Digital marketing is continuously evolving to keep pace with the way consumers use online channels, and as they become more sophisticated, so too must your methods. Some regions tend to move faster than others, however, and New Yorkers pride themselves on being ahead of the pack. Here we’ll explore some ideas to maximize your digital marketing ROI using a hyper-localized approach geared toward the Manhattan market.
Leveraging digital advantages
Because things are different in the Big Apple, the same marketing approach used in other regions won’t necessarily be a perfect fit there and could lead to satisfactory results. In a fiercely competitive space, your marketing needs to be on point if you’re to have any hope of standing out from the crowd.
Digital marketing is highly cost-effective and offers a host of other advantages, like the ability to measure your results and adjust your strategy accordingly, to target precisely the right audience, and to connect with people in more direct and meaningful ways. Using data to guide your efforts is essential, but you also need to be conscious of what it is that sets New Yorkers apart.
Discover why traditional marketing is still relevant.
How is the Manhattan market different?
Manhattan is the beating heart of the city that never sleeps. In this hyperactive space, there is no shortage of competition, regardless of the industry. It’s a notoriously fast-paced environment and if your marketing isn’t on-point it simply won’t get noticed. If you want to cut through the noise and reach your target market in Manhattan, you need to have a laser-focused marketing strategy that resonates with your audience.
As former mayor Ed Koch once said, “To be a New Yorker you have to live here for six months, and if at the end of the six months you find you walk faster, talk faster, think faster, you’re a New Yorker.” Making it as a brand in New York is no different. It’s a world of ambitious trend-setting go-getters with a never-say-die attitude and discerning tastes, not to mention a healthy degree of street smarts.
Back in 2013, New York Life shifted its marketing strategy to resonate with audiences that wanted less hard-sell and more interactivity, catering more for people who do their own research, earning their trust by focusing on their needs and establishing themselves as an information resource. This fit the New York market perfectly and their efforts paid off, but global trends soon followed (as they often do).
Digital marketing tips for Manhattan
With that in mind, here are seven ideas for adapting digital marketing methods to reach the Manhattan market.
Social media
Social media is a great place to showcase most brands, and using eye-catching videos and visuals can help you stand out from the crowd. Facebook ads have an impressively high average conversion rate of 9.21%. That’s because they can be precisely targeted and therefore more relevant and useful. Using social media post templates can help you up-scale your efforts and grow your reach.
Pay-per-click
The pay-per-click (or PPC) ad format works well for search engines, but the key for marketers is to use the right keywords. Long-tail keywords allow you to hyper-localize with the likes of “pizza in Lower Manhattan” or “apartment to buy in Brooklyn”, and the more precise you can be, the better. With search ad spending in the US projected to grow from around $81 billion in 2022 to $99 billion by 2024, according to research from Insider Intelligence, PPC is clearly a vital component for any digital marketing strategy.
Gamification
An inventive way to make marketing more compelling is by gamifying it. Advertising-saturated consumers like those in New York are more likely to respond and engage with advertising that offers a fun and rewarding experience, as well as something tangible. White Castle was able to achieve a 36% rate of conversion to purchase with a campaign that used gamification to reward customers with a free coupon. Customers stopped seeing it as advertising for a product and rather as a prize to be won.
Customer referral program
To cater for the average New Yorker’s skepticism (as well as large social networks), consider a customer referral program. In a world where trust is earned, word-of-mouth is a potent force, and digital affords marketers different ways to harness it. A recent trust in advertising survey by Nielsen found that 88% of respondents globally trust recommendations from people they know more than any other channel.
Email automation
With an ROI of $42 for every $1 spent, email marketing remains a highly cost-effective marketing channel. The secret is to segment your database and find effective ways to grow your email list, then craft high-quality mailers that add value with relevant information or messaging. Automation allows you to leverage email marketing at scale using templates designed to drive conversion.
SMS automation
Time is precious in a busy environment like Manhattan, so marketing that goes directly to mobile devices is a suitable option for reaching consumers who are forever on the go and don’t have time to take calls. Research shows that 9 out of 10 people prefer to receive communication from a business via text message rather than a call, making automated SMS marketing a viable option to consider.
Partner with local community groups
To appeal to New Yorkers’ values and sense of community, brands can do some good while marketing by getting involved with local community groups. The digital world provides the means to find groups that fit with your brand and its values, and to support them in meaningful ways through partnerships.
To conclude…
Using digital for a data-driven approach to hyper-localizing your marketing is the best way to connect with consumers in a highly competitive market like Manhattan. Where customers are savvy and sophisticated, your messaging needs to be on-point. We can help you get it right and set you up for success, so get in touch with CODESM.
