According to one study done by WordStream in 2013, small and medium businesses were wasting away 25 percent of their PPC budgets. So a small business that's dishing out $2,000 monthly on AdWords would end up wasting $6,000 per year on under-performing campaigns.
The loss is even bigger for medium-sized businesses that spend about $20,000 monthly on PPC, which equates to $60,000 wasted dollars annually. This is a lot of money that could be saved by improving their B2C marketing campaigns. If this is something that's plaguing your business, then keep the following tips in mind.
Host Unique Contests
This is an excellent way to get attention on social media and get people engaged. There was a great example of this last year, when Lay's announced their third annual 'Do Us a Flavor' contest. They crowd-sourced ideas from consumers for their next best-selling flavor. This naturally attracted people on a global level, so you can say this was a success. In 2014, Lay's revealed they received over 14 million submissions, which was up from 3.8 million back in 2013.
Offer Something for Free
The only thing consumers love more than a deal is freebies. This was proven in a study done by Harris Interactive in 2013, which showed a drastic increase in repeat purchases and word-of-mouth referrals when there were free add-ons. The results also showed that 90 percent of consumers were somewhat more likely to purchase frequently from a retailer that gave away a free gift, and 65 percent were more likely to share their experience after receiving a free gift.
Make Intent-Driven SEO a Priority
It's not surprising that global brands top Google's search results for electronics, toys and apparel. It would be insanely expensive and exhaustive to even try and attempt to rank highly for such keywords, let alone maintain those positions. Instead, it's recommended that you focus on long-tail keywords that are relevant to your product, and that drive purchase intent.
In another 2013 study done by Adchemy's Thi Thumasathit, it showed that long-tail keywords were 66 percent more profitable than head keywords. This is an opportunity for small and medium businesses to build a profitable B2C campaign.
Build a Network of Micro-Influencers
You don't have to know A-listers to get a great endorsement. If you play your cards right, all you need is a handful of micro-influencers. Together, these micro-influencers can provide enough publicity for your brand. An example of this was seen a few years ago when Shoes of Prey decided to allow a 16-year-old beauty vlogger endorse their custom shoe company. In just a few days, traffic to the company tripled and the sales soared. You can find micro-influencers just about everywhere - on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Look for them in places where you know your audience hangs out. Otherwise, you won't be reaching the right prospects.
Take a Mobile-First Aproach
If your marketing doesn't think of mobile users first, then you're in trouble. According to Shopify, 50.3 percent of ecommerce traffic is performed on mobile devices. Make sure your online shopping experience is designed with mobile users in mind.
All of these tips can improve your sales, user engagement and help with online reputation management. If you need help figuring out a strategy for your B2C marketing campaign, consult with SEO companies and hire one that is reputable and offers Web design services.
http://www.ithinkanidea.com/ is a leading, full service internet marketing agency. I Think an Idea works with serious business owners small to large alike. Based out of Los Angeles, CA providing great results for services such as SEO, social media marketing, Online reputation management and PPC management. I Think an Idea can maximize your search engine presence and amplify your brand across social media channels, and help safeguard your reputation.
