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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/433385
Keeping up with the latest trends in marketing can be a full-time job. So, as a full-time marketer, I've done my homework to provide you with a cheat sheet on the online marketing trends that you should have on your radar as we prepare to flip the calendar to 2015. Before I divulge my cheat sheet, I want you to pull out your written marketing plan for 2014 and review the progress you've made toward your goals for the year. Which tactics worked, and which ones didn't deliver? My goal here it to get you thinking about change. What worked last year might not have worked this year, and what worked this year might not work next year. It is critical that you continually examine the tactics you're using to meet your goals to ensure they still deliver the maximum return on investment (ROI) for your dealership. Don't have a written game plan? Resolve to draft one for the year ahead. Your dealership's annual marketing plan doesn't have to be complex, but it should include a few key components: Mission, vision and goals: What drives your business? Who are you as a business, and who do you want to be in a year? What do you want to accomplish? Target market: Who are your customers? What are their needs and wants? Who are your main competitors? What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the year ahead? Tactics: What specific marketing tactics will you employ to reach your goals? Include documentation of each tactic: email marketing, advertising, events, social media, website updates, blog posts, videos, etc., and create an executable schedule with target due dates. Budgets/forecasts: What is your marketing budget? Be sure to include all promotional materials, advertising, events, online marketing expenses and the associated percentage of your team's salaries dedicated to marketing. Measurements: How will you measure and track your results? Alright. Now that you've got your head in planning mode, it's time to take a look at what's trending for the year ahead as you consider the tweaks you'll be making to connect with buyers in 2015. Trend #1: PersonalizaTion connecTs Personalized marketing has gone far beyond inserting a customer's first name into the salutation of an email. True personalization takes the preferences and needs of your customers into account to create marketing communications that connect. Offering your customers a personalized experience doesn't have to be complicated. It all starts with good data. The more robust data you've got on file, the better. Here are just a few data points you should collect in your customer relationship management (CRM) beyond their names and email addresses, as well as some examples of campaigns you can execute on regular intervals to create personal messages that will resonate with your customers and prospects: Major purchase history: If you know what products your customers own, you're in a better position to extend offers for complimentary products and services. Need to move some snow plow attachments? Send a special offer just to your customers who own the corresponding UTV. Service due date: In an ideal world, your customers would sit down with their owner's manual the moment they take delivery on a new rider mower and mark their calendars with the regular service intervals. But we all know that just isn't the case. While generic seasonal emails will generate service business, try a more personalized approach. Run a weekly (or at least monthly) report of customers who have a unit due for service, and send them a reminder email inviting them to schedule an appointment, and to incentivize them, offer a special discount. Major unit products of interest: Did your customer bring a push mower in for service and spend 10 minutes salivating over your newest zero-turn riding mower model? Note this product of interest, so when you put it on sale, you know exactly who to share the news with! Birthday: Who doesn't love a birthday present? Just like your service reminders, pull a report of upcoming birthdays on regular intervals and send an email with a special deal. Trend #2: selling won'T sell Today's ad-resistant consumers will tune out if your online marketing is all about you and your products. An entire industry has cropped up around the new discipline of "content" or "in-bound" marketing, and it will continue to dominate as we go into 2015. At its core, content marketing provides your customers with relevant, educational or entertaining content that they'll find engaging. Get blogging: While the idea of launching a blog can be daunting, a blog is key to driving traffic to your website. A realistic goal to start is to create one new blog post per week. I recommend sitting down for an hour with your entire team to generate a list of topics for a year's worth of blog articles. No need to reinvent the wheel 52 times. Here are a few categories of content that can be the cornerstone of your blog calendar. How-to article Customer profile Staff profile Event wrap-up Event preview Top 10 list I know you may be thinking that your job isn't to serve as your customers' entertainment committee, but done right, a blog can 14 DECEMBER 2014 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com Feature Story | Website Solutions Online Marketing Trends ■ By Colleen BrouSil