Ads Are Not a Silver Bullet: Here are 5 Other Things to Consider

Many businesses expect ads to be a silver bullet for success. And while ads can be a fantastic way to generate buzz for your business and progress leads down your marketing funnel, there’s way more to the puzzle. 

The truth is that a silver bullet of any kind is extremely unlikely when it comes to success. It takes a combination of tactics to gain traction, drive growth and build brand loyalty. 

In this article, we discuss five elements of marketing to consider, other than ads. In fact, by paying attention to these marketing factors, you can boost the performance of your ad strategy.

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Here are 5 marketing elements (other than ads) to consider: 

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1. A simple purchase experience.

Don’t underestimate the power of a simple purchase experience. 

A study by Corporate Executive Board examined what makes a consumer “sticky”.  A consumer’s stickiness depends on a few factors: how likely they are to follow through with a planned purchase, repurchase the product, and recommend the product to others. Out of over 40 variables that influence stickiness, the biggest factor by far was “decision simplicity”. Decision simplicity is the ease with which consumers can find trustworthy information about a product and can quickly evaluate their purchase options with confidence. 

Here are some ways that you can simplify the purchasing journey:

• Make it easy for your customers to find the information that helps them understand your product and weigh their options. Let’s take an online vacuum retailer as an example. A chart that compares the specs of the most popular vacuums would help buyers easily understand their choices and find the vacuum that suits their needs. 
• Build trust by including user-generated content on the product page, such as reviews or unboxing videos. 
• Be transparent about pricing, including the cost of shipping.
• Take advantage of technology that helps streamline and improve the purchase experience. For example, you could add an app to your online store that gives your buyers personal upsell recommendations based on their browsing activity.

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2. Strategic email marketing.

Email is one of the most cost-effective ways to keep in touch with your existing customers and prospects. For every $1 spent, email generates $42. That’s a massive ROI! 

Here are some ideas for how you can enhance your email marketing strategy:

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Don’t just sell. Connect.

There’s more to email marketing than promotions. Use email to establish a connection with your audience. For instance, you could engage customers by sharing blog content, newsletters, interviews, holiday wishes, and event invitations. 

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Automation is a necessity.

Automation increases conversions, segments your audience, reduces workload and improves efficiency. Automated email flows include trigger emails sent automatically after a customer takes a specific action. Some examples of automated email campaigns are abandoned cart emails, a welcome email after signing up, and a special thank you email to a repeat buyer.

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Segment and cater.

‍Segmenting your audience means grouping customers with certain attributes in common. Segmenting gives you better results because you’re able to tailor customer journeys to a specific group. You can also create personalised content that a particular group may be interested in.

A few ways you can segment your audience are:

• Demographics.
• Engagement.
• Stage of the customer journey.

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Put it to the A/B test.

Sometimes we make assumptions about our customers. We think we know what they want to see from us, but we won’t know for sure until we test it out. And sometimes the results will surprise you! 

A/B test email campaigns to see what is working with your audience. Here are some elements you could test:

• Subject lines.
• Call to action buttons.
• Promotions.
• The tone of voice in your content.
• Types of email content.

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3. Optimised landing pages.

A landing page is a webpage designed with a specific goal in mind - usually to capture visitors’ information and drive conversions. Visitors will often be sent to a landing page after clicking on an ad, promotional link, or search result. 

Landing pages are a clever way to keep your visitor’s attention focused. Landing pages can help increase conversions by growing your audience quickly. They also lower marketing costs since they’re a low-effort way to get high returns. 

Here are some landing page best practices:

• A simple and clean design.
• Each distinct offer should have its own landing page. 
• Add social proof and product reviews.
• Include an irresistible CTA.
• Measure the landing page’s results and improve over time.

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4. Stellar product images.

For an e-commerce store, product images have the power to make or break a sale. 

Product images need to be accurate and clear. They should enhance the product’s description and fit in with your branding.

When taking your product images, think of the product’s use case. It can be super valuable to have clear images of your product on a white background and photos demonstrating the product in use. For example, if you’re selling action cameras, you could have clear and simple product images and photos showing the camera in water, skiing, and hiking. 

In addition to great product images, a product explainer video can elevate your product page and help your brand stand out. 

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5. Product copywriting that packs a punch. 

Marketing without quality copywriting is like a restaurant in a beautiful setting with terrible food. It fails to live up to its full potential, and no one’s going back for more. 

Copywriting is powerful. It captures attention, alters perspectives, and resonates with the reader. But ultimately, the goal of great copywriting is to drive action. 

Great product copywriting is a necessity for e-commerce businesses. It should concisely describe the product’s benefits and address any of the buyer’s concerns. Ultimately, product copywriting should eloquently strike a balance between information and persuasion. 

Here are some ways that exceptional copy can help your product pages convert:

• Will boost your sales by presenting benefits rather than just product features.
• Helps you establish your product’s unique value proposition.
• Copywriters will understand your audience and how to connect to them. 
• Presents complicated information in a straightforward yet educational way. 
• You can measure copywriting results and gain valuable learnings. 

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Conclusion

As the saying goes “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” For most businesses, ads are incredibly effective at attracting the buyer, but it takes a combination of other factors to make that coveted sale. 

Optimising other elements of your marketing strategy can ensure that your business is strong on all fronts. Some of the most important elements to consider are a simple purchase experience, excellent email marketing, optimised landing pages, great product images, and quality product copywriting. With these, you’ll be well-positioned to amplify the efficacy of your ad campaigns. 

When it comes to running ads, Blend can be your secret weapon. Blend connects to your online store and helps you measure the impact your ads have on revenue. With the ability to test your ads across new channels, you can find out which is right for your brand and audience. Try Blend out here to start maximising your ad spend!