Marketing experts say that digital marketing is moving to an omni-channel approach. It’s actually already there because omni-channel ultimately means mixing up your content, posts and ads across multiple platforms, including content marketing, social media, video, email marketing, SEO and search PPC.

Dominating a single platform (like Facebook) isn’t enough. Yet you can repurpose the same or similar content in a different format on other channels. For example, you can upload a video to YouTube, and then upload it to Facebook as well instead of just sharing the link. Facebook algorithms tend to prefer videos uploaded directly to the platform. You can also create images for your blogs and share them on Pinterest in home improvement boards with a link to your website. And you can share those images on Instagram with hashtags related to your city or neighborhood as well as your helpful topic.

Plus, email marketing is still a strong tool for your toolbox, especially considering the price of delivery for you and the convenience of access for the recipient. According to stats from Emailmonday.com, 68.9% of recipients view marketing emails on their smartphones two to three days per week.

Also, remember that “relevance” is key. Marketing funnels should be used more to build trust instead of simply pushing your offer. You do that by providing relevant content that nurtures the lead. That gets back to the simple principle of focusing less on yourself and how awesome your company is and more on your customers and what’s in it for them.

When you’re double-checking ROI for your digital efforts, don’t look so hard at the numbers that you overlook the image you’re building in your market. Your continued presence creates awareness that establishes your credibility and reputation, and prospects will know who you are when they have a need.

Prepare for Voice Search

The move to voice search by many consumers is one of the bigger trends capturing the attention of marketers. With voice search, someone asks a question into a smartphone instead of typing keywords into a search box. Or they ask their other smart devices (such as Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, Google Home and Microsoft Cortana).

The latest research shows that two out of five adults are using voice search. It’s popular among all ages, and usage continues to increase. It’s predicted that by 2020, 50% of all Internet searches will be voice-based.

According to stats compiled by MarketKeep that have application to contractors:

  • 31% of voice searchers have searched for a business
  • 44% of voice searchers have researched a product or service
  • 31% of voice searchers have compared products or services

To be prepared for voice search, try to anticipate the questions customers will ask instead of just the keywords they will enter. Write content in a conversational voice that provides an answer to the questions people will be asking. This could be: Who repairs heaters? How do I get this smell out of my house? Why are my lights blinking? How do I thaw frozen pipes?

Also, create a Google Business profile if you haven’t already, which is one more way Google can include you in its results.