Determining effective sales strategies and marketing tactics is an ongoing process for businesses and organizations in all sectors. If there’s one thing that all enterprises have in common, it’s the need to increase sales consistently. Whether you’re a solopreneur looking for consulting gigs, a brick-n-mortar retailer dabbling in ecommerce, or managing a 100% online storefront, everyone needs to understand how to use marketing to increase sales.
If you need an immediate sales boost, planning a future sales strategy, or looking for some inspiration, here are 12 marketing tactics to consider:
1. Offer Novel Combinations
You can use marketing to increase sales when you strategically bundle a few related services or products into a combination deal. Price this package at a lower price than the total of the items if they were purchased separately.
2. Use Ratings and Reviews to Your Advantage
Even if your current customers and clients love your business, prospective customers won’t necessarily assume online reviews and testimonials are reliable. Research shows that consumers typically require a minimum of 40 online reviews before they view that feedback as trustworthy. If you haven’t reached that number, directly asking customers for a review is a marketing tactic you can employ right away.
3. Break Down Pricing
It may seem more challenging to deploy marketing to increase sales when your products or services are more expensive. Instead of presenting your membership fee as “$499 per year,” break the pricing down into something more palatable, such as “Improve your health and wellness for a daily price that’s less than a cup of coffee.”
4. Let Customers Get To Know You
One marketing tactic that prospective customers love is getting to know the person or team they are buying from. Ensure your website, social media, and print materials have your name, contact information, and bio. When implementing email marketing campaigns, be sure to include your name and a photo!
5. Response Time Matters
Having outstanding customer service is a great way to use in-house marketing to increase sales. Recent research has shown that the vendor that responds first gains between 35% and 50% of sales.
6. Turn Frowns Upside Down
At some point, everyone has an unhappy or dissatisfied customer. Instead of removing their comments from your social media feed, the best marketing tactic is to shower them with attention. Show how dedicated you are to resolving problems and ensuring customer satisfaction. Publicly addressing issues is a great way to boost your business’ reputation. You’ll earn customer loyalty when they know you’ll make it right, even if something goes wrong.
7. Go to Where Your Customers Are
Instead of waiting for customers to find your business, go out and look for them actively. Could they be shopping on Amazon or Walmart Marketplace? Maybe they’re looking for referrals on LinkedIn? You should have compiled a few profiles of your ideal customers. These profiles might be based on age, income, geographic location, personal interests, family dynamics, education levels, or other demographics. The more you know about your target audience, the better you can tailor marketing to increase sales leads by finding them where they live, work, and play.
8. Boost Sales With Social Media
If you’re not actively using social media platforms to promote your business and brand, you’re missing out on a great marketing tactic. The social platforms you choose (such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Facebook) need to align with your target audience and business goals, but once you have a dedicated presence, it’s a great way to build relationships with current and potential customers.
9. Is Your Website Holding You Back?
All the sales calls and emails won’t mean a thing if your business’s website undermines your efforts to use marketing to increase sales and lead generation. According to Think with Google, 59% of consumers indicate that shopping on a mobile device is important when choosing which retailer to purchase from. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, not only are you losing out on customers, but you’ll be penalized by search engines.
10. Turbocharge Your Presentations
Giving a presentation to potential customers is a standard marketing tactic. But now that we live in an era of Zoom meetings, presentations can go virtual — both live and pre-recorded for on-demand viewing and participation. Make sure quality video is incorporated into your presentations to make them engaging and effective.
11. Get Help With Your Search
Using search engine marketing to increase sales is another tactic that your business can use to expand your reach and find your target customers. Search engine optimization and marketing can improve your visibility in your local area, boost the performance of your online shop or ecommerce platform, and help people find your products or services when they’re looking for them.
12. Give Customers a Sneak Peek
Are you thinking of hosting a flash sale soon? It’s a great marketing tactic, but be sure to tell your regular customers! Not only will they be happy to save a little money, but they’ll likely buy more than they usually do. Giving regular customers a “reward” now and again helps them to stay engaged and feel good about your brand.
Whichever marketing tactics you decide to use, you want to make sure your message is clear and easy to understand. Too much “fine print” or confusing language about prices, options, and benefits will turn customers off and could even make them feel slightly suspicious of your brand. Instead, make offers simple for your clients and customers, including details such as who is eligible, when it will be available, why they will benefit from it, and how they can purchase it. When you speak directly to your customers’ needs, they’ll be more likely to buy, buy again, and refer their friends and associates.
Coalition Technologies is a leading voice in the field of digital marketing. Follow our blog to stay informed on the latest developments and best practices, and contact one of our Digital Strategists for more information on our services.
