As 2018 comes to an end and the slow season gets closer, it’s the perfect time to review what’s worked and what hasn’t in your marketing plan so that you can make the necessary changes and dial in for 2019. To help you out, we are sharing our Greenbaum Stiers ROI Calculator and some helpful tips below. The ROI Calculator is an excel spreadsheet that allows you to enter your marketing costs, the leads you acquired, the sales you made on those leads and then it calculates your return on investment. A healthy marketing budget is around 10% for your industry, so it’s important to choose your investments wisely.
General consulting &
planning for 2019:
Every business needs a strategic action plan and a trusted team member to help implement that plan in order to grow their business in the following ways:
Provide a sense of direction and outline measurable goals.
Guide day-to-day decisions and evaluate progress and changing approaches when moving forward.
Increase marketing efficiency and eliminate unnecessary expenses.
Website development
& maintenance:
In this day and age, people searching for your service expect you to have a user friendly, safe and functional website that clearly states how you can help them. Having a poorly designed, confusing, or bloated website sets you way back from your competition, and makes all the difference for folks deciding which company to work with. It’s important to make sure your website includes the following elements:
Include a clear call to action at the top of your website with a phone number and link to a contact form.
Ensure that you are using terminology and images that your customer can understand.
Clearly outline your services and service area to avoid confusion.
Improve SEO and legitimacy with Case Studies and Customer Reviews on your site.
SEO (search engine optimization)
& content:
Without solid SEO and relevant content, you are doomed to be eclipsed by your competition. A pretty website alone means very little to search engines like Google and Bing. If you want your customers to notice you, search engines have to notice you first. When was the last time you remember clicking over to the second page of search results on Google? Most people click on the top results, which means poor SEO can make your website practically invisible for someone who doesn’t know exactly what they are looking for. For good SEO on your website, it’s important to consider the following:
You’ll need complete page titles, meta descriptions and image tags on each page of your site.
Try testing search phrases relevant to your services on Google, click the pages ranking near the top, and take note of relevant content they may include and find a way to work it into your pages without plagiarizing.
PPC (pay per click)
advertising:
Pay Per Click Advertising, specifically through Google Ads, results in an average ROI of 200% based on their Economic Impact Report. If that’s not enough to convince you, PPC yields immediate results and you can actively control and measure everything.
Reach your intended audience on Google Search through location, keyword, device, income and demographics variables.
Stop sharing leads from the “Lists & Advisors” and generate your own opportunities that you can measure and control.
Actively reviewing your PPC campaigns, search words and conversion data will uncover useful content that you can implement into your SEO and content strategies.
Reputation
management:
Your company’s reputation matters more than you may realise. If you are not actively managing it, your company could be losing leads, closing lower, selling cheaper or even missing out on great employees. Here’s what good reputation management looks like:
Actively manage local business listings, review sites, and social media sites through proper branding and interaction.
Ask for positive reviews from happy customers and even offer to help them through the posting process.
Reference your positive reviews by sharing them on social media, your website and even during in-home proposals.
Social media
management:
A strong social media presence is important for engaging your customer base directly. Marketing through social media is the act of constantly reminding people of your existence and relating to their needs. Different platforms are good for different things and it’s important to have a plan to best utilize the most relevant platforms for your business. It’s also a great opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competition.
Post pictures and information of work you are doing on businesses and homes in the area.
Share helpful tips that current and future customers can implement to build value in your relationship.
Record and post mobile video testimonials with your happy customers.
Branding &
graphic design:
You only get one chance to make a first impression, which means professional graphics and consistent branding are an absolute must. Sloppy, inconsistent and poorly designed branding and materials are an instant turnoff in today’s world. May the best BRAND win!
Be sure that your company has a strong, memorable logo and identity design package that sets you apart from your competition.
This identity design package should be implemented on your vehicles, uniforms, website, social media, advertising, literature and all other marketing materials.
Failing to take these steps can cause brand confusion or even make you less memorable.
With the way today’s consumers think, having a strong online presence and effective online marketing is arguably the most important step your company can take to differentiate yourself from your competition. This may have been something you’ve been able to ignore in previous years, but those days are long over! Your competition is running online ads, has a strong social media presence, and is establishing their brand through professional graphic design. You CANNOT afford to be left in the dust!
The team at Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing Group wants to see your company succeed. We have the tools, experience, and dedication to put you ahead in this ever-changing race to be the best. If you’re ready to take the plunge and truly breathe new life into your brand, visit our connect page and schedule a FREE one-hour consultation.
Start the conversation
with Greenbaum Stiers
Whether you’re a burgeoning startup or an established enterprise aiming to expand, Greenbaum Stiers is here to assist. Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation and discover how our dedicated team can help your business flourish in a constantly evolving world.