Taking a look around the internet, it’s incredible how saturated nearly every marketing channel is. Whether it’s social media, industry blogs and publications, or the battle for SEO keyword supremacy, it seems like everyone is fighting for space and recognition. While it’s certainly more challenging than it’s ever been to get noticed, now is not the time to lie down or retreat. For small businesses and large Fortune 500 corporations alike, online marketing will be a critical component of overall success in 2015.
What the Statistics are Saying
Before developing a detailed online marketing strategy for your business, it’s important to lay a solid foundation. In other words, you have to know who your target market is, where they are, and what makes them tick. In 2015 and beyond, many businesses will discover that the millennial generation is their most lucrative demographic. Here are a couple of reasons why:
· Millennials can spend. While millennials aren’t necessary free spenders, they can certainly spend if they want to. And, in fact, as the economy has recovered over the past 12 months, most have increased their willingness to spend. Nearly 75 percent say they would buy something to make them feel better when they’re unhappy or stressed – compared to only 59 percent of the general population. Furthermore, most millennials are more prone to by something they can share with their friends.
· Millennials are connected. The second reason for targeting millennials in 2015 is that they’re incredibly connected – which makes them ideal for digital marketing. Cell phone users between the ages of 18 and 24 send an average of 3,200 text messages per month. The average millennial customer has access to the internet for 22 out of every 24 hours. And most important of all is the fact that an incredible 92 percent trust information they find online more than any other source.
Online Marketing Tips
So what do all these facts and numbers mean? They mean your best chance for success in 2015 is to reach millenials via the internet. Here are a few tips for how you can do that:
· Invest heavily in social media. Every year somebody comes out and says social media sites like Facebook and Twitter will fade into the background and be replaced by the next fad. However, each year, those sites only grow in popularity. When we look back at social media in 10 or 15 years, we’ll still consider 2015 to be one of the early years. There’s still time to get in on the ground floor and reach your audience by leveraging the various social media platforms.
· Streamline social media management. If you’re going to pay attention to all of the other areas of internet marketing that matter, such as content creation, SEO, and web design, you can’t spend all of your time with social media. That’s why it’s important to use one of the many productivity applications at your disposal, such as HootSuite.
· Invest in responsive design. This will be the year where responsive web design becomes the norm. If your website is still operating off of mobile templates or a standard desktop layout, now is the time to make the switch. Millennials and baby boomers alike are both using mobile devices to access the internet and you don’t want to ostracize a large portion of your target market by sticking with a low quality user experience.
· Test, test, and test again. A/B split testing software is incredibly sophisticated, yet easy for anyone to use. In order to maximize your ROI, you should start testing everything from your website’s design to the efficacy of images on your landing pages. The data you collect may surprise you.
Making the Most of 2015
This year presents incredible opportunities for small and large businesses alike. Use these tips to maximize your marketing potential and reach your target market in 2015. And as always, remember to invest in quality strategies that engage and convert.
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