When trying to attract customers to your business, you’ll likely have a lot of competition — especially online. These days, everyone is trying to establish their digital footprint and using their website, social media, PPC ads, blog posts, whitepapers, videos, and other tools to accomplish their goals.
Distinguishing your company from the crowd can seem daunting, especially in the early days of your business. However, with the right strategy, it’s entirely possible; you’ll just need to put your creativity to work.
Here are a few tips to incorporate into your upper funnel marketing strategy to see increased traffic and brand awareness, two elements that are critical for all businesses.
1. Don’t Copy What Everyone Else Is Doing
In the early days of your business, it can be tempting to look at your most successful competitors and emulate exactly what they offer. That’s a mistake and will likely cost you a lot of time and money if you pursue that avenue.
If you offer the exact same product, service, and marketing strategy as your competition, why would people choose your company? Your competitor probably already has many positive reviews, social media followers, and a devoted audience.
You need to find a way to differentiate yourself. Look at what you have to offer, and create a compelling message that captures your audience’s attention. The more unique your advertising strategy is, the more likely you are to organically attract an audience interested in what you have to offer.
2. Carefully Evaluate Your Competition
While you don’t want to copy their strategies, you’ll still want to understand what they’re doing. You’ll want to carefully evaluate your competitors when devising your upper funnel marketing strategy. What channels are they using to attract their audience? What product or service features make them stand out? What type of content are they creating, and how do they position it in front of their audience?
Once you understand your competitor’s strategy, you can use it as a starting point for your upper funnel marketing plan. Their techniques can serve as inspiration. Look for holes in their marketing techniques and fill in the gaps with yours.
3. Know Your Audience
Your top-of-funnel strategy should attract the people who need your products or services. You should understand their pain points, their demographics, where they spend their time online, and their behaviors. When you know your audience, you can devise a top-of-funnel marketing strategy that appeals to their interests.
Also, take a look at your past clients. What do they have in common? How did they find your company? What did they buy? Understanding your current audience and what attracted them to your company allows you to further optimize your upper funnel marketing strategy to bring in similar clients.
4. Think Outside the Box
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and PPC ads are all common platforms and tools that your competitors are likely using to reach an audience at the top of the funnel. However, if you really want to stand out, consider unique platforms that everyone else isn’t already on.
For instance, connected TV is in its early stages of growth. Connected TV ads display on streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu. They’re similar to traditional commercials, but they offer greater customization options. You can target your connected TV ads to reach people who previously visited your website or individuals who follow you on social media.
Running CTV ads is a great way to increase brand awareness while standing out from competitors. Since not everyone is on the connected TV boat, you’ll distinguish yourself from those who aren’t, increasing the potential for customer engagement.
5. Educate Your Audience
Ads are great for getting your company’s name out there. However, if your audience doesn’t need your products or services, they’ll likely forget about you. Instead of focusing only on the sale, try to give your audience something they value, such as information.
Chances are that your clients have inquiries and problems that you can address through relevant content. Your content should address their issues while remaining consistent with what you sell.
For instance, if you run a hotel, your clients would likely appreciate tips on great restaurants or activities in the area. You could create blog posts that speak to those needs, potentially increasing traffic to your website and generating interest among your target audience.
An Effective Upper Funnel Marketing Strategy Will Naturally Bring Customers to You
Crafting a compelling upper-funnel marketing strategy isn’t easy, especially if you have lots of competition. However, if you differentiate yourself and stay abreast of your competitors, you’ll find success. Use our tips to get started.
