Let your marketing come alive this autumn
With the summer well and truly under way, now is probably a good time to think about your marketing strategy. Incorporating the following elements as part of your marketing strategy will enable you to grow your business and ultimately gain lots of valuable leads and sales.
Invest time in your marketing plan
Before undertaking any marketing activity, it is important to know who you want to reach and why, this is where a marketing plan can help as it enables you to find your target audience and focuses your energy on creating appealing and attention-grabbing messages.
Set objectives
Looking short term is fine but it is also important to set medium and long term objectives so you can determine where you want to be in the next one to three years. If applicable, focus on parts of the business that are experiencing change or need improving and make sure your objectives are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely). You should be trying to measure frequently whether you are on course to achieve your objectives, e.g. weekly sales or new customers each month and performance against objectives should be reviewed regularly at least one a month.
Analyse your competitors
Carry out an analysis of your top competitors to see what may have changed, e.g. look at their websites, social media and on google for news and press mentions. Make sure you are clear on what makes your products or services different from your competitors. By talking to your customers you can find out why they chose to buy from you instead of your competitors and equally what would make them transfer to one of your competitors.
Create a winning brand
Whatever your budget, having a consistent brand image is crucial to ensuring your customers perceive your business in the way you would like them to.
Target your ideal customer
By fully understanding your target audience you will be able to ensure your products or services specifically match their needs. If you are clear on who your ideal customer is, i.e. what they value, what problems they may have, or how is your industry missing something when it comes to solving their problems, you will definitely differentiate yourselves from your competition. A good starting point is to look back at your best customers and identify what makes them profitable and enjoyable to work with.
Create a winning promotional plan
Depending on the preferences of your target market there are a variety of ways to promote your company offline and online to gain visibility and encourage customer referrals and repeat business, e.g. direct mail campaigns, e-mail campaigns, building relationships with complementary businesses, blog useful tips and ideas, advertise in publications aimed at your target audience, websites and social media.
Review your promotional materials
Ensure that your brand and messaging is consistent in all your printed and digital promotional materials. Also, make sure they are written in a style designed to attract your ideal customers highlighting your company’s unique selling propositions.
By incorporating all these marketing elements into your business activity you are sure to have a successful 2018/2019.
If you are a business looking for marketing support on any of the above elements, so you can have more free time to work on other areas of your business, then please get in touch.
Tel: 07557 040 830 or e-mail: [email protected]
Many thanks for reading.
Clare