Times Are Still Uncertain - Do You Have a Marketing Plan for 2021?
By: Kate Ford
Since the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, the business world has been in a constant state of flux. Businesses had to quickly switch gears - scraping entire plans and turning to new modes of operation. Customers turned to online marketplaces in droves under stay-at-home orders and the increased eCommerce trend shows no sign of slowing down.
According to Katie Evans with Digital Commerce 360, December 2020 alone saw a 45% increase in digital sales globally. Service subscriptions saw an incredible increase in demand as well.
Pet Supplies - 352% increase
Food and Grocery - 114% increase
Beauty - 100% increase
Home Goods - 28% increase
Wellness - 25% increase
Even now in the new year, constant change seems to be the new “normal.” So what should small businesses included in their 2021 Marketing Strategy? And yes, you definitely need one!
An Online Presence is Non-Negotiable
Pivot Pivot Pivot to Online! Your business’s survival depends on an easy-to use website and smart SEO strategy. The unprecedented rise in online shopping means that without a strong online presence, your business is losing sales to your competitors. And in this economic climate, you cannot afford to lose business.
The transition to online does not happen overnight so start small! Facebook and Instagram offer tools to help businesses succeed such as Facebook Marketplace and Shoppable posts on Instagram - think the ultimate impulse buying as the consumer scrolls. Etsy and Amazon also offer marketplaces where businesses are able to sell their products.
Ultimately, your goal should be to create your own website with optimized SEO so that potential customers can easily find you online. There are many user-friendly platforms you can use to build your website including Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace and each of these platforms has built-in support for any questions. Not interested in learning how to build a website? Book a call with our team of smart cookies today!
Social Media is Your Friend
Website and online strategy go hand-in-hand with a strong social media presence. Social Media is a powerful and budget-friendly tool that small businesses should be utilizing to help drive their sales. Both Facebook and Instagram have seen a 66% increase in usage since March 2020 and 75% of users log in Every. Single. Day. Think of the potential reach your business could achieve by simply optimizing your social media pages for success!
It is important to first pick social media channels that make the most sense for your business. For example, a boutique will have a better following on Instagram than it will on Twitter because boutique shopping is a visual experience.
Once you have your channels selected, provide your audience with a mix of promotional content, feel good stories, and educational content or tips of the trade that will help to establish your company as trusted source of valuable information. See our next section below for helpful tips when posting on Facebook and Instagram.
It is also important not to solely focus on what Daniel Harmon of Harmon Brothers calls “vanity metrics” (ie. number of likes, views, reactions, shares, etc). He states, “No matter how good your content looks like it’s doing, if it’s not driving people to buy, you need to find out where and why you’re losing your customer and then fix it!” Having a great number of reactions is not enough to survive in today’s economy when many small businesses are closing for good. You must continuously audit your social media to make sure it is actually closing sales.
And in case you need a little extra convincing about the importance of social media, consider these stats:
87% of online shoppers say that social media is an important factor when it comes to purchasing decisions
But only 40% of companies use social media for sales generation
This means that if your company has an effective sales and marketing strategy on social media, you will have a competitive advantage over 60% of other businesses. That is a HUGE advantage! Ready to get a head start? Talk with our team today!
Facebook and Instagram Tips for Success!
Post every day at the same time, with interesting/fresh content, to build organic reach and engagement. Facebook allows businesses to show up in newsfeeds if they are active and consistent
Optimize your Facebook and make sure it's mobile ready. This is your virtual storefront.
Build your followers! Imagine trying to sell something to 10 people. Your odds are a lot better if you are speaking to thousands of people. The way you build followers is through organic engagement and paid advertisements on Facebook or Instagram.
You get brand new clients via paid ads and maintain existing followers via organic reach
Organic posts and engagement will not be enough for your business. Right now, organic reach (posts that are not advertisements) is at 1.2 - 2%. Ads are a must to make sure your business is discoverable on social media
Set Your Budget Based on Your Goals
Budget is an important part of any viable marketing strategy. As a rule, small to medium businesses should spend between 5-12% of their gross revenue on marketing and advertising.
The first question you should ask yourself when defining budget parameters is: What is my overall marketing goal? Once you define your overall goal, work to set a series of specific, achievable goals.
If you are maintaining your current level of business, spend closer to 5%. If you are looking to take your business to the next level and gain more clients, it should be closer to 12% spend until you achieve your specific marketing goal (ie: Increase clients by 10% in Quarter 2).
Request a FREE Digital Ad Audit and Strategy Call
If all of this sounds overwhelming or out of your wheelhouse, you are not alone! Business owners have a lot on their plate and often, marketing falls to the wayside. If you and your team are looking to focus on operations and hate keeping up with the latest trends, consider setting up a free advertising strategy call with Social Cookie!
During the call, we will go over your marketing needs and see if our services would be a good fit for your brand. Plus, you will receive a Free Digital Ad Audit after the call! Each Ad Audit analyzes your latest ad campaign and provides tips on how to make your ads more successful in the future.
Interested in a chat? Book a Call and start getting your questions answered today!
Sources:
Evans, K. (2020, December 22). Holidays and health concerns continue to drive online sales in December. Digital Commerce 360. https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/coronavirus-impact-online-retail/
Gilbert, N. (2020). 74 Compelling Online Shopping Statistics: 2020/2021 Data Analysis & Market Share. Finance Online. https://financesonline.com/online-shopping-statistics/
Jenkins, L. (2020, March 24). Marketing in Times of Uncertainty: Tips From Top Marketing Pros. Social Media Examiner. https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/marketing-in-times-of-uncertainty-tips-from-top-marketing-pros/?omhide=true&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=NewsletterIssue&utm_campaign=smenl20-nlweek13-nldaily-nltue
