Marketing Strategies That Never Go Out Of Style

There’s an endless amount of content constantly being churned out because all brands realise the importance of digital marketing. But it is on you to make sure that what you have to say is heard loud and clear. A survey by Times Internet indicates that content marketing in India generates over 3 times the leads as compared to traditional outbound marketing while costing 62% less. High-quality, relevant content helps in establishing your brand as an authority in the field and in demand generation. This can be in the form of blog posts, videos, podcasts, or infographics. Consistently providing valuable and relatable information not only helps in attracting and retaining customers but also improves your search engine rankings, making it easier for new customers to find you. Keep your customers coming back for more!

Now, how do you make sure your customers keep coming back?
Make sure to invest in a content strategy that aligns with your audience's interests and your business goals. Regularly publish informative blog posts using relevant keywords, videos or podcasts that address relevant topics within your industry.

Take HubSpot for instance, being a leading marketing and sales software company, they are a prime example of a brand that excels in content marketing. They offer a wealth of resources such as blog posts, Ebooks, webinars and templates that cater to their audience of marketers, sales professionals and small business owners. This content establishes HubSpot as a leader in the field and helps attract and educate its target customers.

Word-of-mouth marketing is as old as commerce itself and remains one of the most powerful tools in a marketer's playbook. People trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other form of advertising. To put in a digital sense, word-of-mouth marketing is the basis of what we know as Influencer marketing. While this is something that happens naturally if a brand has a good product and creates a good consumer experience, it is also important to divert time to intentionally building word-of-mouth around the brand.

How do you get your customers to talk about your brand?
Encourage your satisfied customers to spread the word about your business through the form of testimonials. This can be done through referral programs, customer testimonials and by simply providing exceptional service that people want to talk about.

A brand that mastered this strategy was- AirBnb, a global online marketplace for lodging and tourist activities.

Airbnb's rise in the global travel industry is a testament to the effectiveness of word-of-mouth marketing. Initially challenged with establishing trust in their innovative home-sharing concept, Airbnb strategically focused on providing exceptional and memorable experiences for both hosts and guests. This emphasis on customer satisfaction set the stage for a robust community of users who were encouraged to share their travel stories and experiences on various platforms, turning these personal narratives into compelling and authentic testimonials for the brand. Furthermore, they also implemented a well-thought-out referral program, incentivizing its community members to bring new users into the fold. This not only expanded their user base but also strengthened the brand’s reputation as a trustworthy and desirable option in the travel sector.

In this digital age, social media platforms are powerful tools for connecting with your audience and building brand awareness. Maintaining an active presence on platforms where your audience spends their time is bound to give you leverage over your competitors, but you know what would help more? Engaging with your followers by responding to comments, encouraging and sharing user-generated content and running contests or giveaways. Consistent interaction builds trust and loyalty.

But how do you make the most of your online presence?
By sharing not only your own content but also industry news, trends and content that resonates with your audience. Use social media analytics and tools to measure engagement, study the results in depth and adjust your strategy accordingly. Use your social media page to build and maintain a community. Influencer marketing and affiliate marketing can be leveraged to help build a strong community and increase your social media engagement.

Talking about great social media game, let’s have a look at Starbucks. As per an article on Economic Times, 58% of Indian consumers are more likely to buy from brands that are active on social media. The famous global coffeehouse brand excels in social media engagement by creating a sense of community among its customers. They encourage the use of hashtags like #StarbucksLove and #StarbucksHoliday, encouraging customers to share their Starbucks experiences. The brand not only puts out user-generated content but also actively takes part in conversations online, responding promptly and personally to customer feedback and inquiries. Their visually appealing posts of products and seasonal offerings captivate audiences, resulting in increased brand loyalty, expanded reach through user-generated content, improved brand perception and valuable customer insights. Over the years, the brand has fostered genuine connections with customers, creating a thriving online community.

Search Engine Optimisation has grown to become a very powerful and effective tool in e-commerce marketing. For starters, what exactly is SEO? It is a long-term investment that never loses its relevance. It optimises your website for search engines and helps you rank higher in the search results, therefore increasing organic traffic to your page. What should you do? Start focusing on keyword research, on-page optimization, conduct regular SEO audits to identify and fix issues on your website and look to create valuable and shareable content. Constantly keep up with the algorithm updates to stay competitive and relevant.

Lenkart is a good example of a brand that maximises the benefits of SEO. The brand hosts a number of eyewear brands on the platform as well as its own. When people use search engines to research anything related to eyes or eyewear, due to the brand's high ranking driven by SEO-optimised content, it is the first thing that pops up. This has helped keep the brand top of mind, increased its discoverability and landed it regular sales

Building a strong and recognizable brand is vital for your business’s long-term success. According to Marq’s brand consistency report, a business with consistent branding tends to experience up to 20% greater overall growth and 33% higher revenue. When looking into this, ensure your branding elements include your logo, colours and messaging remain consistent across all marketing channels. To do this, you must develop brand guidelines that ensure that all marketing materials, from your website to social media profiles and physical collateral, adhere to these guidelines. Consistency in branding builds trust and recognition.
To understand this further, let’s look at one of the leaders in branding- Coca Cola
The company’s branding is globally recognized and consistent. Their timeless logo, red colour scheme and iconic contour bottle are instantly associated with the brand. This consistency has helped Coca-Cola maintain a strong presence in the market for over a century.

Small business owners, through these steps and examples of famous brands, draw inspiration from them to tailor to your own marketing efforts and achieve lasting success and recognition in the market.

In conclusion, these evergreen marketing strategies are the foundation of successful marketing campaigns for businesses. While trends keep changing, these simple yet effective principles remain constant. Remember that building trust and credibility with your audience takes time, but by consistently implementing these strategies, you'll create a lasting impact that drives growth and success for your small business. Stay committed to these timeless principles, and you'll find that they never go out of style.