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by Big Interactive Corporation
The heart of any good marketing strategy is to go where your customers are, and today that means having an effective online presence. The internet has brought about a fundamental shift in the way the oil & gas producers acquire products and services, and people are increasingly turning to the internet and social media to research their needs before they make a decision.
Major corporations understand this, and rely on their digital marketing team to build their brands, expand their client base, and increase their market share. But, digital marketing isn’t the sole domain of big businesses with deep pockets.
The internet has leveled the playing field, and small & medium size business owners can take advantage of digital marketing techniques to go toe to toe with their major competitors. Unfortunately, too many sales & marketing managers fail to see what this inbound marketing can do for them, and how it can help to grow their company and generate new leads.
DIGITAL MARKETING – ARE YOU MISSING OUT?
If you think digital marketing has nothing to offer your service business, think again. At last estimate, more than 80% of all energy buyers began their transaction with a general online search. That means they were unclaimed customers who were open to finding new businesses offering the product or service solutions they needed.
That’s a large pool of potential customers and clients you may be missing out on if you fail to have an internet marketing strategy. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, let’s look at what else internet marketing can do for your energy business.
What are some examples of digital marketing tools & channels?
- Responsive Websites & Landing Pages
- Search Engine Optimization
- Social Media Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Video & Digital Photography
- Email Marketing
- Paid & Online Advertising
REACHING MORE PEOPLE
Digital marketing makes it possible for your business to reach more potential customers, and your reach is only limited by your ambitions. A local Grande Prairie rental company, for example, can use the internet to promote their business using local SEO strategies and build their reputation as the best rental company in the Peace Region. Driving customers to their doors through mobile searches, solution focused landing pages, social media channels and online connections.
Service providers can use an inbound marketing campaign to reach beyond the barriers of distance to service customers around the country, and even globally. Digital marketing can be used to broaden your target market, making your brand recognizable to more potential customers.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
But digital marketing isn’t just about increasing your customer base, it’s also about building long term relationships with those customers, using techniques such as social media marketing. Client retention is one of the keys to growth, and inbound marketing is a vital component. It can start with something as simple as a confirmation email after a purchase/rental, and extend to building an online community through LinkedIn, Twitter, You Tube and Instagram.
You can use email marketing to offer customers new solution updates, feature talented team members, and encourage them to leave product & service requests on your website. You can create an informative blog that gets customers to revisit your website (even when not making a purchase), and encourages them to share your content and your brand with others, increasing your pool of potential customers yet again.
LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA EVEN FURTHER
Social media has become an increasingly important part of any successful marketing strategy, especially when social signals are used with SEO. It provides a unique opportunity for small business to increase their online visibility, establish their brand, and drive traffic to a primary website where leads can be converted to customers. A recent study by the Harvard School of Business found that consumers were highly influenced by social media, and that businesses with a social media presence saw an average increase in sales of 5% to 10%.
TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE AND YOUR ADVERTISEMENTS
A large part of digital marketing is data collection and research. You know what your customers are buying, how often they are making purchases, and what areas of your website they visit most often. This data can be used to personalize the customer’s web experience, keeping the products and services they are interested in foremost in their minds and allowing you to make actionable suggestions as to future purchases.
The same data can be used to help you target advertisements to specific customers, offering up products and services that you know they are already primed to purchase. This makes your paid advertising more effective, and gives you a better return on your advertising dollar.
IN SUMMARY
Digital marketing isn’t just for big businesses and large corporations. It is a cost effective way for small & medium size business owners & management to build brand recognition, increase their customer base, and improve sales over all. Like any marketing strategy, it takes time and constant attention to see results. But, digital marketing can be a real asset for energy service businesses, and the return on the investment can be substantial.
About Big Interactive
Big Interactive Corp (www.biginteractive.ca) specializes in innovative and effective marketing solutions for companies in the oil and gas industry. We are a proud partner with EnergyNow.ca, bringing the oil & gas marketing information to the energy industry.
For more information about innovative digital marketing solutions for your company, we can be reached at:
Phone: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 403-629-7383
Email:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â daniel.king@biginteractive.ca.
Visit us at:Â Â Â www.biginteractive.ca
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