The new year presents a unique opportunity to refresh, revamp and revitalize your opt-in marketing strategy. Budgets are replenished and consumers are making resolutions to better their mind, body, wallet and more. It’s the perfect time to rethink your current opt-in marketing plan and look at new ways to drive customers through the funnel.
2017 in particular brings the promise of revolutionary advertising products and technology. As Opt-Intelligence Co-Founder and CEO Joe Broumand sees it, “the future of online marketing will be one-to-one relationships between the marketer and the consumer.” This shift from big brands to a more personalized experience is particularly powerful on social media, where consumers already have the ability to tailor sites to suit their needs. They choose who to follow, what content to see and which brands to interact with and on which platforms.
Marketer, Meet Consumer
The consumer will dictate the terms of the relationship with brands, deciding how and when marketers can communicate with them. They may choose to engage with certain brands or industries on Facebook, while only allowing others on Instagram. They may follow a brand, but not allow them to follow back. Some will seek brand attention, using their approved hashtags and handles, while others may post more privately.
Marketers need to be invited to the relationship by the consumer. Consumers always have the upper hand and can be quick to unfollow or change the rules. As marketers we must respect the relationship by providing consumers with useful, informational or entertaining content. Advertising can be a part of that, but it can’t be your only connection.
Building A Relationship
Creating a real relationship is the hardest and most critical part of the process of reaching the one-to-one marketing stage. The consumer must initiate, but we as marketers should give them every opportunity to extend that invitation. And like any relationship, you must court the consumer before you go for the hard sell. Introduce your brand and work your way into the sales proposition slowly, letting them get to know you first.
Keep in mind that on social media sites, you are not only competing with your standard competitors, but every friend your potential customer has on that social network. So to truly succeed in one-to-one marketing, you must identify your customer personas and tailor messaging to meet their needs.
At Opt-Intelligence, we believe we are at a tipping point where one-to-one marketing is rapidly becoming expected by the consumer. Marketers who don’t make that a reality will suffer. But initiating that relationship is both more critical, and at the same time more difficult, than ever.
Are you ready for one-to-one marketing? It’s a question that’s been asked for years. Facebook offers highly-refined targeting capabilities that are virtually unmatched anywhere else. Consumers provide the site with an enormous amount of data on their interests, life events and location. All that information (and more) is available to marketers. But you have to know how to use it.
Facebook lead ads are one of the most powerful advertising products available. By combining detailed targeting with creative tailored to personas and relevant offers for your ads, you can create a highly personalized, one-to-one relationship and convert those users to customers. It won’t happen overnight, but we’re here to help you refine your audience and test your creative to find what works.