It is that much easier to sell products and services when there is sufficient demand. Generating demand is easier said than done. So you need to employ the right strategies to generate interest and drive conversions. How do you get started?
Here’s a quick look at the demand generation process.
Demand Generation: Where To Begin
Demand generation sparks interest in a product or service. Generating demand requires a holistic process that is both comprehensive and continuously evolving. Be patient as your demand generation plan plays out, and prospects will gradually enter the sales funnel.
Demand generation starts with the overarching strategy of prospect identification. Pinpoint the audience that is most likely to appreciate your product or service and deliver the brand’s marketing message to those demographics.
The most successful demand generation campaigns consist of lengthy relationships between marketing and sales professionals with target customers. Once those targets are identified, they must be carefully nurtured.
Demand Generation Strategies
Though it seems counterintuitive, one of the best demand generation strategies is to give the target audience a free sample of your value offering. Provide a limited-time free offer, run a promotional campaign, or float out a free download, and the response might be overwhelming. Intentionally limit supply for the initial giveaway and you’ll create that much more of a buzz for your business.
Offering an initial freebie establishes a rapport with the target audience and also makes your brand appear that much more legitimate. The offer of a free item really will convince target customers to provide their contact information, including an email address, so you can remain in contact.
Develop Strategic Alliances
Partner with an industry authority, a local powerbroker, or another respected party, and your brand will receive more publicity.
One way you can put your newfound partnership in the spotlight is by hosting a webinar, so both partners can enjoy this mutual benefit. Webinars ramp up brand awareness, generating interest in the business and also steer audience members toward the online footprint of the partner who has a guest feature in the presentation.
Remarketing
You can build demand all the more with strategic remarketing. Remarketing centers on converting previous online visitors into paying customers. There is no sense in letting your web visitors check out your online content only to let them drift to the competition when you can reconnect through retargeting.
Remarketing displays relevant ads to those who demonstrated interest in your company by visiting your website or another component of your online footprint. The “reminder” retarget ad jogs the prospect’s memory, convincing him or her to revisit your website and convert into a paying customer.
Partner With Relevant Influencers
Social media is laden with local, regional, and national influencers capable of making an indelible impact on your target audience. Recognize that your audience is influenced by powerful social media personalities, establish alliances with such individuals, and you’ll boost demand.
Be strategic when extending an olive branch to online influencers, as a single misstep in a social media post has the potential to alienate your audience and present your business in a negative light. Pinpoint influencers who reinforce your message, serving as social proof of your company’s merits and it won’t take long for you to leverage these online celebrities for demand generation.
Email Marketing is Still Effective
Contrary to popular opinion, email marketing is still a viable option for generating demand. Implement email marketing as an integral component of demand generation, connect with your email list at least once per month, and you’ll keep them in the loop as to how your brand is progressing.
Seize the opportunity to collect email addresses both online and offline. Prominently feature a contact form on your website so online visitors can sign up for emails that provide updates regarding new offerings, sales, promotions, and industry news.
When it comes to emails, sweat the small stuff. Make sure you optimize your email subject line wording, headline length, internal links, and the placement of offers within messages. Be patient and your emails will lead to conversions.
Content Creation Generates Demand
The old saying “content is king” still rings true to this day. Create high-quality content for your website, blog, social media, and the rest of your online footprint. Fill out your content with keywords and key phrases relevant to your industry and local customers. Add links to your blog and social media within your email messages, continue to post new keyword-laden content, and you’ll enjoy search engine optimization (SEO) success.
Add a call to action to your online content to compel readers to take action, and your hard work will pay off. However, if you don’t have the writing chops or time to create a steady stream of online content to generate demand through SEO, lean on a professional to do the work for you and it won’t take long for web traffic to head your way.
Article and permission to publish here provided by Steve Wilson. Originally written for Supply Chain Game Changer and published on August 9, 2023.
Cover image by Shahid Abdullah from Pixabay