Selling Digital Marketing

With so many digital marketing solutions out there it can be a daunting task deciding which is right for you or your clients. Of course, the answer could always be, “EVERYTHING, a holistic approach is always the best approach to getting the best results”. Most times that is not feasible given the dynamic of the client. Determining which internet marketing approach to use for your client is essential. Since there are numerous different industries and just as many marketing solutions, there are always situations that arise that require a unique approach. That being said, the goal is to fit as many marketing situations and scenarios as possible in this article.

Resources:

The resources to allocate to marketing may not always support the holistic approach. Resources could be several things as well and not every company has the right ones to dedicate to the project. Some examples could be in-house personnel, copywriting abilities, and of course budget to name a few.

Budget is only one deciding factor and honestly, is not typically the primary one. It’s common for a budget to change when deciding how to allocate the funds for effective marketing. That being said, a favorable approach can be, “Let’s start small and grow. We will let this solution pay for the remaining solutions in the future”. That seems to win over many medium and smaller clients. It also helps to build trust so that they know you are not just trying to sell them the moon.

In-house resources can help tremendously and should be inquired about in the beginning. Nothing steals the momentum like hearing “Those are great points, I’ll pass that on to my (team member) that’s what we hired them for.” It’s worth mentioning a marketing strategy even if you are not going to get the project yourself. If it’s effective, use that to help you. For example, “Our SEO efforts could be increased to get faster results by utilizing your copywriter to accomplish the keyword content we need”. Clients love teamwork and outside the box thinking. It also helps if any people responsible for marketing are in the meeting. That way they know that you are not trying to take their job away, but instead, make them more important to the marketing solution. To learn more about digital marketing, check out white label marketing, and how it works.

  Assets:

Another factor of consideration for successful marketing is assets. Some assets could be email lists, a website, social media platforms, content, imagery, or anything that can be leveraged and used to assist the digital marketing efforts. If the client doesn’t have a website, then SEO is not going to be viable until they get one created.

Assets are a key factor for determining the best marketing solution for each client regardless of any industry norms. Imagine pitching a strategy to a start-up thinking they have nothing only to then hear that they have a 30k email list from a prior now closed business. Starting from nothing is far different than having even minor assets that can be used. Another example could be a client wanting exposure via social media without having a business page, only to find out their personal or group page has over 50k followers.

There are even times the client doesn’t realize they have assets that can help with their marketing efforts. A client could have a website they built years ago that they just “played around with,” and yet it has keyword rankings related to their industry in top spots. Talking with the clients and getting as much information as possible is key to formulating a proper strategy that is going to be right for them, regardless of the marketing traditionally suited for that industry.

Goals:

Goals are often assumed. If they have products to sell, they want marketing to sell more. If they have services to offer, they want marketing for more leads. Although if you ask your clients what their goals are, sometimes the answer may surprise you. Sometimes that answer is, “I’m not sure,” which is an alarming answer that means they have yet to flush out that part of their business. Red flag for sure, but that is why they are talking to you. They need help with marketing and producing results without knowing what to do next.

That red flag is an opportunity if handled correctly. It could indicate they are not yet ready for marketing. Having them answer the question “what are your goals”, may seem basic, but a lot of information can be gathered from their answer as typically it’s not a short one-liner. Properly setting expectations is vital to a happy client and a great working relationship. If expectations are missed then that may lead to an unhappy client. Goals and expectations are often synonymous, but not always. Be sure the goals are clear, transparent, and are trackable. Without tracking and measuring the goals you cannot show the client how successful your marketing efforts are.

After getting the information from the client and assessing the resources and assets that are available for marketing, now you begin the fun part:  building your marketing strategy and solution that is best for the client. Try to do less selling and more explaining of what solutions are out there and which is best for them through data. It is hard to argue with data.

Strategy:

The interpretation of the data is key in getting your point across.  The same data can be used to prove points in many directions, so guide the client in the direction that makes the most sense for marketing their business. Going over keyword ranking data for both the client’s website and their competitor’s sites is a good place to start. That data can be used in many ways and is especially useful for showing opportunities. For a client with a good looking website that doesn’t rank for anything, marketing solutions catered towards those rankings would be beneficial.

Showing the client they have huge potential for a successful marketing campaign can be eye-opening. They could have strong marketing potential for SEO, PPC, and even SMM. Even the lack of data can be valuable. It can help eliminate a possible solution that may not have worked out well. Each marketing strategy and solution is different and you should offer your clients a variety of options to decide on. Your job is to help them navigate the world of digital marketing. That way they can make the best decision for themselves and their company.

By gathering information about your client with effective communication and understanding what resources and assets your client has, guiding their business to the next level with a solid marketing campaign will build a strong business relationship. Ensure the use of data with a clear explanation as to how your proposed marketing solution is best for them. Become the expert they can’t do business without.