If you run a small business or a startup, you must have heard “If only I knew how to get my marketing game strong to get this business back on track.” like a broken record.
That’s indeed a smart way to think. We all know how marketing can put your business in the fifth gear. So, what’s this fuss all about then? The only reason why it hits like a ton of bricks is the thought of elite companies doing wonders year on year while others struggle to the core.
Why is that?
Their marketing campaign is rotten, stale, and more like: belongs in the trash.
But don’t lose heart so fast! Stats show that there are 30.2 million small businesses in the U.S. and comprise 99.9 percent of U.S. businesses. So, there’s still plenty of room for everyone. If you’re just starting up or already own a small business, now is the time to fix what’s broken in your marketing strategy. For starters, the good news is that marketing doesn’t live in a bubble and there’s so much you can do to keep your customers.
We’ve sketched a scheme of how you can tweak a few things to get the results you want.
Focus On People
The first piece of the puzzle is the people or the customer. Yes, nothing beats the financial gains but by giving too much attention to your returns you’ll end up losing the people who are the real source of that income coming into your business.
Serving a target market is what you should be doing rather than desperately chasing dollars and staying completely aloof of their needs. Being out-of-touch paints a bad picture forces you to use cookie-cutter techniques and there goes your goodwill down the drain. So to fix the broken marketing strategy, you need to go back to where it all started and ask yourself:
Am I understanding the buyer persona correctly?
You might think, “But I have the exact same target audience so this can’t be the reason.”
Yes, you indeed have the same target audience but maybe they no more want to be communicated the way your brand does anymore. In this high-tech world, consumer needs are also evolving so your understanding of your buyer persona may become blurred and needs some tweaking. Connect up with them to find out why they ended up dumping you. Identify their pain points and how to engage them again with your brand.
Redefine Your Business
If you’re looking to rewire your marketing strategy, you need to define and redefine your business and its USP (Unique Selling Proposition) time and again especially when things are going south.
If your target audience’s touch-points are evolving, you need to consistently interact with them through all those channels to keep them engaged and tell them about your business.
There may be some confusion between what your audience thinks your business is and what it actually does. This way they’ll get what they’re looking for and you’ll be able to stand out.
Take Your Business Online
Having your business online is not just great for the business but it’s exactly what today customers want is. There are so many perks of having an online presence of your brand. It’s an opportunity to be more accessible and interact with a larger audience and build stronger ties with existing and potential customers. Plus it’s one of the most hassle-free forms of marketing (well almost) which means you’re halfway home!
Here’s how you can improve your online presence.
Ace the Art of Social Media Marketing
Did you know that 91% of the businesses use social media marketing in the U.S.? Another interesting stat is that around 30% of the customers want brands to interact with them online but can’t as they don’t have a social media presence. So, businesses need to fill this void by taking everyone involved in the loop to better connect with the target audience. Social media is not just about posting a funky photo or a video here and there. It might not be the solution to all your marketing problems but it still needs to be a huge part of your overall marketing strategy.
If you want a clear understanding of how and why social media deserves a spot in your marketing strategy, read on.
A Handy Customer Service Outlet
Did you know that every 1 in 3 social media users counts on social media customer care services over calling or emailing? When a potential buyer reaches out to you on social media, be vigilant, and answer without making them wait.
Pro Tip: Remember your audience prefer talking to real people rather than robots so always keep a friendly and trustworthy tone.
Boost Your Reputation as a Thought Leader
A recent study shows that Gen-Xers are the heaviest social media users and spend almost nine hours a day on social media. So personal branding is a win-win for all in this fast-changing, content-saturated world. Look at the likes of Richard Branson and Bill Gates or brands like Nike. People now look up to social media for personal development rather than merely checking it. The point is that if people have been following your business and like your content, there’s a big chance of them becoming repeat customers. So portraying your brand as a thought leader will solidify brand trust and awareness.
Move Where Your Customers Are
Stats show that social media is being actively used by 3.08 billion people worldwide in 2020. So you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that your audience is on social media and you should be there too. Just scrutinize which social media platform works best for your business and brand and look at the demographics for each network to find the perfect fit.
Build trust Through Consistent Messaging
On average, it takes eight touchpoints for a customer to buy a product from a business. This implies that your target audience must have searched you online, visited your website, or your social media pages. Therefore, you can totally build your audience’s trust in social media by keeping clear and consistent messaging on every single touch-point.
Future Proof Your Business
Social Media is here to stay. You cannot keep it out of the equation while building or rebuilding a marketing strategy. In this age of digital nomads and unpredictable consumer tastes, you need to future-proof your business, and social media can be your safe-haven. But remember content is king no matter on which network you rely on. A content that lures your audience to hit ‘like’, react, comment, and share.
Pro Tip: Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint, and only choose platforms that contribute to your marketing goals rather than going after every new network.
Design Campaigns that ‘Hit Gold’
Hitting gold is for those who put their sweat and blood to build a true marketing campaign rather than some who just do it as a job.
What makes these two poles apart?
One has a strategy and a will to choose the best techniques and tactics to make the plan successful and achieve the set targets. And the other will never be able to fix his/her broken marketing.
So, whenever you find yourself doing marketing as a job, rewind, freeze, and think if you’re going to gain something from it? Will it help achieve your goals? And how will you measure it if it does?
Be “All ears”
Broken marketing can sometimes also be a curious case of prioritizing your own desires over what consumers want. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you’ll know where you’re falling short in terms of customer satisfaction. For instance, if the likes, shares, comments, subscribers, and eventually sales are slowly evaporating, you’ll need to fix a lot more than just marketing.
Try Something New or Scale Up!
No entrepreneur has a perfect marketing strategy when they start. Even the experienced ones get stuck. However, a usual rookie mistake is to think that the perfect formula for marketing strategy includes all the popular marketing gimmicks such as sales, product development, and HR, website, and events, and so on.
So, if you don’t want to abandon the current strategy give it more time by investing in your brand image. Consider Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click advertising tools to kick things off immediately. But, to make the most of these tools, understanding your market and audience is key. You can also interact more with your audience or throw sweeteners. If it still feels like a lost cause, try to look it from a different lens. Experiment with different things; you might need to invest more budget to boost your online presence or interact with your audience differently. There’s always something new to find out.
In a Nutshell
In this new order of marketing, ’one size fits all’ doesn’t work. So, if you’re just starting up during this pandemic outbreak, your only resort is to research, research, and research. Know your audience. Find what experiences they look for. You’ll be surprised how much the World Wide Web has your back. And to do it smoothly, you’ll probably need a fast and reliable internet connection like Spectrum internet to make it even easier.
Author Bio
Baldwin Jackson is a successful digital marketer with expertise in search engine optimization and content marketing. The perfect balance of his analytical ability and creative thinking is what sets him apart from other practitioners in the digital marketing realm. He has helped a lot of small and medium-sized businesses in crafting their digital marketing strategies that are not only cost-effective but delivers results as well.
Baldwin is also a proud father of two kids and a Sports enthusiast. When he is not working, you will find him watching ESPN and NFL network. He has been able to get an amazing package on his favorite channels from Buytvinternetphone.com.
