The past six months of our lives have created countless challenges, not the least of which revolves around sales in a fully remote business world.
By now you know sidelining your sales and marketing efforts isn’t the best choice. But with so many doors closed, one major question remains:
How do you build the relationships needed to close sales…virtually?
One solution: branded content.
I recently shared a post about branded content for staffing agencies, but here’s a quick refresher.
Branded content:
- can be magazines, blogs, newsletters, videos, e-mails, or more
- is about providing value to your potential clients
- sets you apart from the competition
- offers thoughtful insight or provides answers to burning questions
Branded content can help establish trust with new leads, personify your company through storytelling, and increase brand visibility.
We’ve covered quite a few sales strategies for this new “normal” in the last few months, but introducing branded content to these ideas can provide you with a fresh spin.
Here’s how.
(For more on sales strategies, check out this post from Mamu Media’s Rob Herbein, and this post from our very own Haley Marketing CEO, David Searns!)
Strategy #1: Send something in the mail.
The power of print marketing is underestimated in 2020. The market is smaller and less saturated, providing better opportunities to stand out and stay top-of-mind.
The average household only gets 2 pieces of direct mail per day, compared to 157 emails (1); 80-90% of direct mail gets opened (2).
In a time where relationship development is key, something as simple as a customized postcard could remind your client just how much they mean to you.
Strategy #2: Tighten up your value proposition.
Potential clients can be quick to judge the value your brand offers. Anyone can claim their company is the best service choice in their industry, but can you back that up?
Branded content is about leveraging relevant content to position your company as a thought leader. Ask yourself what your company offers that your competitor doesn’t. Let your content to speak to those advantages.
As the storytelling adage goes, show – don’t tell!
Strategy #3: Increase online visibility.
People are spending more time online than ever – as I mentioned above, now is not the time to cut spending on your marketing.
Identify where your target audience spends their time online, then use that information to get your message in front of the right people. Engaging your clients with helpful, relevant content fosters better relationships that in turn lead to better sales.
SMART Content: Custom Branded Content for Your Company
Back in February we were excited to welcome Mamu Media as part of the SMART Content division of Haley Marketing.
SMART Content offers a multimedia approach to content marketing, ultimately creating touch points where your audience needs them most.
It leverages print and digital marketing to create a powerful, turnkey content marketing program built to increase brand visibility, improve relationships, and close more sales this summer – and beyond!
For more information on how SMART Content can fit into your marketing strategy, contact us or visit our SMART Content home page today!
Sources:
(1) MarketingSherpa Customer Satisfaction Research Study, 2013
(2) MarketingCharts.com, Response Rate, by Select Direct Marketing Media 2017
