Marketing has changed dramatically over the years. We have gone from ads in the newspaper to TV spots to social media campaigns. Back in the Don Draper years we had big, expensive marketing campaigns dreamed up by the guys on Madison Avenue. Failure came at an enormous cost and success came at huge gain. It was a little like playing Russian roulette. However, over time we have evolved from the era of big dollars to the era of free – but failed marketing plans still come at great expense to businesses hoping to get ahead of the competition.
Many businesses fail at certain aspects of marketing. Some have fantastic consumer advocates recommending their product high and low while failing miserably with their advertisement campaigns. Others only market when they have plenty of money to spend on ads, and cut off the marketing department when the company is in a slow season.
Here are ten tips to help you build an excellent, reliable marketing strategy utilizing any media channel, that will work every time:
1. Be consistent
One huge failure in any marketing campaign is inconsistency. Keep messaging consistent and keep the advertisement itself consistent. That means, if you have been posting to social media on a daily basis and you get busy, don’t stop posting! Your marketing is working!
2. Don’t get overwhelmed
There are so many ways to spend your ad dollars and your marketing time. Don’t get overwhelmed by all of the options. Create a marketing plan and stick to it.
3. Be real
Marketing is a communication to your customer. Make sure your are really communicating and not just spouting off a message the ad guys said would be good. If you know your demographic and understand who you are talking to, a real message that really hits home with your clientele will be easy to create.
4. Hire help
The entire point of marketing is to get you more business. If you can’t cope with meeting the new demands caused by your excellent marketing campaign and keeping up with the marketing, hire some help. The last thing you want to do is stop marketing or stop meeting your production demands.
5. Set aside marketing dollars
Social media is a great way to get some free marketing done, but there are so many other marketing avenues to explore. You may want to hire a search engine marketing (SEM) expert, buy some Google Ads, or need help creating your logo for consistent branding. Be willing to spend money on this.
6. Survey, test, and staticize
No marketing plan or message springs from one’s head fully formed and perfected. Be sure to survey your target market to find out what specific need your product may be able to fill, then test the campaign directed at this need, and staticize the result. Tweak anything that isn’t quite right and try again. There is nothing wrong with constantly working to perfect a marketing campaign.
7. Lean on your customers
Word of mouth and excellent reviews are some of the best ways to obtain new customers. Ask satisfied customers to tell others about their experiences on Yelp, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Obtain customer reviews from happy clients and put them in your newsletter or on your website. A happy customer is an amazing source of great public relations and new clients.
8. Don’t discount any marketing avenue
There are many channels available for your marketing campaign. Don’t discount a particular avenue without surveying, testing, and staticizing first.
9. Tell the truth
Potential customers will find out if you are stretching the truth and your company will likely suffer for any white lies told in a marketing campaign. Be sure to tell the truth. Don’t call your hamburgers natural, grass-fed or organic if they are none of those things. Do tell people that they can only take advantage of that 50% off deal for a limited time. Your company will benefit from honesty and grow because of it.
10. Adapt and grow
The marketing world is continuously changing. Instagram recently allowed ads on their site for the first time ever, Snapchat is now a valid way to approach new clients. Periscope and other apps are revealing even more marketing opportunities. Be sure to keep your finger on the pulse of the marketing world and constantly take advantage of new chances to reach more potential customers.
These ten tips will help you as you grow your business with marketing. Sign up here if you would like to receive even more tips over the next several weeks. We are happy to help you expand your business.
