by Alyx Holder
What is the secret to successful digital marketing? Is it keyword placement and SEO? Paid advertising and sponsored posts? Social media and influencers? While each of these can certainly help boost your online presence and lead to sales and conversions, it takes a combination of all of these factors to truly optimize your digital marketing efforts.
Retaining a loyal client base and attracting new customers is about creating a connection. Unlike the past where companies used detached, formal online representations, today consumers prefer more personable marketing tactics. More formal messaging certainly has its place, especially when it comes to B2B marketing or social media sites like LinkedIn. For everyday B2C marketing efforts, however, a more personable, approachable online presence is key.
1. Person-Focused Imagery
It’s a simple rule of thumb: people attract people. Studies show consumers are likely to spend more time navigating your website and to make a purchase when your website uses engaging imagery to break up the text. Even if your copy is filled with valuable information and persuasive prose, the average user is more likely to skim it than to read it in depth. If your analytics show a high bounce rate or low consumer engagement, it may be because the content is too dense and unattractive to the eye.
Making your pages more user-friendly means keeping the content simple, easy to read, and engaging. Using person-focused imagery attracts the eye and increases site engagement.
Your customers are more likely to scroll the full length of the page, navigate to other pages, and ultimately convert to sales when you include the right images.
Whether you use stock images or produce your own, having people in your photos helps to bring life to your website and personality to your brand. They can convey a poignant message or evoke a specific emotion you want your visitors to feel. Whether that is hope, envy, or yearning, person-focused images are the easiest way to get the reaction you want.
In terms of your actual message, keep the text on these images to a minimum. The general guideline says text should constitute 20 percent or less of most graphics-- with a clear exception for things like infographics, pie charts, and the like. Why? The less text, the easier the information is to skim, absorb, and retain. Using tricks with font sizing, bolding, and italicizing can help emphasize your point more than a full paragraph of text would.
2. Highlight Your Staff
There’s no easier way to humanize your business than to highlight the humans behind the scenes! A company is only as good as its employees, so highlighting the people who help keep your business running is a great way for our customers to connect with you. Showcasing your staff on your website and across your social media accounts can build trust and online authority, especially if they are experts in their field.
Beyond staff photos and bios in your 'About Us' section, adding short interviews and videos where they discuss relevant industry topics or answer common questions is an easy way to make your business more personable and memorable. Even in the retail or service industry businesses can use their team members to create a more amiable online presence. New product announcements and weekly deals may draw more attention when accompanied by a video or staff photo. Show customers your new health and safety protocols in action to show them their security is a priority.
3. Use Facebook or Instagram Live
One of the most valuable tools for digital marketing in 2020 is the ability to go live on Facebook or Instagram. Not only will these platforms send out a notification to your entire audience, but the resulting video can be saved and published for later use. Video clips taken from your live broadcasts can be used for video advertising, social media posts, and other promotional needs.
Most people avoid creating video content because of anxiety about getting in front of the camera. These fears are often founded on concerns about looking foolish or saying something stupid, but you shouldn’t worry too much about that. First, because there’s no greater expert on your business than you. Secondly, because your video content doesn’t have to be prim, polished, and perfect to effectively promote your business. While there is certainly a place for highly produced video content, for Facebook and Instagram people typically prefer to feel like they’re having a conversation with a friend.
Want to learn more? Check out Part II!
