Let’s say you have a very special offer available on your website. How do you get the word out? I’m Suzanne McDonald with Angles & Insights, a marketing consultancy. And today I’m going to give you a formula for promoting your special offers.
Productize Offers
You have this amazing offer or some information that will really make a difference in your target customers lives. Remember, it’s about their lives, not yours. You need some strategic thinking here. Don’t waste time and money promoting something that no one cares about, or worse, someone thinks is a complete waste of time. That’s only going to damage your brand.
Use Existing Networks for Promotion
Now when it comes to getting the word out about your amazing offer, consider your existing network. Are there partners who can promote your offer, maybe as an exclusive to their members, or maybe the Chamber of Commerce? Are there different Meetup groups or other professional associations that are really interested and willing to help? Maybe there’s even a nonprofit that in exchange for a donation is willing to promote your offer to their audience.
Collect Email Addresses from Your Core Audience
Are you collecting email addresses? Are you offering the best deals in your newsletter to your Twitter followers and Facebook fans? Now remember, email has historically outperformed social media and email addresses are becoming increasingly important to online marketing. You don’t buy email addresses. You want to gather the emails from your core audience, and even consider segmenting to really refine your list down to your best customers. Now that you have those email addresses of your best customers, you’re able to unlock targeted Facebook ads and Google AdWords advertising.
Aim Promotion Directly at Your Followers
Now remember, even though you’re putting out great content on Facebook, you’re not the only business who’s doing it, and Facebook is really being a lot more selective about which brands’ posts get shown to individuals who are checking pictures from their friends’ birthday parties and other events that are happening in their lives. So typically what you want to do is have an ad or a promoted post that goes directly to your fans and followers. You could even consider doing an ad that goes to your fans and followers’ friends. There are so many different ways that you can use Facebook ads that can be really powerful.
About Suzanne McDonald
Former Boston Globe journalist and CEO of Angles & Insights marketing consultancy, Suzanne is an omnivore of all things new media & client success. She’s pioneered award-winning courses at area universities and digital marketing campaigns, including “Best Viral Video Award” for #Ticknado.
Suzanne also founded and curates Newport Interactive Marketers networking-learning community, providing marketing insights to SEOs, social, PR & content pros and to brands and nonprofits big and small.
Suzanne holds a master’s in Mass Communications and Journalism from University of South Carolina and engineered a BA into a journalism program at Framingham State University, magna cum laude.
She has 15 years’ experience at daily newspapers, 6 at The Boston Globe, until she took a voluntary buyout to launch Designated Editor in 2008. In 2015, Suzanne launched Angles & Insights to better reflect her expanded abilities to meet clients’ needs beyond SEO, social & content.
Suzanne has a rare ability to solve clients’ root problems with technology that removes guesswork and makes employees’ lives better. Current Angles & Insights projects harness technology – like CRM, marketing performance, and Analytics – to drive not just clicks and engagement but sales and brand loyalty.