7 Great Demand Generation Strategies to Really Work for You

The Chicago business landscape is as diverse as it is competitive. Standing out requires a keen understanding of how to generate demand for one's products and services. Simply put, demand generation means stirring up interest in a company's offerings. For firms based in the Windy City, a Chicago demand generation strategy is key.

This guide details seven demand-generation strategies most likely to help your business thrive:

• Content marketing.
• Social media advertising.
• Search engine optimization (SEO).
• Email marketing.
• Webinars and virtual events.
• Partner marketing.
• Influencer marketing.

Let’s go!

1. Content Marketing

Demand generation often begins with the creation of content. Unlike lead generation, which focuses on gathering customer information, demand generation aims to spur interest and awareness in a company's offerings, and content marketing plays a crucial role in this.

Content marketing involves the creation and sharing of valuable content. This includes materials such as blog posts, ebooks, webinars, or videos that do not explicitly promote a brand but aim to generate interest in its products or services. This strategy drives demand by showcasing the brand's expertise and providing solutions to customers' problems.

A classic example of successful content marketing comes from the American software company, Adobe. Through its CMO.com platform, Adobe offers insightful articles, digital marketing research, and trend reports to engage its target audience of marketing professionals.

To leverage content marketing effectively, businesses should:

1. Identify their audience's needs.
2. Create high-quality, relevant content.
3. Promote content through various channels.
4. Measure the effectiveness of their content marketing efforts.

Successful content marketing offers value to potential customers, positioning your brand as a go-to resource in your industry.

2. Social Media Advertising

Social media advertising has become an indispensable tool in effective demand-generation funnels. This strategy involves promoting your brand, products, or services on social media platforms.

Social media giant Coca-Cola is a testament to the power of social media advertising. In its "Share a Coke" campaign, the company replaced its brand logo with the most popular individual names in specific countries. It successfully leveraged social media platforms to generate widespread demand for its product.

To maximize the benefits of social media advertising, businesses should:

1. Identify their target audience and choose the social media platform that best reaches them.
2. Use engaging, high-quality images or videos.
3. Craft compelling ad copy.
4. Continuously monitor and adjust their campaigns based on performance metrics.

Thus, social media advertising can be a robust tool for Chicago demand generation. It is effective in connecting businesses with billions of potential customers worldwide.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

For businesses seeking to create demand online, SEO is vital. It encompasses the techniques used to improve a website's ranking on search engines, thereby increasing its visibility.

SEO plays a critical role in demand generation, as a higher search engine ranking translates into more visibility and, consequently, more potential customers. For instance, consider the ecommerce giant Amazon. It has mastered SEO techniques, resulting in its website appearing at the top of search engine results pages, helping it capture a substantial market share.

To create a successful SEO strategy, businesses should:

1. Conduct keyword research to understand what terms potential customers use.
2. Create high-quality, relevant content that includes these keywords.
3. Optimize their website's speed and mobile compatibility.
4. Earn high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.

Effective SEO makes a website more accessible, engaging, and findable—all key components of Chicago demand generation efforts.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing might seem like an old player in the digital marketing field, but its effectiveness remains undiminished. It involves sending emails to prospects and customers to build relationships, promote products or services, and nurture leads.

In demand generation, email marketing plays a pivotal role. It allows businesses to directly deliver tailored messages to individuals who have shown interest in their offerings. 

The streaming service Netflix is a prime example. The company effectively uses email marketing to provide curated lists of new shows that customers might be interested in based on their watch history.

Best practices for effective email marketing include the following:

1. Build an organic email list of interested subscribers.
2. Segment the email list based on customer preferences or behaviors.
3. Craft engaging subject lines and content.
4. Regularly test and optimize emails for better results.

Email marketing is a tried-and-true strategy for maintaining customer relationships and fostering consistent demand for a company's offerings.

5. Webinars and Virtual Events

Webinars and virtual events are powerful engagement, educational, and demand-generation platforms. These live, interactive sessions enable businesses to demonstrate their expertise, showcase their offerings, and directly interact with potential customers.

Webinars and virtual events can be instrumental in driving demand. Take Adobe, for instance. The company regularly hosts webinars on various topics from product tutorials to industry trends, thus stimulating interest in their software solutions.

To leverage webinars and virtual events for demand generation, businesses should:

1. Choose relevant and engaging topics that resonate with their respective audiences.
2. Promote the event across various channels to ensure wide reach.
3. Provide a mix of educational content and product promotion.
4. Follow up with attendees after the event.

With proper execution, webinars and virtual events help with Chicago demand generation and fostering customer engagement.

6. Partner Marketing

Broadening one's reach often involves the formation of strategic alliances. This approach, known as partner marketing, involves collaborating with other businesses to promote each other's products or services. It is an often overlooked but powerful way to expand customer bases and generate demand.

Partner marketing has the potential to be a formidable force for demand generation. Consider Spotify and Hulu's joint campaign. The two brands offered a combined subscription package at a reduced price, thus cross-pollinating their customer bases and driving demand for both services.

To implement successful partner marketing strategies, consider these steps:

1. Identify potential partners whose offerings complement your own.
2. Define clear objectives for the partnership.
3. Develop co-branded marketing campaigns.
4. Measure the performance of the partnership and adjust strategies as needed.

Connecting with the right partners enables businesses to tap into new audiences and create mutual value, driving demand for their offerings.

7. Influencer Marketing

Influencers command vast online followings. Influencer marketing aims to leverage credibility and reach these individuals to promote a brand.

Influencer marketing can significantly affect demand generation. A Chicago-based beauty brand, for example, might partner with a popular beauty vlogger in Chicago, who then promotes the brand's products in a video. The trusted influencer's endorsement may increase demand for the brand's products among the vlogger's followers.

To effectively execute an influencer marketing campaign, businesses should:

1. Identify influencers who align with their brand values and resonate with their target audience.
2. Develop a clear collaboration agreement outlining expected deliverables.
3. Monitor the campaign's performance and engagement.

Employing influencers who resonate with a company's target demographic significantly enhance brand awareness and create demand for its offerings.

Summing Up

Creating demand in the digital age necessitates more than a traditional marketing approach. It requires leveraging various demand-generation strategies. Employing these seven strategies can help businesses foster customer acquisition and growth.

Digital Authority Partners (DAP) stands ready to help you navigate the complex terrain of demand generation and craft effective marketing strategies. Contact us today to learn how our expertise can empower your demand-generation efforts and drive your business toward success.