“Master the topic, the message, and the delivery.”
– Steve Jobs
Fostering New Connections and Engaging Your Audience
When done successfully, online marketing can be a powerful tool in driving business growth, reach, and revenue. However, the world of online marketing can be vast and intimidating for businesses big and small, with a plethora of options, strategies, and tools to choose from. Here, local business leaders share how they approach their online marketing to stand out in the crowd.
Chattanooga Whiskey
Chuck Lyle, Vice President of Marketing
What are some of the online marketing tools you utilize? We continue to build our community through our social media platforms to keep them informed on product releases, events, or any news we may have, like winning the Icons of Whiskey 2023 Craft Producer of the Year! We also have a newsletter that fans can subscribe to, where we announce news and our latest batch releases.
How has online marketing contributed to your brand’s success? Chattanooga Whiskey began with a Facebook post in 2011 with a simple question: “Would you drink Chattanooga whiskey?” We received an overwhelmingly positive response and we knew we had to bring whiskey back to Chattanooga. From there the “Vote Whiskey” campaign was launched with community support behind us. “The Whiskey Bill” passed and was signed into law on May 16, 2013. Chattanooga Whiskey would not be possible without this community, which began by communicating to our fans through social media.
Can you share some of your online marketing process and the strategy behind it? We share as much information as possible on our releases, how they are made, and why they matter to us. Right now on Instagram we are trying to do more moving content like reels, because Instagram pushes those to your followers more. We stay true and authentic to who we are. Any way we can tell our story of going above and beyond to make the best whiskey possible helps us grow fans.
The Double Cola Company
Katrina Farmer, Marketing Manager
What are some marketing strategies that have been successful for your business?We utilize strategies such as content marketing, SEO, email marketing, social media, paid advertising and more. It’s important to create a cohesive strategy that utilizes several of these tactics to maximize your online presence and reach your marketing objectives. For example, with content marketing, the key is to offer content that educates, entertains, or solves problems for our audience, with the goal of establishing ourselves as a thought leader and building trust.
How have marketing tools helped you stand out and better serve your clients? Marketing tools have revolutionized the way we attract, engage, and retain customers. By leveraging technology, data, and automation, we can deliver targeted, personalized, and seamless experiences that drive customer satisfaction, loyalty, and growth. Marketing tools help facilitate communication and engagement with existing and potential customers across various channels, provide us with access to valuable data and analytics, and help us gain a competitive edge in our industry.
What challenges do you face in online marketing and how do you navigate them? The online landscape is highly competitive. To navigate this challenge, we focus on differentiation by identifying and communicating our unique value proposition through branding, content, and messaging. In addition, measuring the return on investment (ROI) and accurately attributing conversions to specific marketing efforts can be challenging, so we establish clear goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) for our marketing campaigns. Finally, technology continues to evolve rapidly, so we foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning, and collaborate with technology partners and industry experts.
CHI Memorial
Ronelle Sellers, Market Director, Marketing and Communications for TN/GA
What have been some successful online marketing campaigns for your organization?We recently ran two YouTube ad campaigns, one for our cancer center and the other for our stroke institute, and we were extremely pleased with the results. We have an in-house videographer who produces many of our videos, then fine tunes the placement to provide us with the highest return on ad spend. Our latest marketing initiative is aimed at our internal audience. We used crowdsourcing to allow our staff to share their best ideas for the hospital, then the system serves our staff with two different options and the system ranks the options based on the votes.
How does online marketing help your organization stand out? Online marketing helps us promote the kind and compassionate care of our nurses, physicians, and staff through fun and engaging photos and posts on social media. Paid social allows us to engage our audience with the goal of building preference through relevant and timely messaging. YouTube allows us to keep our brand top of mind with a constant online video presence. We love sharing the wonderful things happening in our healthcare system that benefit our patients. Overall, online marketing helps us create bite-sized content that is easy to share and educates our audience.
How does online marketing help you reach potential customers? We are able to educate the community about our specialty services and encourage patients to seek care. We use online reputation management tools to ensure accurate information and to generate reviews and address patient concerns. We have used geofencing and geotargeting in our recruiting efforts, service line outreach, and even for our symposiums.
The Finery House
Janie Colbaugh, Founder & Owner
What are some marketing strategies that have been successful for your business? We heavily prioritize viewer engagement. Pairing this with an event-based strategy helps create buzz around our jewelry launches and in-store experiences, creating trust and growing engagement. Our goals in digital marketing aim to convert browsers into buyers and eventually loyal, long-term customers. Through inbound marketing, we are able to build relationships that drive sales and produce repeat customers. This is developed from a layered ecosystem of content and email marketing, lead nurturing, SEO, marketing automation, and website optimization.
What online marketing tools do you enjoy using? Our marketing efforts on Instagram have developed into an integral part of our business growth and accessibility. Instagram has provided a proficient means to allow our businesses an open door to a larger audience based on demographic and geographic information. After developing an effective strategy, we often present a behind-the-scenes view of who we are. When we remove that veil, it creates mass exposure in a way that other platforms can’t match, helping people feel connected with our products and mission and making it more attractive and trustworthy.
Can you share an example of a recently successful online marketing campaign? Our “Unlock the Ring” campaign was centered around a very successful in-person event, which we attribute to the unique concept and digital promotion. In 2023, we sold 10 times more engagement rings than we anticipated so we decided to give away a $15,000 engagement ring. Promotion for this event was as important as the event itself. We developed an inbound strategy to generate event interest, increase brand awareness, and ultimately drive more conversions and attention.
The Designery
Casey Ridley, Founder & President
What are some marketing strategies that have been successful for your business? Our blog serves as a hub for insightful articles, design tips, and captivating before-and-after showcases, allowing homeowners to envision their dream spaces. Our social media strategy revolves around showcasing the beauty and craftsmanship of our projects. We also recognize the importance of being visible to potential customers when they’re in search of kitchen, bath, and closet solutions, so we place a significant emphasis on SEO to ensure our website ranks prominently in search engine results for relevant keywords.
How does online marketing help you reach potential customers? Utilizing online advertising platforms such as Google Ads and social media ads enable us to pinpoint specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. By tailoring our ad campaigns to match the profiles of our ideal customers, we attract more qualified leads and broaden our customer base. By tapping into digital channels, we can connect with potential customers in new markets and demographics.
What challenges do you face in online marketing and how do you navigate them? As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the algorithms of social media and search engines play a significant role in our online visibility and reach. We stay vigilant, keeping abreast of algorithm changes and adapting our marketing strategies accordingly. Additionally, with the increasing focus on data privacy and security, it’s paramount for us to handle customer data responsibly and adhere to regulations. We implement robust security measures to safeguard customer information and maintain transparency in our data practices, which fosters trust and maintains our positive online reputation.
One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®
Danny Baker, Owner
What are some marketing strategies that have been successful for your business? Prior to implementing digital marketing tactics, we do
a thorough review of our competition and business segment and from that research, create a marketing and communication strategy. The abundance of data available with digital marketing allows us to continually evaluate category trends, competitive initiatives, and what is and what is not working. Additionally, we listen closely to what our customers have to say about our service and their experience with others in our industry. This approach allows us to fine-tune our messaging across all of our digital marketing initiatives so we are able to accentuate why Chattanooga area homeowners should choose One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®.
What online marketing tools do you find to be the most effective and why? Social platforms have allowed us to raise awareness for our brand and specific offers, such as our 24/7 service, two-year 100% satisfaction guarantee, and “on time or you don’t pay a dime.” In addition, on-page and off-page search engine optimization initiatives, along with Google Ads, ensure we are easy to find when homeowners need our services.
How have marketing tools helped you stand out and better serve your clients? There are several things that help us stand out. First, it is our competitive messaging. Second is the digital marketing tactics that we choose to build awareness for our brand and most successfully reach Chattanooga area homeowners when they are looking for our services. Third is the way our messaging is presented between the use of visuals, video, copy, and special offers so that we stand out and easily convey why we are the best choice for our customers.
