According to a survey done by Smart Insights, over 47% of small business owners lack a documented digital marketing plan. Many do digital marketing activities but don’t have a framework on which to build their marketing program. Digital marketing performed in this way, results in the waste of both time and money. Such haphazard approach to marketing can’t be held accountable for driving revenue to any business.
The reality is this!
Before you lift a finger to conduct SEO or Social Media activities, you need a foundation to provide you with strategic direction. Your marketing tasks MUST be weaved into a larger program rather than be done in isolation.
Here are ten tips to get you thinking about the bigger picture.
Marketing Tip #1: Define your Buyer Persona
When you create forms to use for your website, use form fields to capture relevant buyer persona information. For instance, you can ask about the size of a company, budget and position in a company.
Marketing Tip #2: Set your Top-level Goals
Every marketing campaign should be part of a larger goals-driven framework. You should establish what your company needs to achieve before you jump into marketing tasks.
Marketing Tip #3: Be Strategic with Timing
Timing is critical in your marketing outreach. It can add context to your marketing message and reach potential clients at the time when they most need your products and services.
Marketing Tip #4: Raise Awareness
Your marketing program has to create awareness of your products and services. Don’t think of the awareness stages as the opportunity to sell, rather think of it as a way to initiate a relationship with your prospects.
Marketing Tip #5: Define your Buyers' Cycle
Many business owners aren’t aware of the pathway that convert prospects to customers. Although it may vary, it usually falls into these core areas: awareness, engagement, decision, and retention.
Marketing Tip #6: Make your Brand Story Formal
Storytelling is an excellent way to garner attention for your company- regardless of its size. When you formalise your story, you minimise the temptation to publish spur of the moment content that could do more harm than good to your brand.
Marketing Tip #7: Optimise your Landing Page
You have six seconds to capture the attention of your audience. Putting what you think on your landing page or website won’t do. You need to identify and meet the need of your visitors.
Marketing Tip #8: Decide on a Marketing Budget
Many small business owners shy away from allocating a marketing budget for their business. Marketing, when done right, is an investment so once your strategy gains momentum, allocate a budget that will enhance customer acquisition.
Marketing Tip #9: Utilise Multiple Content Types
Don’t just publish one type of content for your business. Make use of visuals and videos to separate or complement a large amount of text. This practice will keep your readers engaged for longer, which aid in the relationship building process.
Marketing Tip #10: Invest in Quality over Quantity
Don’t feel pressured to publish content that no one cares about at the expense of quality. Take some time to understand the pressing needs of your audience and use your writing to meet those needs.
Businesses with a marketing program have more clarity than those with a random “shot in the dark” approach. However, many don’t know what it takes to build a solid program from the ground up. These tips will hopefully help to answer some crucial questions to get you started.
The Orginal Version of This Article First Appeared on my Blog
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