One thing’s for sure: Steve Jobs was a brilliant marketer and knew how to sell. Just think for a moment of what he did with the iPod: before Apple entered the market, MP3 players had been around for years, but nobody bought them, as they were considered clunky and “uncool”.
Then came Steve Jobs. Unlike all his competitors, who had tried to sell MP3 players by promoting their features, Jobs introduced the iPod by simply describing it as “1,000 songs in your pocket.” And that simple statement changed the business of MP3 players forever, and with it the entire music industry.
Here are some of the most invaluable lessons from one of the greatest marketers ever that business owners should keep in mind when planning a digital marketing campaign.
First and foremost, make sure you know who your customers are. The more you know about what’s in your customers’ minds, the more you’ll be able to identify the keywords they type when searching for your products or services or, in the case of a display campaign, the websites they are most likely to visit.
Then, when you have identified who your customers are, make sure you attract them at the emotional level. In other words, sell benefits and not features. Steve Jobs was a true master of this craft. He believed you can attract customers at the emotional level in two ways: by inspiring them, or by addressing their pain points. For digital marketers, this means writing better “benefit-driven” ad copy, or banner ads that speak to the heart of your target customers.
Lastly, Steve Jobs knew how to “keep it simple.” He delivered presentations that were short but incredibly powerful. – Remember, people have increasingly shorter attention spans, so make sure to keep your message brief and engaging. In the digital world, this lesson can be applied to landing pages. Does your landing page convey a brief, engaging, and powerful message that converts a prospect into a customer? If that’s not the case, then remember Steve Jobs.
The next time you plan a digital initiative, make sure to remember these timeless lessons from a true marketing genius, as they may help your business to earn a higher ROI on marketing dollars spent.
To learn more about how we can help your business succeed online, contact one of the qualified Marketing Professionals at MoreVisibility.
2013 is here and now is an excellent time to reevaluate your overall web presence. If that seems too overwhelming a task, make a list and focus on just a few elements for now. Then, tackle a little more over the next several weeks/months. As long as you are productive in some fashion, it is much better than doing nothing at all.
In the meantime, below are a few examples of where you could take a closer look to see if you might be falling short.
Analytics – This is a super important piece of the puzzle and too often, is overlooked. When it comes to truly understanding how your web traffic is performing and where your online advertising budget should be allocated, analytics is a key component. Your analytics data can (and should) offer insight that will afford you the ability to make intelligent business decisions.
There are many analytics platforms available today. As a Google Analytics Certified Partner, we utilize Google Analytics for our internal efforts, as well as recommend the platform to our clients. Regardless of which analytics platform you choose, the importance of employing the code onto the site correctly is mission critical to your success.
Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, the list goes on. How are you engaging with your social media circle? Are you updating your pages often enough? Responding to comments made about your company? Offering incentives or contests? It is precisely these types of activities that you ought to be doing and doing well. If you have not yet launched a Social Media Marketing initiative, well, what are you waiting for? Start with just one channel if that helps become less daunting. No matter which channel you choose, you will want to have a well conceived strategy in place beforehand.
Website User Experience – When was the last time you actually viewed your website at length or read through content, filled out the contact us form, downloaded a webinar, clicked through the navigation? I encourage you to. Chances are if you take the time to really comb through your site, you will find little nuances that can be improved upon. Remember, first impressions are everything and you want a user to have a positive experience on your website.
Make 2013 the year of improvements for your web presence. It will benefit your business tremendously.