Whatever the sector, companies face the same, perhaps most critical challenge: bringing in new customers. In the staffing and recruitment industry, there is also the challenge of attracting candidates and maintaining a broad network of skilled workers. But it is, after all, clients who are the key to growth. So how do you reach out to them when the competition is so fierce? And how do you stay top-of-mind? To find, reach and attract new clients, you need a winning strategy to get the message out about why you're the right choice. That strategy is digital marketing. Here's how it works and how to get started finding and converting potential customers to grow.
If you want to check out our customer case with our client Closers where we talk about how we managed to create an ROI of 600% on their marketing efforts , you can find it here!
Capturingnew customers via digital channels
Customers have taken over the customer journey and find out for themselves what they want to know. Whether they're thinking about investing in a pair of comfortable boots or enlisting the help of a knowledgeable recruitment professional, they're Googling (87% of all B2B purchases start with a Google search) and browsing digital channels to lay the groundwork for their buying decision. To reach them, you need to be where they're looking, be more visible than your competitors and have the answers to their questions.
Digital marketing is based on being active in the channels your potential customers prefer and being visible with a message that is tailored to their interests and needs. It's when you demonstrate that you have unique insights and understand their challenges that you capture their attention. It lays the groundwork for awareness and dialogue that, properly managed, leads to becoming a new customer.
How digital marketing works
So what are the different methods that underpin digital marketing? It's usually a mix of different channels and formats that work together to build your brand and attract your potential customers. Common elements are:
- Content marketing: blogs, guides, whitepapers, case studies, videos, etc. that show you understand the challenges your potential customers face and the value you can add.
- Social media: reach out with your content on the channels your target audience uses (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.) Publish your content to create engagement, gain visibility and drive traffic to your site.
- SEO: search engine optimization. The way you design the content of your site determines whether it ranks high in the results when your potential customers search for information.
- Newsletters: help your potential customers gain new insights with a newsletter that shares custom-written content, analysis and insider tips, while increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your site, generating leads and maintaining relationships with existing customers.
- Social selling: creating and maintaining relationships with your potential customers in the channels they use. This builds trust that can lead to them becoming new customers over time. For example, connecting with a potential customer on LinkedIn and being active by liking, commenting and sharing content that is of interest to that person.
These different methods can be complemented by SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and social media advertising campaigns, for example, which put you directly in the field of vision of your potential customers. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to digital marketing. It's important to constantly evaluate the different elements and optimise your marketing so that it really works.
How to succeed with your digital marketing
If you haven't used inbound marketing and other digital marketing before, it can be hard to know where to start and what's important to consider. Here are some great tips that will hopefully make it easier to get started and succeed.
- Start at a moderate scale. Digital marketing is not a race, it's a marathon. For those in B2B marketing, sales cycles can be around 6-12 months. That's why you need to take the long view in your digital marketing. Keep a production rate of your content that you know you can sustain over the long term (for example, two articles and a newsletter a month).Patience and continuity are two key words that usually lead to success in digital marketing.
- Go ahead! Of course you need a basic strategy and knowledge of who your prospective customers are, where you are reaching them and with what content. But don't sit and ponder too long. The key to success in digital marketing is to get started quickly, test along the way and evaluate your efforts
- Try it out... Digital marketing is a results-based marketing. What you do needs to be measured and analysed on an ongoing basis so that you can see what is working and what is not and how you can improve the results. Among other things, Google has various tools that are perfect to start collecting data that you can analyze and use for optimization. For example, Google Analytics and Search Console. It's also helpful to have a heatmap that visualizes and analyzes data about how your visitors are using your website.
For more tips and insights on how to succeed in digital marketing, read our post "How do I succeed in B2B marketing?".
You can also talk to us if you want to know more about how to reach and attract new customers. At Contitude, we work with digital marketing to help our clients gain visibility and reach their target audience. Not least, we have experience in helping staffing and recruitment companies reach and gain new clients. Get in touch with us!
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