Last week's HALCON blog discussed the differences between Strategy and Tactics in Marketing. If you haven't read that blog, go read it now! 😊
In this blog, we will dive into a few applied tactics and the intricacies between different platforms. There are a MILLION other ways to approach your marketing strategies, but to save ourselves from writing 1,000,000 pages, we will dive into our top tactics for 3 digital communication.
Blogging
If you are reading this, you know firsthand that blogging is a tool we utilize here at HALCON 😉. Blogging is considered long-form content, which means that unlike Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, which all have a limited number of words you can write on a given post, a blog post allows an indefinite amount of words to be written.
Logistically blogging improves your website's searchability (also called SEO) by using keywords that promote your products/services or nurture your sales funnel. Whenever a blog is written, it creates an opportunity to share your voice with your audience… but not in 200 characters or less kind of way, but in a way that allows you to talk more in-depth on a topic, cite sources more effectively, and link back to other content and resources that you’ve created. The more time someone spends on your website, the less "bounce" time there is, increasing the SEO, building relationships, and trust with your potential customers.
You can take a variety of approaches to blog writing for your brand. You can use blogging to educate your readers about what you are doing in your day-to-day life to build connections, update readers about services and products, or write about topics that increase the mindset that you are a knowledgeable resource in your industry.
Blogging in Action
Let’s say you are an online clothing boutique, your goal is to generate more traffic to your website, and you’ll be implementing a blogging strategy to do that. On the tactical level, you plan to post one blog a week that will be supported with social media posts and an email to your subscribers. All of this content would be infused with keywords and links to products or additional content that highlights trends, outfit ideas, or gift guides for major holidays!
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most personalized marketing tactics. When a lot of other tactics are centered around going viral & obtaining a vast reach (I'm talking about you, TikTok and Instagram). There are no likes to track, just the opportunity to engage almost one-on-one with your audience as you get to directly send a message to someone using their name. After you create an email campaign with subject lines that grab your reader's attention, the recipient gets to choose if they want to read your email or push it aside.
Tools and data support how your messaging will appeal to your audience - there should be no guessing about it! By following your Brand Strategy, you efficiently use email marketing to nurture and continue a relationship with your audience. Your email list will be full of your biggest fans, so looking at the click-through rate and which links they were most interested in is really important/insightful. These emails help you with your sales funnel, educate your readers about new blogs, or remind them about new products & services, all in a more intimate way.
Email Marketing in Action
Your email subscribers are going to be your biggest fans. So let’s pretend you own an Income Tax Office and are looking to retain your yearly clients. You decide to implement an email marketing strategy. You implement a weekly email including updates on your business, important dates to remember, and educational tax information and news. These weekly emails would keep your clients connected and informed and leave you at the top of their mind come next tax season. As mentioned in our blogging example, email marketing is a great strategy to run in combination with your blogging strategy. You may even find the tactics and publication cadence are aligned, helping streamline your content process!
Social Media
Most people have at least a grasp on the concept of social media and the potential reach that comes with including it in their marketing strategy. Social media marketing tactics have numerous benefits, including but not limited to their popularity as a digital marketing tool, their reach to billions of potential customers, and their ability to help improve brand loyalty. Social media is one of the most approachable and straightforward tactics with regard to cost, accessibility, and learning curve. Instagram and Facebook are two of the most popular social media platforms. They are a way to create quick and engaging content that can instantly deliver information to your audience through a dynamic graphic or photo. Followers feel more like friends, allowing brands to more easily nurture relationships with these potential customers.
Not all platforms have the same effect! Pinterest, for example, is one of the only platforms that does not show content in real-time or directly foster engagement among an audience. When considering using social media as a tactic, it is essential to know exactly your end goal and determine which social media would be best to achieve that goal.
Social Media in Action
Imagine you are a florist whose goal is wanting to expand their clientele from in-shop purchases to creating displays for wedding and event industry clients. To help build your relationships with those in the event industry and future brides alike, you choose to build out your social media presence and strategy. This business would implement social media tactics for Instagram and Facebook, posting 3 times a week showcasing their work and happy client testimonials. On Facebook, they might join Facebook groups for industry experts or interact with local Wedding Planners on Instagram to build connections with other wedding industry professionals. Guided by their brand strategy and consistent posting schedule, the florist will grow their influence and better connect with ideal clients and industry experts alike.
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When it comes to tactics, it's essential to create a foundational Marketing Strategy first. When you have determined your brand voice and how you plan to strategically connect with your ideal audience, everything else flows more naturally during the content creation process and beyond.
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