Audience engagement is what marketers are working for. Audience engagement is what happens when a marketer connects effectively with the right people in their market, and gets them to do what the marketer needs. Getting audience engagement isn’t easy, it takes smart tactics for driving it, increasing it, and making it cost-effective. Often times there’s not much opportunity or budget to engage audiences beyond the level of printed brochures; the basics just need covering. We all know where most brochures end up, so digital marketers today understand that they need to step up their game beyond brochure type sites.

The techniques we marketers favor, ever since the advent of the web, are constantly changing and have always been evolving. Now we’re in the beginning of the third decade of online marketing. We’ve learned that different levels of audience engagement yield different rates of return; the more evolved levels perform better than the less evolved levels. If you’re communicating better, you’re getting better results. Pay attention to how your efforts fall into one of these five levels of audience engagement. If you can recognize a better opportunity to engage, go for it! Read more

Do you see your competitors rising to the top of local search results, and the accompanying reviews from their customers and ask yourself,  “How do I get more Google reviews?”.  If so, read on for the top five ways to get more Google reviews for your business!  Reviews, especially Google reviews, are not only a critical component of a successful SEO strategy; they are also an effective way to get new customers interested by differentiating you through virtual word-of-mouth endorsements.

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Relationship marketing is about understanding each customer on an individual level. It’s about being smart about the approach and doing mass scale marketing effectively.

Here’s an example. A sporting goods store can ask for the email address of a customer who buys a soccer ball when they check-out at the register, or on-line. They then send them to specific social media pages that create community around soccer through the voice of the store brand. The individual then receives special offers on soccer equipment via email and SMS messages. Through the integration of POS systems, databases and online marketing tools, the store can then flag customers who reach a certain threshold of spending on soccer equipment. Those customers would receive them special “VIP” opportunities like discounted soccer game tickets or special event invitations in conjunction with marketing partners. This solidifies the relationship between the business and the customer, building trust and brand loyalty.

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Local search engine rank is slipping away? Follow these tips so you don’t miss out and lose potential customers.

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