Does Your Marketing Content make Your Website a Grand Central Station or Just a Whistle Stop?

When most clients come a web designer or agency, they want to have a website developed.  Oftentimes, they already have a social media presence, but they may not also.  Some traditional marketing with printed material may be done.  Though, once the website is complete it is … just there.  The problem is, a website that is, just there, will not get seen and at the very best will be relegated to being a mere whistle stop in the overall railroad of knowledge and information.  We at WebHeads want to make sure that your website is seen and has all of your marketing methods working on lockstep, turning your website into a Grand Central Station for your business and brand.

So how do you take a website that just exists and turn it into a place that your target audience wants to go to and be a part of?  This post and the following series of posts detailing each train, alphabetically, uses the example of a “local coffee shop.”  In this post we will summarize the station; your website, and summarize the trains, which represent the marketing methods.  Using all of the trains, you can make sure your marketing and lead generation efforts are as synchronized as the clock in the train station.

An Overview of the Train Station

For this post, our station, representing your website, is composed of eight tracks with one train each.  Each train goes out and comes back to your website, where all of the information will be integrated into a cohesive whole.  Various calls to action within the website and on the various trains are like redcaps helping to facilate the movement of actions and achieving the desired results.  Now, let’s get acquainted with the trains.

• The B Train: The B train represents your blog.  Here you present long-form information content, such as this post and series, to establish yourself as an authority in your field.
• The E Train: The E train represents your email list and the personalized content you will produce for subscribers, announcing drinks and other promotions.
• The G Train: The G train represent the process of Geofencing, which you can use to target your audience near your shop or your competitors.
• The L Train: The L train, represents your landing page.  Here you present single page short-form content related to events, promotions, and other short-term goals.
• The S Train: The S train represents your social media channels.  Here you present short-form content, such as segments of your blog posts, event information, new drinks, and interactive content.
• The T: The T is the trolley and represents old school, traditional marketing.  Here you produce printed materials and signage that show the address of your website is generally targeted at older customers or those outside of your shop location.
• The V Train: The V train represents your video channels.  Here you present content in video format, either as live-streaming, highlighting a musical performance, or showing what makes your shop hum.
• The X Train: Last, but not least, the X train, represents the newest kid on the block, articificial intelligence marketing.  It is likely the future and is currently the X factor in marketing.

Content Marketing (Your Blog): The B Train

Content marketing involves the copy on your webpage and more important the posts on your blog.  This content is about providing value, building relationships, and establishing your brand as a thought leader in your industry; in this example, coffee.  A consistent blog done right can be a powerful way to attract, engage, and convert your target audience in the digital age.  Be aware, that a blog is long-term effort and the result, to become a trusted resource and authority can take up a year of effort to produce.  But once attained, it will be a solid foundation of your marketing efforts.  To write the best content:

• Know your Audience: You need to know who you are trying to reach or you will be shouting into the wind.  Ask yourself, what are your customer’s interests, pain points, and questions?  Your content needs to resonate and keep them coming back.
• Have Diverse Content Formats: Leading blogs have a variety of content forms contained within.  These formats include articles (posts), videos, infographics, podcasts, and ebooks.  Choose formats that best suit your audience and the message you want to convey.
• Emphasize Quality over Quantity: Do not just create any old blog post to say, I created a post.  Focus on creating high-quality, insightful content that truly provides value.  If you use, artificial intelligence (AI), do not use the content verbatim, but as a suggestion.  Be sure to check the AI information, as well.  Think of your blog content as website library building trust and authority.
• SEO is Your Key to be Found: What good is it to produce content is no one can find it?  Optimize your content with relevant keywords and use search engine optimization (SEO) best practices to make it discoverable.
• Promote your Content: Once completed, be sure to share you blog content across social media, email newsletters, and relevant platforms to reach a wider audience.
• Analysis and Refinement: Watch the performance of your content.  What is doing well?  What is not?  Use data to refine your strategy and create even better content in the future.

Why Content Marketing is Important

• It Builds Trust for your Readers: By providing valuable and informative content, you position yourself as the expert in the field, building trust with your audience.
• It Attract Potential Customers: Interesting content draws people in and keeps them active with your brand.
• It Drives Conversions: Good content can subtly guide your audience towards making a purchase or taking a desired action.
• It Can Result in Long-term Growth: Content marketing should be thought of as an investment or library, as it can take a long time for blog/content to gain traction and attract new customers.

Email Marketing: The E Train

Email marketing, is the more personal side of business promotion.  Where social media is the crowded and active city center, email is more personal, direct, and provides inviting and focused conversation.  Email marketing is a tool for businesses to nurture leads, build customer relationships, and drive sales.

The end goal for email marketing is to build a realtionship with potential and existing customers.  Here is how to go about doing it:

• Build your Email List: Your email list of subscribers is the foundation of your email marketing efforts.  To get subscribers, offer valuable content, irresistible deals, and ebook, or something else in exchange for an email address.  Remember, they are giving something, so you also need to give in kind.  To get subscribers, have a sign-up button on your website, social media promotions, or collect them in your physical location.
• Segment Your List: Not all subscribers are the same.  Divide your list into groups based on their interests, purchase history, or level of activity.  This segmentation allows you to custom tailor your messages for better results.
• Content is King: Just like blogging and social media, your email content needs to be interesting and fun to read.  Otherwise, you would just be another spammer, in the inbox.  In your content, provide valuable information, share company updates, offer exclusive deals, or even tell a story.
• Use Automation: Set-up automated email sequences for welcome messages, abandoned carts, post-purchase follow-ups, and more.  Automation, on the whole, saves time and provides consistent communication, keeping your business top-of-mind.  Just do not automate to the point of becoming impersonal and annoying.
• Analysis and Optimization: Keep track of your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.  The data can tell you what is working and what needs improvement.

Why Email Still Matters

• It Provides a Direct Line to Customers: You are reaching people in their inbox, which they check regularly.
• It Builds Relationships: Email allows for personalized communication, giving connection and loyalty.
• It Drives Conversions: Email marketing can boost your sales by promoting a sale, announcing a new product, or simply reminding people about your brand.
• There is a Positive Return on Investment (ROI): Email marketing consistently delivers a high return on investment compared to other marketing channels.

Geofencing: The G Train

Let’s entertain the scenario that a customer is walking down the street, with a smartphone in their pocket.  As they approach your coffee shop, they get a notification on their phone: “Feeling sluggish?  Come in and enjoy a 20% discount on any large latte!”  This is the essence of geofencing and how it works.

Basically, geofencing allows you to create a virtual boundary around your coffee shop or around your competitors.  When a potential customer enters this boundary, you can send them targeted messages or promotions, as a modern day “Welcome” mat.  In short, it is about being in the right place at the right time, digitally.  For your local coffee shop, you can use geofencing for:

• Boosting Traffic During Slow Times: You can make offers to nearby office workers or residents, when there is not much traffic in your shop.
• Promote New Products: Let people know about your seasonal specials when they are near your shop.
• Reward Loyal Customers: Send a “Welcome back!” message with a special offer when a known customer is within your geofence.

Landing Pages: The L Train

If your website is your marketing engine, the landing page is what fine-tunes it.  Landing page optimization is where the fine-tuning occurs.  Below are some of the best practices for optimizing your landing page.

• Clarity is King: Your landing page should have one clear objective – getting visitors to take a specific action.  It should be clear that you want visitors to sign-up for a newsletter, download an ebook, or make a purchase.
• Attention Grabbing Headline: Have a headline that clearly communicates the value propostion.  What problem are you solving?  What benefit are you offering?
• Have Concise and Engaging Copy: Keep your copy focused and persuasive.  Emphasize the key benenfits, use strong calls to action, and address potential objections.
• Have Attractive Visuals: Aesthetics matter.  Use high-quality images, videos, and a clean layout to create a visually engaging experience.
• Show you are Credible: Have testimonials, social proof, security badges, and guarantees.
• Optimize your Mobile Site: Make sure that your landing page is responsive and functions flawlessly on all devices.
• Use A/B Testing: Experiment with different formats – headlines, copy images, and calls to action – to see what resonates best with your audience.

Why Landing Page Optimization is Important

• Can Result in Increased Conversions: When you optimize your landing page, you can significantly improve your conversion rates.
• Improves ROI: A well-optimized landing page helps you get more out of your marketing campaign by maximizing the effectiveness of your landing pages.
• Enhances the User Experience: A good landing page provides a positive user experience, leading to greater satisfaction and brand loyalty.
• Inform Your Decisions with Data: A/B testing and analytics can provide valuable insights into user behavior.

Social Media Marketing: The S Train

Besides their website, a lot of business owners think about social media as a way to promote their promote their business.  In fact, a lot of them already have a Facebook account when want to have a website completed.  The thing is, in today’s interconnected world, it is not a question of whether you should be using social media, but how you can harness it to achieve your goals.  Whether you are seeking to connect with loved ones, building a thriving business, or sparking a global movement, social media is key to unlocking your full potential.

Given the above, how do you integrate the power of social media into your website and what channel is best for your business?  Read on to find out.

Components of Social Media Marketing

• Strategy: A well-defined plan outlining your goals, target audience, content strategy, and metrics for meauring success.
• Content Creation: The process of creating engaging and informative content that resonates with your audience, including text, images, videos, and interactive elements.
• Platform Optimization: Tailoring your content and strategy to the specific characteristics of each social media platform.
• Involvement in the Community: Actively interacting with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and participating in relevant conversations.
• Paid Advertisements: Utilizing paid social media advertising to reach a wider audience and amplify your message.
• Analytics and Measurement: Tracking key metrics to assess the effectiveness of your social media efforts and make data-driven adjustments.

Benefits of Social Media Marketing

• Increased Brand Awareness: Social media provides a platform to showcase your brand and reach a wider audience.
• Improved Customer Interest: Social media helps direct interaction with your customers, fostering relationships, and building loyalty.
• Increased Website Traffic: Sharing valuable content on social media can drive traffic to your website and generate leads.
• It is Cost-Effective: Compared to traditional marketing methods, social media marketing can be a more affordable way to reach your target market.

Traditional Marketing: The Trolley

Traditional marketing was used before the advent of the internet and the digital world.  Even though it is composed of older marketing methods, it is still important for local businesses and specific demographics, such as older audiences.  Some of the traditional marketing tactics include:

• Print Advertising: This form of marketing includes newspaper ads, magazine spreads, flyers, brochures, and direct mail campaigns.  Even though print readership has declined overall, it is still effective to reach older audiences (Boomers and Gen X).
• Broadcast Advertising: Television and radio commercials, while expensive, can reach a broad audience and create memorable impressions.  Here is where you can use jingles and catchy slogans.
• Outdoor Advertising: Billboards, transit ads, and other types of signage are all about visibility.  It is is about catching people’s attention while they are on the move.
• Public Relations: Getting press coverage and building relationships with media outlets can generate positive publicity and build brand awareness.
• Event Marketing: Exhibiting at trade shows, conferences, and community events provides opportunities for face-to-face interaction and brand promotion.
• Referral Programs: Word-of-mouth marketing is still a powerful force in getting business.  Try to incentivize existing customers who like your products or services to refer new customers.

Why Traditional Marketing is Still Valuable

• It Reaches Local Audiences: Print advertising and community events can be highly effective for businesses with a local focus.
• You can Target the Older Generations: Older people are generally more receptive to traditional forms of media, such as television and print.  If your target audience is on the older side, you may want to use more traditional media methods.
• It Builds Your Brand Credibility: Being featured in traditional media can give your business credibility and more prestige by showing you are established for the long-term.

The Magic of Video Marketing: The V Train

Move your content from the written and still image world to the interactive and immersive.  In short, video marketing is about using the power of sight, sound, and motion to tell your brand’s story.  To effectively leverage video marketing consider the following:

• Know Your Platform: Where will your videos live?  Will they be in YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or TikTok?  Each platform has its own quirks and audience demographics and your content needs to be tailored for the particular channel selected.
• You Need Purpose-Drive Content: What is the goal of your content?  Is it brand awareness, a product demo, customer testimonial, educational content, or some combination, or all of them?  Have some clear objectives in order to guide your content.
• Production Value Matters: It may not be possible to have a Hollywood-level production, but at the very least, you need to have clear visuals, good audio, and concise editing.
• Tell a Story: Even a short product demo can be enhanced by a narrative about it.  Grab to emotions of viewers, do not just present information.
• Have a Call to Action: Do not leave viewers with a feeling of what do I do now.  Make sure that there is an end goal and let them know what you want them to do after watching the video.  It could be to visit your website, subscribe to your channel, follow you on social media, or make a purchase.  Make it clear.
• Utilize SEO for Visibility: Just like your written content, your video will also need to be optimized for search engines.  Use relevant keywords in your title, description, and tags to help search engines know what the content is and allow visitors to find it.

The Allure of Video Marketing

• It is a Magnet for Attraction: Videos attract more attention and hold it better than text alone.  Our brains are wired for visual storytelling.
• It is Versatile: No matter the subject, video can convey a wide range of messages and material in a short amount of time.
• It Gives Character: Videos allow you to boost your brand’s personality and connect with your audience on a more human level.
• It is Shareable: Videos that are informative and interesting are more likely to be shared, expanding your reach organically.

AI Marketing for Your Coffee Shop, The X Train

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the newest marketing method to come about and for all intents and purposes, likely represents the marketing of the future.  Most larger businesses have incorporated AI for their marketing efforts and you can too, as a small business owner.  You can use AI to understand your customers better, offer them personalized experiences, and streamline your marketing efforts.  Some ways that AI marketing can help your business include:

• It can analyze your customer data (past orders, visit frequency, and social media interactions) to figure out who your ideal customer is.  As a result you can better target your ads and create effective promotions.
• You can recommend new drinks to customers based on their past favorites or the weather through an app.  This can make your regulars feel extra special.
• You can track the performance of marketing campaigns in real-time, allowing you to adjust your marketing strategies.

Conclusion

To conclude, there are many ways to market your business using your website.  A key takeaway from this post and this series is that your website is the hub or station of all of your marketing activities.  Each train or marketing method, should have a clear destination and run on time or be in sync with everything else, to allow your station to be efficient and be at its best.