Influence is everywhere and everywhere doesn’t get the credit.
Several years ago Strategy 3 worked on a campaign for a client who was celebrating a milestone year. Their budget was bigger for the big year and money was being spread around to just about everywhere. The expanded net being cast resulted in an exponential growth in sales. It was difficult to say what worked best, but it was obvious the everything method was doing a good job.
Most small business marketing budgets are limited, and money can’t really be spent everywhere all the time. But the lesson here is that a good marketing mix is key to the best results.
Decisions aren’t always made when someone does a search [insert product or service and city name] on Google. Maybe there was an immediate and sudden need followed by a quick search and phone call (which is why emergency ads can be great for Google search) but much of the time we are influenced in multiple ways before we actually make the final buying decision.
I tell clients all the time, it’s usually never one thing. When I moved into my new office, the gym across the street welcomed me on Instagram. I thought it was really nice. The proximity was a huge bonus, then a friend told me they were great. I eventually joined. My mirror and the short shorts I wore that summer don’t get the credit for me joining the gym; it was a combination of influence and need.
For this reason, marketing dollars and efforts should be allocated to where your target audience is influenced and where the final decision is made (eg: social media, Google search, and a kick-ass converting website).
Know your audience, know how they are influenced, and market accordingly.
