13 Digital Marketing Techniques to Boost Sales

Every successful Xerox channel partner has a unique story. It doesn’t matter how large or small the organization, their technical aptitude, or the size of their marketing budget. It’s the ability to strategize, plan, and execute that makes the difference.

Many small actions add up to big gains

In the case of Fort Collins, Colorado-based Professional Document Solutions(PDS), a series of seemingly small actions were carefully executed over a five-month period. The stunning results include tripling website visitors, doubling social media followers, improved search engine rankings, and measurable growth in revenue.

I spoke with Ben DeVries, PDS Solution Specialist, and Terry Knight, Marketing Administrator, to find out how they gained so much traction in such a short time.

PDS began with a set of problems common to many Xerox Agents: an outdated mobile unfriendly website, no time for social media, and a lack of original content on their blog. Let’s take a look at a few of the critical steps they took to turn things around:

Nine website improvement techniques

1. On April 21, 2015 Google began penalizing search rankings of mobile unfriendly websites. In order to beat the deadline, Terry and Ben set to work crafting not only a mobile-friendly site, but also a unique customer-centric experience.
2. Interactive elements like high-quality graphics and video tutorials were created and used to engage and educate site visitors.
3. A storefront was added complete with images, specs, and videos. Now visitors can buy hardware and supplies through PDS online. This e-commerce solution reduced time spent on smaller deals and is a thriving new revenue stream.
4. Google Analytics monitoring improved Search Engine Optimization (SEO) by showing where site traffic was coming from and which pages on the site were visited most.
5. Social media accounts and the website were cross-linked. Follow buttons were added to the website and homepage links were added to social profiles.
6. Spammy backlinks found with Google Webmaster Tools were disavowed and links on directory sites like Yellow Pages and Merchant Circle were created. Both of those actions help SEO rankings tremendously.
7. Google My Business was utilized to increase visibility in local search.
8. JetPack and MailChimp accounts were set up to automatically send the latest blogs to newsletter subscribers.
9. A newsletter sign up form was added, inviting site visitors to join the PDS community.

Four social media and content creation techniques

With about 70% of the buyer’s journey now done digitally, PDS understood social media’s role in helping establish expertise and trustworthiness online before meeting buyers in person.

10. Social media accounts were activated; Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, and Facebook were all set up. Audience engagement became a priority and Facebook and Google+ proved to be the best platforms for PDS.
11. Through Facebook advertising and Conversion Pixels, an ROI booster, PDS doubled Facebook likes in just three months. Ben and Terry quickly discovered, “Learn conversion pixels or you’ll waste money.”
12. In addition to posting their own content on social media, they also scheduled Xerox-provided posts through the Xerox Social On Demand Ben says, “Curating content from Xerox for social media posts not only saves time but actually boosts engagement because the post quality is so high.”
13. Original content became a top priority. They began blogging and creating videos about interesting topics. They highlighted unusual use-cases like this video tour of the Greely Plains Library’s new print-from-home solution using Xerox.

Ben and Terry worked together to build a successful marketing platform for PDS and it’s working well to drive new business in more ways than expected. Recently, other Xerox Agents across the country began asking their advice. Currently, not only are Ben and Terry actively building PDS, they are also helping other Xerox Agents build out and update their websites, SEO, e-commerce, and social media platforms.

The basic stepping-stones for success are simple to follow once you have the right tools and knowledge. Ben and Terry are happy to help. Some might say it’s a combination of the tips and tricks above that made the difference for PDS. I think it’s in their tag line:

We do the right thing… Always!

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