Marketing is a very complicated subject, especially for those who do not have the background or knowledge of it. Despite the fact that it is related to promoting products, services and brands to stand out, create enough attention and eventually monetise from it, understanding the entire elements and how to get those stuff done is not that easy.
One of the marketing elements you need to understand is awareness. This is the third fundamental step a marketing strategist will advise you to work on after all the necessary preparation related to branding and content production are completed.
Email Newsletter
There were three companies who laughed at me last week about this. I recommended them to work on creating and eventually growing their email subscribers of their own to distribute their brands’ messages directly. I was told they prefer to maintain whatever they have on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. Ah, social media channels. Okay then. I guess they prefer to continue to play via the pay-to-play route.
They didn’t realise that social media platforms are going to be extremely expensive in the long run. There was an article I read a few months ago highlighting that the conversion rate social media channels are offering basically is too mediocre. It is only ranging between 0.5 per cent to 0.75 per cent. While email marketing, via newsletters, is leading the pack with an astounding rate of 33 per cent.
They also didn’t know that having direct communications with their audiences directly and without any algorithm in between is sustainable. Because it is relatively free. All they have to do is just build authentic, personalised, valuable and engaging content for their subscribers to consume and wanting for more. And after that find ethical ways to add more subscribers to the list. That is it.
Media Relations
“This is expensive, I’m not going to do it.” This was the first reaction after I proposed this method to one of the emerging logistic companies in Malaysia. If they want to use the old and traditional method, yes it is going to be expensive. But not this method I’m about to share with you here openly.
Reach out to mainstream media outlets and the 2nd tier ones. Pitch and negotiate with them, and get them to agree to publish your content at no charge if possible.
What type of media releases you should distribute? There are a few. One, you can write opinion-related articles there, put them under your CEO or CxO name to build credibility, insert a number of backlinks into the article and upload them. This will help you to bring more internet traffic to your website for monetisation. The other type of media releases is such as updated news of what’s happening in your company, new promotions or announcements of the executives hiring, upcoming events, and finally selected reports and surveys done that matter to certain industries or countries.
When you upload your media releases on those third-party websites, do not forget to insert backlinks. These backlinks will help you not just bring the internet traffic back to your website but also help to elevate your ranking on search engines. Many brands aren’t aware of this strategy. It is called Off-Page SEO.
Telegram Channel
This is another powerful channel many brands neglect when it comes to the awareness approach to go for. If you are able to grow this channel for your company, it means that you are able to penetrate your audience’s private time as they are willing to receive direct notification from you by subscribing to your channel here. By having their mobile numbers, which are similar to having email addresses, you are able to communicate with your audiences directly. Directly! And it’s free, without algorithms in-between whatsoever.
Will the recipients feel offended to receive regular updates since they are all using private smartphones? I don’t think so. It is crucial though to strike a balance when sending alerts and messages to your Telegram subscribers to avoid overwhelming or annoying them. These are some cool practices to consider.
- Frequency. Consider the frequency of your alerts and messages. Sending too many notifications can lead to user fatigue and potential unsubscribes. Determine a reasonable frequency based on the type of content you share and the preferences of your subscribers. It’s often best to err on the side of caution and avoid sending excessive notifications.
- Relevance and value. Ensure that the alerts you send are relevant and provide value to your subscribers. Share important updates, exclusive content, promotions, or valuable information that aligns with their interests. When people perceive your messages as valuable and informative, they are more likely to appreciate and engage with them.
- Opt-in and opt-out. Provide clear opt-in and opt-out options for your subscribers. Allow them to choose the type and frequency of notifications they wish to receive. Giving users control over their notification preferences respects their privacy and helps build a positive user experience.
- Personalisation. Tailor your messages as much as possible to each individual’s interests. Utilise segmentation and targeting options within Telegram to send relevant content to specific segments of your subscribers. Personalisation can enhance the user experience and make your subscribers feel that the alerts they receive are tailored to their needs.
- Feedback and communication. Encourage your subscribers to provide feedback on their notification preferences. Allow them to easily reach out to you with questions, concerns, or suggestions. Actively listening to their feedback and adjusting your notification strategy accordingly can help maintain a positive relationship with your community.
Ultimately, it’s essential to respect your subscribers’ privacy and preferences while providing them with valuable content. By being mindful of the frequency, relevance, personalisation, and communication, you can minimise the chances of your Telegram subscribers feeling offended about receiving alerts on their mobile phones.
I was told that WhatsApp is presently working on the same Channel feature too. If this truly happens, then I am going to be the first one to give it a go.
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