Customers are the heart of any business and don’t just come your way. You must fish the customers where they are, tip their favor towards your business, and keep them engaged for return transactions. This is where marketing comes in, a function no business can afford to take lightly. A business can succeed or fail, subject to how effective its marketing strategy is. So, how can you craft an effective marketing strategy? Should you go with face-to- face or content marketing?
In the modern digital setting, content marketing gets the most attention, which explains why you need face-to-face marketing experts in your team. Most online users engage with social media posts, blogs, newsletters, and emails. Nonetheless, this doesn’t take everything from face-to-face marketing. The question of which of the two is the most effective option may see many jumping to answer content marketing as the digital scene takes center stage. In essence, the answer is not that straightforward. This is especially accounting for the benefits each delivers. Let’s look at what each offers, which is more effective, and why.
Face-to-face marketing
Face-to-face marketing entails direct marketing. This is the in-person marketing to prospective customers, such as through events, scheduled meetings, phone calls and product demonstrations, among other communication channels. Face-to-face marketing is more proactive since a business doesn’t wait for a customer to go to them but rather approaches them in person. This gives you an edge since the strategy is more direct, unlike content that can get lost in all the noise, including being ignored or missed.
Face-to-face marketing is more engaging, especially with well-trained and experienced talent. The personal touch also enhances a business’s credibility. The connection is deeply personal, which helps a business learn more about a prospective customer and tailor a personalized marketing strategy based on their needs. The top face-to-face marketing benefits are:
- Improved business visibility and credibility
- Better customer knowledge, informing the strategy
- Improved and a more positive customer experience
- Effective and more intimate communication
The main drawback is that face-to-face marketing can be costly and time intensive. Scheduling face-to-face meetings can also be inconvenient. It could also constrict a business to customers within their geographical boundaries if in-person meetings are the focal point.
Content marketing
Content marketing entails the creation and distribution of material online. This includes videos, social media posts, blogs and emails. Content marketing must be more informative than pushing sales in today’s arena, where consumers are looking for value. Salesy content doesn’t deliver better results. This emphasizes avoiding a strategy explicitly designed to promote a business. Focusing more on stimulating interest through informative and valuable content offers better results. When done right, content marketing offers notable benefits such as:
- Better search engine ranking, translating to improved visibility
- Improved brand awareness
- Enhanced lead generation and conversion rates on a broader scale
- Extensive audience retention
- Improved credibility and industry authority
- Loyal following that can be leveraged for an extensive reach since they act as a business advocate
The main content marketing drawback is the stiff competition. Standing out in the competitive arena is not a cakewalk; it requires consistency. It takes time to improve the ranking and consistent quality to maintain the top spot.
What’s more effective?
Today, adopting one strategy and ignoring the other is a pitfall businesses should avoid. Content marketing, for instance, offers a broader reach. This can improve a business’s reach, helping develop a huge following and more chances to convert leads into active customers. Nonetheless, ignoring the intimacy face-to-face marketing offers can see your business losing a considerable customer base. This is since keeping the customers engaged requires a feeling of a personal attachment to a business, which content marketing doesn’t address as much as face-to-face strategy.
What do you choose?
Both; the trick is finding a balance that works for your business, mainly based on your target customers. If your customers are online-oriented, investing more in content marketing can help you reach and convert more, following it up with a face-to-face strategy to keep them engaged. If the target customers are inclined to a more intimate connection, such as decisions made after an intensive conversation, focusing more on face-to-face is ideal, complemented by content marketing to keep them informed.
Marketing is all about going where the customers are, engaging them in a mode that best suits the situation, and keeping them hooked. Mixing content and face-to-face marketing is the way to go, helping a business keep up with the trends while ensuring the target customers are reached, tipped in your favor, converted and retained.
