Four ways to get the most out of your online marketing efforts
More consumers than ever are discovering brands, making purchases, and conducting banking and other financial services transactions online. It’s a trend that’s expected to continue. Statista reports global e-commerce sales are projected to reach US$5.4 trillion by the end of 2022 (up from US$4.28 trillion in 2020). So how can financial services marketers benefit from this move to digital?
Here are four strategies that can help you build more effective online marketing campaigns:
1. Ride a trending topic to help boost SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing traffic to a website by strategically posting online content featuring keywords people are likely to be using in their searches. Keywords that are trending based on seasonality or timely news can be particularly effective.
In the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, for example, consider ways you can tie your offering to the occasion. If you’re a financial services provider, you might playfully post an article suggesting the most romantic gift you could give your significant other is a contribution to their retirement plan. The key is to make a compelling connection with text that isn’t misleading.
Looking for some big-picture trending topics to leverage in 2022? Check out themes CNET is predicting will shape 2022.
2. Provide interactive content
The Content Marketing Institute says 81% of the marketers surveyed for its Interactive Content report agreed that interactive content “grabs attention more effectively than static content” and 79% believe it “can have reusable value, resulting in repeat visitors and multiple exposures.”
Interactivity can make your content stand out and be more engaging. For example, posting an online mortgage calculator might help draw traffic to an online lender. Providing readers with a life-stage questionnaire or the option of selecting their life situation (e.g., owning a home, renting a home, employed, self-employed) might be an effective way for an insurance company to steer visitors to the appropriate products to meet their needs.
3. Engage with social
An incredible 4.55 billion people (more than half the world’s population) use social media, according to the Digital 2021 October Global Statshot Report. If you want to be where your audience is, you can’t ignore social – both organic and paid (see below).
Social media marketing leverages social media channels to promote your brand or service. Done effectively, it can increase brand awareness, drive leads and sales, and help you build ongoing relationships with your clients and prospects.
To create an effective social media strategy, Hootsuite recommends learning everything you can about your audience and your competition, creating a social media content calendar and tracking the performance of your posts so you can adjust your strategy to improve results.
4. Consider pay-per-click marketing
Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing involves paying to target specific audience groups with your messaging based on selected keywords. The cost is determined by the amount you bid and how much competition there is for that same space from other advertisers. You can pay to activate your content on social channels or at the top of search engines.
With PPC, you only pay when someone clicks on your link, so there’s no charge for all those who view your ad but aren’t motivated to follow through. You can also set a limit on how much you wish to spend, so you won’t become a victim of too much success! To learn more, read Four ways to get the most out of your pay-per-click strategy.
Looking for support with your online marketing? Ext. has the expertise you need. Contact us today at 1.844.243.1830 or info@ext-marketing.com.