you need to work on developing a detailed plan of action. Having this plan of action will help you and your team stay on track. Using tools for prioritizing tasks will allow you to focus on what matters with ease. Here are some of the things you need to consider when trying to develop a successful and comprehensive marketing plan.

1. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Influencer Marketing

For years, businesses have used celebrity endorsements to further their reach and attract attention. While this is a great way to create a buzz around your business, it is not the most effective way to gain higher quality sales leads. One of the best ways to garner instant trust with a potential customer is by working with influencers in your industry. Usually, the influencers you reach out to will be considered experts in the industry. Most businesses use influencer marketing because it creates a more intimate experience for consumers. Attracting influencers to your brand will require a bit of hard work. You need to realize that most influencers get thousands of instant messages and emails a week from business owners just like you. This is why you need to work on setting your company apart when reaching out to influencers. Building a relationship via social media before approaching an influencer about help with marketing is a good idea. Liking, sharing and commenting on the posts as an influencer makes will create a sense of familiarity. This familiarity can come in handy when reaching out to an influencer for this type of marketing help.

2. Let Technology Be Your Guide

The biggest concern most business owners have when developing a marketing plan is how they will track the success or failure of the methods they use. In the past, tracking the marketing results was a bit difficult, but there have been a number of technological advancements in this industry. These days, you can use tools like Twitter Analytics to see how engaged your audience is with your social media marketing efforts. Google Analytics allows you to track the amount of traffic your website is getting with ease. By using the latest technology, you can easily tell when a marketing method is working and when it is not. Rather than wasting money on marketing methods that aren’t working, you can cull them and invest the money into other campaigns.

3. Blogging is a Great Way to Inform Consumers

Some business owners get so wrapped up in social media marketing that they forget all about the power of blogging. Creating informative and engaging blogs can help you attract a wider audience. The main goal you should have with your blogs is educating potential customers about what you do. The biggest mistakes most entrepreneurs make is trying to blog about anything and everything. This spray and pray approach rarely works and can end up alienating large portions of your audience. Not only will you need to keep a tight rein on the content of your blogs, but you will also need to create a posting schedule as well. Posting new blogs 2 to 3 times a week will allow you to keep the attention of powerful search engines like Google and Bing. As soon as you post new content to your website, sharing a link to the blog on your social media is vital. The more traffic you can drive to your website, the easier you will find it to get the quality sales leads you are after.

4. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Social Media

Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have millions of users. Tapping into a fraction of this audience can lead to a substantial increase in your overall bottom line. The biggest misconception that some business owners have about social media is that it is just for younger people. Ignoring just how powerful social media marketing is will lead to you losing out on a number of potential sale opportunities. Your business should have profiles on all major social media networks. Once these profiles are established, your main goal needs to be posting on them regularly. Failing to post on these channels daily can lead to consumers forgetting about you. In the fast-paced world, we live in, people want to be constantly entertained and informed. When posting on your social media profiles, be sure to keep the industry-specific. Talking about touchy subjects like politics on your business social media page is a recipe for disaster and should be avoided at all costs.

5. Having a Growth-Driven Website Plan is Vital

As any successful business owner will tell you, having a great looking and the information-packed website is essential when trying to reach a new audience. When developing a successful Marketing Plan for the year, don’t forget to set goals for your website and how it should be performing. Making sure your website is using the latest technology and that the content is performing against current search algorithms is important. Failing to consider these important factors could lead to your search engine stronghold slipping away. Allowing a third-party to perform an audit of your website can also be helpful. They will be able to provide you with in-depth information regarding factors like UI/UX and keyword rankings. With the results from this audit, you can easily optimize your website for long-term success.

6. Consider the Benefits of Live Chat and Chatbot Features

While we are on the subject of website optimization, you need to consider using chatbot features on your site. When potential customers need help or answers about your products or services, the time of day shouldn’t matter. If a visitor to your website needs answers, you can provide them with useful information by using live chat or chatbots. Not only can chatbots be used to provide consumers with useful information, but hey can also be helpful for moving a person further down your sales funnel. Often times, business owners will create call to action messages for their chatbots to give. These messages usually feature suggestions to a potential client on the products or services that may meet their needs. By automating certain parts of your website, you can easily increase sales leads and conversion rates.

7. Show Consumers More About Your Brand With Videos

For the most part, modern consumers have a notoriously short attention span. This means you need to find quick and efficient ways to provide them with information. One of the best ways to do this is through the power of video. Many businesses have found success by putting videos about their company on the homepage of their website. These videos will need to be short and to the point in order to have maximum impact. Working with video marketing professional will allow you to get a script in place before shooting starts. With this script, you can stay on track and avoid rambling during the video. Achieving your marketing goals will not be an overnight process. By working hard to optimize your strategy, you can keep up with trends and capitalize on them with ease.