Mar
23
2017
1 – Internet marketing should answer sensory questions
One of the great things that Alaskan has going for it is the plethora of resources to grab attention with content that evokes emotion in people. Alaska is big, bold, beautiful, and quirky, and is different than anywhere else in the United States. It will always grab people’s attention if used right. Simply put: emotional marketing.
Every piece of content, be it an image or blog or webpage, should have the function of answering questions that your customers have - keep them related to the 5 senses plus a debatable 6th sense of memory. That is internet marketing at its finest. And don't over-think these questions. They are always simple, like:
- What does the inside of your [you fill in the blank] look like?
- What is the experience of your business like (i.e. what will they remember)?
- What should I expect to [see, feel, hear] if I choose your business.
Answering sensory questions provides quality information to customers. The secondary benefit of always asking, “What question does this answer?” is that your content is always delivered with purpose.
2 - Let people market for you - point to your reviews
If you're like me, then you don't go many places without reading reviews. Ultimately, reviews are the one of the best internet marketing tool, and the best part about reveiws are that they are free. Places like Yelp, TripAdvisor, testemonial pages, social media: most people will haunt these places to get the beat on what to expect from your business.
Bad reviews can and will kill a business. Especially for businesses - like many Alaskan businesses - who rely on the tourism's industry. One of the first thing I do with clients when auditing their website, content, and marketing strategy, is to make sure they are obviously pointing people towards their reviews (TripAdvisor, LonelyPlanet, etc.).
Of course, to garner rave reviews, make sure that you ask customers to review you, and go a bit out of your way to really impress customers.
3 – Alaska marketing should feature nature
When family or friends come up here, I am continuously surprised about how many completely wrong assumptions people have about coming here. "Isn't it like, light all the time during summer." "How cold is it there?" "Curiosity plays a huge role in tourists' interest in Alaska. Ask anyone from the lower 48 about the first three things they think about Alaska, and I am willing to bet for most people it would be:
- The weather;
- Wildlife and bugs; and
- Unadulterated nature.
No Alaskan business should miss such a perfect opportunity to incorporate nature oriented content – pictures, stories, videos etc. – onto a website, social media, blog, and so on. It’s an attention grabber. Don't miss a chance to provide customers with resources either.
4 – Blogging about Alaska is best internet marketing plan
I’ve written in great detail before about why businesses should have a blog; blogs are especially relevant for Alaskan internet marketing plans because they are a fantastic way to answer questions. Even just a couple of blogs per month will give your business personality, a solid sense of experience and values, and a great place to show off how great your business is.
Here are 4 reasons why blogs matter.
5 - Active on the right social media platforms
Modern internet marketing more and more boils down to this basic fact - being an authority. It looks like this:
- Create awesome content (a picture, video, graphic, etc.);
- Share it on social media / highlight it on website;
- Grow circles and drive traffic.
Of course, being modern involves two things: first taht you are ACTIVE on social media; and that your business is on the social media platforms where your customers are. Both of these points are exceptionally important for Alaska internet marketing because your ability to an authority will be one of - if not the - primary influencer of whether tourists choose you or a competitor.
So make sure you are actively posting, and are posting where your customers are.