Boost Your Business with Marketing Tips Old and New

With marketing methods that are constantly changing, it can be tough keeping up. But it can also be easy to get caught up in all the trends and forget about some of the tried-and-true methods that still really work.

In this week's Small Business Trends Community News and Information Roundup, members of the online small business community share both. You'll find old tried-and-true techniques that have never gone out of style and newer tips that will help put your business ahead.

Read on for the full list.

Get Your Customers Talking with Referrals and Word of Mouth

(Grasshopper)

Word of mouth marketing can still be one of the most effective techniques out there. Many consumers are just more likely to believe and act on messages from other consumers, rather than those that come right from businesses. Kaleigh Moore shares some ways your business can get customers talking and gain referrals.

Don't Forget About Direct Mail

(Lob)

When you think about new marketing trends, direct mail is probably not one of the first things that comes to mind. But offline techniques like this one can still be effective with the right market and the right strategy. Adelyn Zhou discusses some of the benefits and features of effective direct mail marketing.

Create Content That Search Engines Fall Over Themselves to Rank

(Content Champion)

With so many different SEO strategies out there, it can be easy to forget one of the oldest (and most effective ones): creating good content. Loz James shares some strategies for creating content that is both quality and likely to improve your SEO. The BizSugar community also weighed in on the topic.

Create Offers to Increase Online Conversion Rates

(Riverbed Marketing)

The channels that businesses use to reach customers are constantly changing. But the ideas behind them are much more stable. You need to find out what customers want and create offers that will get them interested. Todd Mumford discusses how creating offers online can increase your conversion rates.

Use Psychology to Improve Checkout Page Conversions

(Neil Patel)

No matter what methods of marketing you use, you always have to think like a customer. Consider what part of the process might make them feel a certain way and how that could impact their buying behavior. When it comes to online shopping, there are plenty of thoughts and emotions that could impact whether customers actually complete their purchases. So, you can actually use psychology to improve checkout page conversions, according to Neil Patel.

Identify Targets for Search Engine Marketing

(Don't Panic Mgmt)

Your search engine marketing, along with any other marketing efforts, won't work unless you have a clearly identified target audience. For some tips on how to best identify targets for your search engine marketing strategy, according to Andrew Hanson.

Use Google Analytics to Measure Engagement on Your Blog

(RazorSocial)

You're likely already aware of the power of Google Analytics. But simply measuring your pageviews and referrers isn't always enough. Just as with any type of business or marketing method, you need to be able to measure engagement. Ian Cleary shares some tips for measuring engagement using Google Analytics. BizSugar members also shared thoughts on the post.

Activate Data to Engage the Right Individual

(Marketing Land)

The types of data that businesses have access to when it comes to their target audiences has increased greatly in recent years. But what hasn't changed is the need to reach customers on an individual level. Luckily, you can actually use data to better engage with individual customers, per Jeff Hirsch.

Boost SEO by Commenting on Blogs

(Allin1Social)

Much fuss has been made about the death of the blog. And it's true that some of the community aspects of blogging have fallen by the wayside in recent years as different social platforms have stepped in. But commenting on blogs in your niche can still be a viable strategy for improving your own blog's SEO if done correctly. Cristina Hontanilla discusses acceptable methods for doing so.

Keep Up with Technology Trends

(The Franchise King)

The one constant with technology is that it's always changing. Your business, no matter the industry or target audience, needs some kind of technology to function. You have to keep up with at least the most prevalent tech trends, some of which are included in an infographic and discussed by Joel Libava.

Want to see your favorite content in an upcoming community roundup? Send links or suggestions to [email protected] or simply share them in the BizSugar community.

Word of Mouth Photo via Shutterstock

Source: Boost Your Business with Marketing Tips Old and New