Written by: Natasha Zo, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
A great marketing plan is critical if you want to own a thriving business. No one knows this more than James Patrick. The best-selling author, podcast host, and entrepreneur coach is passionate about teaching life, health and fitness coaches how to boost their overall sales and brand visibility. He also recently founded the annual conference FITposium to further help fitness entrepreneurs build their brand. Read on to discover five of his best digital marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition in 2021.
Why is it important for entrepreneurs to have a digital marketing strategy?
Millions of people have turned to online commerce, especially since the start of the pandemic in 2020. As a result, it’s essential that you use innovative digital marketing strategies so you can stand out from the rest and increase your sales.
James learned firsthand how difficult marketing could be when he graduated college with a journalism degree and discovered he didn’t learn how to best position himself to get a job in his field and market his skills. He eventually landed a marketing job and spent over a decade gaining valuable digital marketing, business development, and client management skills while selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products and services.
After James launched his own fitness photography business, he became a coach after seeing other fitness professionals making the same mistakes he made years ago because they didn’t understand how to build and market their own brands. He has been featured as a marketing expert on various TV shows, podcasts, and media outlets including Fitness Magazine, Oxygen, and Business Insider. His outstanding photography skills have earned him over three dozen ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation. James also received the SAAEMA Marketing Professional of the Year Award and the Next Gen Award from the American Advertising Federation by the Tucson, Arizona Chapter.
Save Time with the Pinnacle Content System
James uses the Pinnacle Content System to prevent business owners from getting overwhelmed with the content creation process. The Pinnacle Content System allows you to develop one piece of “pinnacle” content and break it up into smaller pieces so you’ll have enough content for the rest of the week. This simple yet efficient exercise allows you to focus on coming up with 52 content ideas instead of one for every day of the week. Here’s an example of how the system works:
Create a video and publish it online.
Transcribe the video content and upload the written content as a blog.
Publish the written transcription as part of your company’s email newsletter.
Take a quote from the video and turn it into an image for Instagram or Pinterest.
Upload the video’s audio to a podcast platform like Spotify or Apple.
Post the full video on Instagram and Facebook.
Create Instagram and Facebook ads using short video clips.
Drive Audience Growth by Making Content Others Want to Save and Share with Others
Many brands make content based on what they think will please the social media platform’s algorithm. Instead of wishing that your content goes viral, James recommends that you grow your audience by providing valuable content.
He reasons that when you consistently post entertaining, informative, or inspiring content, your target audience will want to save and share it with other people. This digital marketing tactic can lead to greater organic growth over a period of time since your content will most likely be prioritized on the person’s feed after they save or share your content.
Personally Interact with Your Audience to Boost Audience Engagement
In a world where almost every business is trying to outsource or automate as much as they can, the majority of customers anticipate that they are interacting with a chatbot or artificial intelligence whenever they contact a brand online. Your business can stand out from the competition if you connect with your audience on social media.
When your target audience realizes that you or your employees personally take the time to reply to their comments or answer their questions, it will build up their trust in your brand and help build a genuine connection with your customers. This can help increase goodwill and build a loyal following so they’re more likely to purchase from you than a competitor in the future.
Build Your Own Email Lists
Another digital marketing strategy recommendation is to focus on email marketing. Although social media marketing is important, it can be unpredictable and your content may not always reach your followers due to changes in the algorithm. Emails lists are valuable because they allow you to connect with potential customers without social media platforms acting as a middle man. That’s why it’s important for you to either rent an email list or gradually build up your own - or try a combination of both.
The best way to collect emails is to provide a lead magnet or something of value like an ebook, online course, or report that your target audience will find valuable. The people who opt-in and share their email addresses and other personal information are more likely to make a purchase in the future.
Leverage SMS Text Marketing to Increase Sales
Lastly, SMS text marketing is a clever digital marketing strategy that can keep you way ahead of the competition. While email marketing works, it’s not as effective as it used to be ten or twenty years ago before “spamming” became popular. Now the average open rate for email marketing has fallen to around 18%, while SMS marketing has a 98% open rate in comparison. Simply offer an incentive like a coupon for people to opt-in and you’re in luck!
Overall, engaging with your audience and using an efficient content creation system to create valuable content along with text and email marketing can take your business to the next level. Speaking of... James has a 6th tip that you are going to want to have as it will help you drastically increase your income in 2021. Simply text James at +1 (480) 605-3254 or follow him on Instagram @JPatrickPhoto to find out more!
Natasha Zo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Natasha Zo is a former journalist from Siberia turned international media relations specialist. She is a founder of Cosa Famosa media - a boutique PR agency on a mission to amplify messages of conscious leaders, health, and wellness entrepreneurs through earned media. Known for her connector skills, she guided a number of authors to Amazon bestseller status, booked national TV, top-tier media, and over 400 podcast interviews.
