As much as you’d like your products and services to speak for themselves – the market is just too big and busy. Corporate giants and promising underdogs are all vying for the top spot. If you want to have a competitive presence, you need to be ready to duke it out where it matters the most – marketing.
Now, there are many marketing channels available, some more well-known than others. You’ve probably heard of advertising techniques like pay-per-click (PPC) ads, video ads, and social media marketing. You may even have some in place for your business already.
But is that enough for you to develop an edge?
Here are five marketing channels you shouldn’t ignore:
Reddit is a social news aggregation website that calls itself the “front page of the internet.” Users can gather content and information from all kinds of sources and host discussions on the site. From hypothetical arguments and moral judgments to crowdsourcing information and AMAs (ask me anything) – it’s easy to see its appeal.
It has over 52 million active users every day and over 50 billion monthly views. With these kinds of numbers, businesses would be remiss to ignore the platform. So what are some of the ways you can use Reddit as a marketing channel?
1. Paid Ads
If you want to go the traditional route, you can get a paid ad on the platform. Find relevant subreddits with your target audience and place your ad. As long as you carefully consider who is benefitting from your product/service, you are sure to see an increase in leads.
Warning: While Reddit draws a massive following, most users value their privacy and online experience. They steer clear from disruptive ads, and most of them have ad blockers in place.
2. AMA
AMA (Ask Me Anything) is a fun way to kill time, but it is also a great marketing opportunity. There are several ways you can employ it as a marketing strategy. You could go on the site as the owner of a business and establish yourself as an expert in the industry or as an employee talking about the work culture.
Plenty of big names like Bill Gates, Barack Obama, and Peter Moore hosted AMAs on the platform. It is a great way to share information and organically direct people to your business.
3. Subreddits
The best way to use Reddit as a marketing channel is to use it like everybody else. Participate in the forums and develop a following. With the right strategy, you will not only increase brand awareness but also build brand loyalty. You can even boost your posts and comments with Reddit upvotes to get them in front of as many people as possible.
Quora
Another platform you can use is Quora. Quora is a question-and-answer website, much like Yahoo! Answers and Ask.com. From practical How-Tos to heated discussions, Quora is an active site that can be a great marketing channel.
Like Reddit, the best strategy is to engage with your target audience. Look for the questions they are asking and answer them to the best of your abilities. You can summarize all the essential details on the forum, then redirect them to onsite content that tackles the topic in depth.
Remember! When using these platforms, you are not directly selling a product or service – you are dealing with information. Keep your interactions as organic as possible, and the leads will follow.
Online Classes and Webinars
There has been increasing interest in online classes and webinars ever since the pandemic started. With most of the population staying at home, it has been a great way to engage your target audience and increase brand awareness.
For example, Olive and June, a nail polish and nail care company based in California, hosted a series of at-home manicure and pedicure classes. By doing this, they’ve managed to tap into a gap in the market. The class via Zoom became a fun and entertaining way to interact with other nail art enthusiasts while improving their DIY skills.
It takes a lot to create a successful online class/webinar, but it is worth it. You get to interact with your target audience, which increases brand awareness and brand loyalty. And you also get to establish your position as an expert in the industry which helps with brand recall. Even as countries try to reopen more public spaces, there is no doubt that online classes and webinars will be here to stay.
Podcasts
Google’s search algorithms are working towards making it easier for people to find audio content. This development makes podcasts a promising marketing channel for businesses.
You can collaborate with existing content creators or create a mini-series. Treat them like you would YouTube and video content. Podcasts might seem like they are a niche interest, you cannot deny that it is a popular way to consume information. It has as much potential as any other medium.
Blog Posts
Last but not least, you cannot ignore your on-site content. It is the best way to generate leads, and nothing can beat its results. That’s why 89% of content marketers use it in their content creation strategy.
Google search always prioritized connecting users with information and there is no better way to deliver information than through a blog post. When you have blog posts covering the topics they are looking for, your website will have a better chance of drawing in the right audience.
People might come for the content but stay for your products and services. While they are on your website, you can easily redirect them to your products and services. Just write quality blog posts (on your own or using SEO content writing services) and Google will do the rest.