As the country makes a gradual return to normalcy, many company owners are turning to business mentorship programs for advice on boosting revenues. After all, data indicates businesses receiving mentorship saw revenue increase by 83% on average.
Offering strategic and industry-specific consulting services through its over 30 specialist advisors, Jupiter Business Mentoring gathered digital marketing, SEO and PR specialists to speak in its continuing webinar series.
Renuka Gunjahalli acted as moderator, whilst panellists offered strategies on driving revenues through effective digital marketing strategies.
Here are some of the key takeaways.
Advertising pays
Mukesh Pandey, a seasoned digital marketing consultant and coach, stressed the importance of advertising across multiple digital channels for maximum reach in a post-COVID world.
“Customers are everywhere online, across multiple applications, on different devices and looking to be inspired. How do you find them?” he asked. “Everything starts through a Google search. If you are not on the first page, no one will discover you or know your brand. You have to advertise to get results,” he added.
With over a decade of digital marketing experience in the UAE, Mukesh acknowledged that the country has one of the highest cost-per-click (CPC) rates in the world. However, in a post- COVID world, Google ad prices have dropped, making it an easier and more viable tool for advertising.
Mukesh encouraged businesses to market through Google, YouTube, display, banner, and mobile click-to-call ads. “Google lets you run traffic and sales campaigns on an AED 50 or AED 100 daily budget. This is a small amount to pay to get more visibility,” he said.
However, he urged business owners to understand the importance of the ads’ wording. “Quality leads with ad optimisation rank higher. You need to run ads on keywords which have high commercial and relative value. So, write smarter,” he added. “With each click you can be paying Google anywhere from AED 5 to AED 100. You want to get your advertising to generate leads, otherwise you are losing money,” he explained. To do this Mukesh advised writing compelling and creative ads that ranked higher through organic searches.
Elaborating on generating leads, Mukesh suggested employing an omni-channel marketing approach. “Businesses are no longer operating through one route. You have to use search engines, your company website, email blasts, and social media networks to drive customers,” he elaborated. “Depending on your objectives, social media apps have built-in marketing tools. You need to use the right tool for the correct end consumer,” he added. He cited LinkedIn, as opposed to Facebook or Instagram, as a better tool for B2B lead generation as it offers more focused results.
When talking about a business’s website, Mukesh suggested having a dedicated landing page, a live chat and only requesting important information. “Your website is a critical part of lead generation. You want to keep it simple by asking for just a name, number and email. Once you have that, follow up and call customers offline,” he recommended. “Build trust by offering proof through case studies and give customers something to download and use,” he added.
Mukesh also stressed the importance of running remarketing campaigns by reaching customers through a banner ad elsewhere on the internet. “Remarketing is a no brainer. Do that for sure,” he concluded.
Smarter SEO
Mazen Aloul, an Arabic and English SEO consulting expert, discussed better visibility across search engines, especially Google. “Google is the dominant player in this part of the world. Its ecosystem occupies 90.8% through search, images, Maps, and YouTube. If you don’t rank high enough here then you won’t be seen,” he said.
Explaining how SEO worked, Mazen recommended a two-pronged approach. He suggested working smarter across on-page and off-page options. “On-page SEO is everything relating to your company website. From strategic keywords, information, and downloadable content, through to images and blogs etc. These are all the small components that Google identifies to build up an organic search algorithm. Conversely, off-page SEO is the link-building element. This includes the number of other websites talking back to your website, guest posts and digital public relations. Working together, these factors help your ranking go higher in Google,” he elaborated.
Mazen also talked about making websites mobile friendly first and foremost, as more consumers access information through hand-held devices. “The format, download and server speed, and relevant, updated content all determine how the customer will engage, which in turn will affect your rankings,” he added.
He advised publishing a regular monthly blog to keep a company’s website fresh and updated. He also recommended using analytics to track and measure what a business is doing. For this he suggested using free digital applications like Google Analytics, Google Search Console and Google My Business.
“These tools help you understand what’s happening and give you direction for your short and long-term strategies,” he summarised.
The power of PR
Anastasiya Golovatenko, a media and PR consultant with 13 years’ experience, expanded upon Mukesh’s and Mazen’s recommendations. She weighed in on how communication and packaging can be effective for marketing and recommended public relations for strategic and smart communication.
Elaborating on the functions of PR, Anastasiya said, “Public relations includes all those organic tactics that help a business or an individual cultivate a positive reputation through various unpaid or earned communications, including traditional, social, digital media and in-person engagements.”
She advised that organisations communicate smartly. “Position yourself as an extraordinary business. Find your angle and shape your company image by turning it into a strong, appealing, positive and trusted one,” she said.
Talking about the best way to reach customers, she suggested establishing a campaign that tackles client’s pain points. “For successful marketing, you need to first create self-awareness by recognising where you stand against your competition. Then you need to address and analyse your market reputation. Are you seen positively or negatively? Do people understand your product and service, and is this understanding converting to sales?” she quizzed.
“PR is not a good-to-have, but rather a strategic function where you need to pay attention and make an intelligent investment,” she reiterated. She suggested PR solutions, depending on where a business is placed in its growth cycle, by communicating through regular press releases, educational and informative pieces, interviews, and reviews, amongst others.
Whether you are an individual or a corporate enterprise, you can benefit from business mentoring, and digital, SEO and PR marketing consulting services to help you drive revenue and generate leads through your post-pandemic revival.
You can now avail of our current offer – a FREE session with any of our mentors.
To book a free session with Renuka
To book a free session with Mukesh
