In both sales and marketing collaterals, marketing collateral can be thought of as the group of marketing tools utilized to support a sales proposal. Historically, the word “collaterals” in sales and marketing communications generally referred to business cards, pamphlets, or handouts developed as promotional sales support tools. As business and marketing managers have become more aware of the need to develop targeted sales tools, the collaterals that were previously categorized as simple marketing tools have evolved into much more specialized forms. While most companies still market through these types of collaterals, a growing number of sales and marketing managers are using digital collaterals such as e-mails, video, and social media networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to further promote their companies.
E-mails have become one of the more commonly used digital marketing collateral types. Businesses commonly utilize e-mail marketing collateral to: build client relationships, gather feedback on their products and services, and to distribute information about promotions and special offers. A well-designed e-mail marketing collateral campaign can significantly improve a company’s reputation in the eyes of its customers and clients. This type of digital marketing collateral should include all of the necessary contact information, including a company website, toll-free phone numbers, physical address, and e-mail addresses.
Another digital marketing tool often used in conjunction with other collateral types is member magazines. Member magazines can play a significant role as marketing tools because they can be distributed to a large number of target audiences through various distribution channels. One method of distributing these magazines is through membership clubs such as Weight Watchers and American Fitness Network. These organizations target their members based on their demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and fitness level and then target these members with multiple forms of advertising including magazine advertisements, email campaigns, and online content.
Online marketing collateral is often created using web site content. There are a wide variety of ways that an organization can create this type of digital marketing collateral. One way is by creating a blog that contains interesting information that is relevant to the company’s industry and goals. Another way is by producing press releases and submitting them to press release directories online. Other methods include building subscriber lists, sending electronic newsletters to targeted audiences, and participating in various social networking activities.
While new customers are certainly a benefit, many companies believe that creating marketing collateral that will appeal to existing customers is an even more important factor. The reason that this is important is that existing customers are much more likely to purchase a product if they personally relate to it and understand what it represents. An established brand already has a connection to the consumer, so it makes sense to create additional brand context within the content of the website. Creating new marketing collateral for websites is most effective when it includes the interests of both the customer and the business as a whole.
When creating marketing collateral, it is important to carefully consider the demographics of the target audience. For instance, an insurance website that is targeted at a younger audience may not contain enough information about a particular product in order to attract a new customer. Online businesses must be careful not to alienate their current audience. A good solution to this problem is to add relevant content to the website and to add a call to action within the copy. For example, instead of simply displaying the rate of conversion or a glossary of terms, a professional company would provide links to additional resources that a potential customer might find useful or relevant. Creating additional value and context will greatly improve the chances that a website will increase traffic and increase profits.