Garnering interest in your product or service is a key element to online promotion. That means getting your message out to as many targeted people as possible. While everyone knows the benefits of social media, traditional advertising, networking, etc, there are other opportunities or tactics that you may have overlooked. Here are a few to consider:
Q&A Sites
How do you establish your proficiency or credibility at something? Become an expert! Q&A sites such as Quora offer the perfect platform for this tactic. Take a few minutes out each day to offer advice and over time you’ll become a respected expert. This can be a huge opportunity for lead generation.
Social Media Groups
An older tactic for talking up your expertise in a subject was to join related forums and establish an identity there. Now, there’s an even better way – groups. Groups are similar to forums, except they are even more targeted to a specific niche. In addition, the big social media sites have the perfect platforms and people to help get you started. Google+ and Facebook have a plethora of extremely popular groups (communities) you can join. If you don’t see one you like, you can always start one yourself.
Videos
People need to be able to see themselves using a product or service. Videos are a quick way to facilitate this need. The best rule of practice here is to keep it short and simple. Showcase the product or service in the most streamlined way possible. Something to consider…
Visitors to housewares retailer StacksAndStacks.com were 144 percent more likely to make a purchase after seeing a product video, according to analytics technology company Kissmetrics.
Error & Confirmation Pages
Error and thank you pages are often overlooked gold-mines of opportunity for conversions. A person is trying to do or has actually done something on your site and is looking for some direction. Here’s your chance to have their undivided attention. Use this opportunity to lead them down your desired path.
Be Visible
People are always watching your brand and how you conduct business. For every person that actually interacts with your brand, there are a good number more just lurking and contemplating whether they will become brand loyal. The best way to convert these lurkers into actual customers is to be visible and interactive with your current customer base. Answer questions on your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Handle bad reviews on consumer review sites. When people see how you conduct your business on a daily basis they can be assured of what type of company they will be buying from.
Surveys & Polls
Surveys and polls have more benefit than just acquiring information from potential prospects. They also bring attention to your company and services your company may offer. For example, you could ask a question such as, “Which of our services would you most be interested in?” Then, provide a list of services your company actually offers. For people who don’t know all of your offerings, this is a simple way to make them aware while also gathering valuable customer data.
