Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "5 Marketing Engagement Tools that Increase ROI," brings to light what lies beyond marketing as we shift to a higher level of what can now be considered the engagement economy. As a result of the ongoing pandemic and its sprout of new variants, relationships between organizations and people have closed dramatically. The closer connections are due in part to the advancement and adoption of engagement tools, more reliance on the Internet, and of course, the effects of the pandemic. To begin with, car dealers have known as far back as 2004 that some car shoppers were better informed than many of the sales staff.
Today, car dealers have realized that many automotive customers are on par with, if not more informed, than the salesperson. Content information on just about any subject is now more readily available than ever before, thanks to digital technology transformations. In addition, the informational infrastructure affords faster and deeper content dissemination for the end-user to peruse, all at a more affordable cost. As a result, a consumer's deep knowledge means that the relationship between the seller and the customer must evolve. For example, auto dealers should know more than their customers and advise and educate more thoroughly and thoughtfully.
Meanwhile, sales methodologies also benefit from technological advances in that organizations can now research and collect real-time data to help them understand demographics in a more precise manner. Now organizations can re-target after or even during a campaign, which allows them to update engagement content that better aligns with real-time data.
Our Quote of the Day: "Content is the reason search began in the first place." — Lee Odden
The Content Tool
Content marketing made marketing headlines several years ago; and, marketing experts will tell you that content marketing is the essential staple in most marketing applications. Content can consist of various posts, beginning with text, social media, videos, case studies, white papers, and other posts. The overall goal of content marketing is to drive awareness via eyeballs, secure leads, and ultimately generate increased sales and revenue for the organization. Once you've achieved awareness, the organization must move toward developing trust, which then translates into brand commitment and brand equity. This process establishes the mindshare. In a sense, you can describe mindshare as brand recall. For example, when one thinks of home improvement, which brand comes to mind immediately? Most folks would say Home Depot or Loew's.
Content begets other content. For example, if a consumer is interested in boating and they come across an article about the latest pontoon boat designs, they will likely take a moment to read that content. Once that consumer leaves that article, a prodigious amount of content aggregators and distributors will begin to disseminate valuable content on boating. The consumer, in turn, will visit some of those offering helpful content and possibly bookmark their favorites. When you scale content to reach several thousand consumers, the content is working to build an audience. At which point, the brand can now engage with targets on a consistent level by building trust and developing relationships.
The Video Tool
Anyone can now distribute video across multiple platforms, including YouTube, Vimeo, websites, social media platforms, Reddit, and a host of other digital destinations. Video is one of the most effective and efficient tools for delivering organic messaging for various platforms. Sales and marketing is a face-to-face experience, and there is no actual replacement for that experience. That said, video is the next best thing to being there in person. Video can provide one-to-one virtual meetings or group conferences. Remember, humans are visual people, and video offers folks a chance to put a name with a face, which is the most persuasive communication aspect of personalized marketing content. In an authentic sense, video is real-time personalization through visual communication. And, as the pandemic plays out, we contend that more brands will opt for video communications. There are no concerns about infections via video screen or computer monitor. Two, most companies that remain remote may have little incentive to return to an in-person office environment.
The AI Tool
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been on the scene for quite some time. AI has grown by leaps since the early days of its inception. AI offers the capability to capture vast amounts of big data and the ability to analyze that data. This process allows brands to automate particular processes and tasks systematically. Invariably, this AI process also provides brands with better decision-making.
While the debate rages regarding how Facebook collects and uses its customer data, one cannot argue that the Facebook data collection initiative is an example of big data acquisition using AI. Regardless if a user is active on Facebook, that user's data is being collected across the digital spectrum.
For example, let's say that a brand or individual has created a PowerPoint presentation that contains names, addresses, emails, and a host of psychographic and demographic markers such as age, gender, spending habits, ethnicities, etcetera. AI collects all of that data. Therefore, everything an individual does online can be tracked, compiled, and added to the Facebook file.
Furthermore, let's say that a brand runs a golf training center. With the implementation of an AI-specific advertising campaign, the correct targets will be part of the target market reach. Facebook will serve up ads specifically for that demographic while simultaneously collecting more data. The benefit here is that the brand will learn when to post and the best times to call or email the prospect.
Variable Data Printing Tool
Variable data printing, aka variable digital printing (VDP), is built on digital technology. This technology provides for creating and printing marketing material, with the added value of customized, personalized content across everything, including text, calls-to-action, graphics, colors, inks, and textures based on demographic and psychographic data. VDP is a game-changer for directing consumers to specific landing page designations in the digital world. This technology offers everything, from small runs to large jobs, and the ability to recall, edit and update specific particulars for each batch run.
Often described as the simplest way to achieve a high degree of personalization, variable data printing is, in essence, considered a low-cost marketing tool that is highly efficient. Marketers use this tool to send mailers, promotional materials, new product launches, and special offers to current and potential customers, addressing each recipient by name with personalized content.
Keep in mind that this technology can also deliver variable rewards, change the creative, and even modify the language content.
Social Media Tool
Social Media advertising is an extremely powerful tool that allows advertisers to place their ads alongside their targeted demographic. For the retail sector, one can be alerted by a product, add it to the cart, pay, and check out without leaving the app.
More than half the planet is on a social media platform, thereby providing an inexpensive method to reach large segments of the population. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and others offer users the ability to follow their brands of choice and stay abreast of new products and exclusive deals.
The Net-Net
These five engagement marketing tools offer a list of best marketing solutions; however, we also contend that email marketing, website marketing, and SEO are indispensable tools that should be part of every engagement toolkit as well. In an engagement economy, the marketing tools we choose need to allure, build trust, and engage consumers. We hope that you found value in this article. Stay safe, and thanks for reading "5 Marketing Engagement Tools that Increase ROI."
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