Buyer behavior and the economy is changing at an unprecedented pace.
We’ve seen drastic changes in consumer buying behavior, as well as disruption to manufacturing, logistics, and more areas.
That’s why it’s important for digital companies to pivot quickly.
Now, more than ever, you must reach customers in the most cost-effective way possible
Pushing your product through the wrong channel during sensitive periods of time is not only costly – it can backfire dramatically.
Are you organically connecting with people who are actively seeking information about the unique problem your product or service can solve?
This article explores search marketing strategies to increase your company’s visibility in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible.
Choosing the Right Marketing Channel
Why are you pursuing a presence on the digital platforms you’re on?
Did you read an article that voice search is the future or that webinars are the best way to generate B2B leads?
Many companies take a reactive approach to search marketing.
Most marketing teams try to cover as many channels as possible and scramble to rearrange marketing budgets as necessary.
Reacting can be extremely costly.
Is your team wasting time and resources building a channel that ultimately won’t return value?
How do you know which channels will return the highest value?
Want to learn which marketing channels will be the most effective?
Then understand how your potential buyers process information.
Does your marketing campaign use the same language as your customers, through the medium they naturally process information?
Learning results from what the buyer does and thinks.
We all process information at our own pace, in our own way.
You can advance brand awareness by speaking with your audience at the touchpoints they go to learn.
What Are the Different Types of Learning Styles?
The idea of individualized learning styles really took off in the 1970s.
But it was Neil Fleming’s VARK model (1993) that has become the most widely used framework today.
VARK is an acronym for four learning styles:
- Visual.
- Auditory.
- Reading-writing.
- Kinesthetic .
Let’s look at these four learning styles.
Visual (Spatial)
Visual learners relate best to written notes, diagrams, and pictures.
To process what they are thinking they will write out their thoughts or sketch out a mind map.
Typically, a visual learner can easily visualize plans and outcomes, enjoys drawing, and rarely gets lost.
Strategies that work:
Auditory (Aural)
The majority of musicians are auditory learners.
Aural, or auditory learners, need to hear step-by-step directions of what to do.
They have no interest in reading long blog articles.
They depend on hearing the information.
Is there a member of your team who rhythmically taps his/her fingers on their knee while working?
This can be a telltale sign of an auditory learner.
Strategies that work:
Reading/Writing (Linguistic)
Linguistic learners receive input best through a combination of verbal instruction and writing.
While studying something new, they may read a blog or article aloud while jotting down key takeaways.
If you find yourself reading a few of these aloud to yourself, you may be a verbal learner.
Strategies that work:
Kinesthetic (Physical)
More commonly known as “hands-on,” or a physical learner, they prefer an activity.
Sitting through a lecture or reading instructions are a waste of time.
They are the “jump in and get your hands dirty” type.
You know the coworker who is extremely animated and always needs to be moving?
This is a sign of rare and valuable learning ability.
It is because of they’re kinesthetic nature that they are very good at using and picking up on body language.
Strategies that work:
- Video.
- Video ads.
- Social media ads.
- Subscription boxes.
- Gamification UX.
A multiple intelligence theory developed by Dr. Howard Gardner (1983) expanded further to include:
Social (Interpersonal)
Social learners are individuals who seem to be involved in every community activity.
They enjoy engaging with others and working in teams.
They need feedback from their peers and oftentimes will “tap the hive.”
Interpersonal learners listen well and empathize with what others are thinking.
That’s why people tend to ask social learners for advice and enjoy bouncing ideas off of them.
Strategies that work:
- Exclusive chat groups.
- Online conferencing.
- Social media.
Solitary Learners
Researchers and authors often have a strong solitary learning style.
They require introspective reflection to fully process information and tend to be most concerned with goals and outcomes.
Simply put, they prefer to learn on their own and tend to keep to themselves.
Logical Learners
This is a unique way of learning.
Logical learners can easily recognize patterns and connect otherwise meaningless concepts with ease.
They are most interested in understanding the why behind a piece of content or strategy.
Logical learners like to extract key points from the material into neat, organized lists.
Applying Learning Styles to Search Marketing
Once you have identified your audience’s learning style, apply those methods to your marketing strategy.
How your audience learns should influence what channel your marketing campaign utilizes.
You don’t need to blanket cover every digital marketing channel.
You also don’t need to jump on every search marketing trend.
What you need to do is maximize your marketing budget.
Here is how to speak to your audience in the way they process information.
Marketing Channels by Learning Style
Video
- YouTube.
- Facebook Live.
- Video embed.
Visual and kinesthetic learners are all about touch and movement.
They need a visualization or hands-on project to process information.
Working in a digital space we’re not always able to provide a physical experience – unless you can integrate gamification or subscription boxes into your business model.
But, most of us are able to invite the user to partake in a How-To exercise.
Invite your audience to follow along with one of your processes using video marketing.
For example, ask your audience to take out a pen and paper and write out a cost per acquisition equation while you model the equation on a whiteboard.
You can show your audience where they can go to access the information needed if not readily available.
If you’re uncomfortable with the spotlight or your makeshift home office isn’t the best backdrop, consider a demonstration with pictures turned into a moving slideshow or a screen share.
Try to focus on an activity that elicits the movement of an object.
Bruce Clay offers a great example of a visual (+physical) demonstration using a jar of marbles to explain website silo architecture that would make a wonderful demonstration video for visual and kinesthetic learners.
Podcasts
- Spotify.
- Audible (audiobooks).
- Buzzsprout.
There’s a reason Google came out with a text-to-speech extension that lets users listen to webpages.
Rhythm and songs help us learn our alphabet, planets, months of the year, and safety precautions like “stop,” “drop,” and “roll.”
I bet you can think of a favorite childhood jingle right now.
For auditory learners, sound, rhythm, and music are essential to processing information.
Similar to auditory learning, linguistic learners use rhyme and rhythm.
When creating content, consider how it sounds when read aloud.
Try to integrate dramatic speech or apply mnemonics that use first letters of the words to ensure key points stick.
Webinars
- Zoom.
- Skype Groups.
- Online Conferences.
Because of the global shift to working from home, conferences and private groups are now happening virtually.
Zoom has become a popular platform with its unique background screen feature.
A social learner needs meetings, peer reviews, and workshops.
It’s all about interaction and collaboration.
They are the muse behind the popular “could have been an email meme.”
Inbound Marketing
- Statistics.
- Template.
- Spreadsheet.
- Research article.
Solitary and logical learners need to see the end goal and understand why it is important to them.
They will turn to search engines or a trusted news site (like ) to begin researching a topic.
Provide them with the why upfront, stick to the facts, and offer a takeaway (downloadable) to study on their own.
Note: logical learners tend to overanalyze things and will fall down the rabbit hole.
Reel them back in using fact-packed newsletters and retargeting ads.
Bonus: Pay Per Click
- Search network.
- Display network.
- Social media.
- Video.
As far as marketing channels go, PPC is so diverse and can be used to appeal to any learning style.
Google Ads will connect you with the solitary and logical learners who are beginning to research products, services, or information you can provide.
Display ads, within Google’s search network or a social network like Facebook, create demand by introducing your brand to visual and social learners.
When managed properly, pay-per-click advertising is an unbeatable force.
This article by Katy Lucey will help you match PPC platforms with your campaign goals.
Learning styles are a simple, powerful tool to communicate with your audience effectively.
Become aware of how your target audience processes information.
This will make you uniquely positioned to fulfill their needs and ease their pain points.
Now go create a highly effective customer experience that competitors simply can’t touch!
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Image Credits
Featured Image: Created by author, April 2020
