Marketing Basics
A lot of the success of any business or brand depends on the Marketing the business undertakes, for it takes more than the best or most unique product and service to differentiate you because unless you put yourself out there, people won’t find you. Therefore, it's good to incorporate some regular habits when it comes to Marketing to boost the success of your business. You don't need to be a seasoned Marketing pro or Marketing graduate to add value to your business, you just need to keep up with the latest marketing trends and know your business, customers and market well.
Despite having so many wonderful clients, I also meet so many people who are absolutely clueless it seriously baffles me when it comes to Marketing and expect their brands to EXCEL purely through one ad in a main newspaper, or a 1 month online campaign, or only using Social Media and one event every few years. Where is your market presence, your budget, what credibility does your brand have? Do people know you exist or what you offer? Today’s Marketer and brands need to join the shift in putting yourself and your brand out there, otherwise you will be left behind. I'm sure I speak for many when I say we are also left wondering how people who are not qualified keep these roles, especially in a Market teeming with talent, and passion such as the UAE.
I’ve been a Marketer since 2005 and have dabbled in a multitude of aspects of Marketing, from Media to Advertising, Content Writing, Copywriting, PR, some events both on the Agency and Client front and now back to Digital Marketing. It was a self-learning process most of the way and I LOVE it and still do. For the beauty of Marketing is that there is something new to learn every day, hence entering the Digtal Age. And today as a proud Sapien at Digital Media Sapiens, I am grateful for the opportunity to explore my creativity and limits in such a wonderful environment for talent and growth and thankful that every step of my career has provided new perspectives into opportunities and areas for growth and change, both for myself and for my brands and clients.
I've found that many friends and acquaintances decide to switch jobs or are hesitant even though their “skill” or “knowledge” might not lie in pure marketing and I always offer advice or ask them to contact me if they need help. I would not consider myself a better Marketer than others, but I do know my strengths as a professional and so here are my 2 cents on how to learn, succeed and grow which is important for the daily life of a professional, especially when confused on how to proceed in terms of the whole marketing “package”.
Enter the Marketing Basics.
Perspective: Start every day with a positive perspective to help set the tone for the day. A positive mind goes a long way when it comes to motivation and use your positivity to inspire and push others, it really does work!
Your USP: What is your brand’s Unique Selling Point? What are the special features/qualities of your brand? What differentiates you and your offerings in the market? Find it and make sure to show it in all your messaging and artwork.
Brand/Services: Do you know your brand? What does it stand for? If it is organic then say it, if it is about convenience then shout it! What is your brand ethic? Learn it and speak it in your daily professional life, and most certainly believe it.
Customers: Listen to know, speak with them, either face to face or on social media, and learn from them. Watch their buying habits, you will learn a lot from engaging with them and even providing customer service over social media. People are very vocal over social media because they think some brands don’t listen to them.
Competitors: Keep tabs on your competition, learn from their marketing and mistakes, and stay up to date with all their activities so you are not left behind. Their presence should be an absolute motivator for you to succeed.
Lists: Make lists, useful or not, they will all come in handy at some point. It is the way some of the most creative people don’t forget their ideas and thoughts. Jot them down and bring them to life.
Social Media: Get on Social Media, this isn’t 1855! Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn, it’s all free! Build your online presence now and do not forget to build a Facebook Business page! If you require the help then there are many great services offered by Social Media Agencies in Dubai to improve your Social Media Marketing.
Network: Attend relevant events and shows and network. Meet new people, learn about new industries, gather ideas, business cards, make follow-up lists for emails and set meetings and even prepare a database!
Newsletter: Collect emails from subscribe section on your website and from networking business cards and send a bi-monthly or monthly newsletter sharing news, product launches, events, competitions etc. The aim is to stay relevant without being too pushy.
Promotion: Run a promotion/offer for a limited time, the illusion of scarcity makes people act so they don’t miss out! Make sure the promotion is useful and fun.
Website: Make sure you have a fully functional and customer friendly website that is also mobile-friendly otherwise you will not show up in search results. The layout of the website should allow customers to navigate and find information/purchase easily, otherwise they will not return.
Blog: People love expressing their opinions online and sharing thoughts, and the popularity of blogs not only increases your online footprint, but is also great for your SEO, especially when people share your blog! Just remember to write about something useful, relevant and interesting! Regularly have a guest blogger write about your business or something relevant, it will provide great cross promotional marketing.
SEO: Search Engine Optimization, learn it, understand it, use it, improve it and never forget it! Social media, blogging, website content etc., everything attributes to the importance of your website and will drive traffic to your website, or head over to the professionals who are experts at Search Engine Optimization.
Google Adwords: Research about Adwords and whether your business needs it or not, and if it does then contact a highly recommended Digital Media Agency in Dubai to support you. The results are visible and quantifiable, every business’s dream.
PR: Contact websites and magazines who would be interested in writing a piece about your business if you believe your brand has a very USP (Unique Selling Point) that ups the competition. This will generate buzz and provide you with content so share on social media and on the “Media/News” section of your website. Or write a Press Release and distribute online.
Videos: Videos are a great way to market any business since you can properly share what your business does and how it can improve/add value to customers, in addition to uploading them on your website, your YouTube channel and even boosting them on social Media.
Sponsorships: If you highly believe in and support a cause then sponsor it to draw positive attention to yourself or donate the sales at an event or specific day to give back and use the marketing activities of the cause to promote your business as well. Everyone loves a business that believes in a cause or gives back.
Cross Promotions: Find suitable businesses to tie-up with to promote your products and you promote theirs in return. The cross promotional marketing will boost your business, and if you run a competition together that involves liking your page and following you in addition to tagging people with an enticing prize, the engagement will be amazing for your business.
Testimonials: Ask customers for testimonials if you speak to them face to face, or leave a section on your website for feedback, or ask them in a post to leave a testimonial or send you one, whether written or video.
Thank you's: Always remember to thank your customers for their support, whether through a pop up on your page, a post on social media, an emailer or an SMS. Customers appreciate brands who appreciate their business and support.
Lastly. ... READ LEARN DISCOVER: Subscribe to blogs, podcasts, books, articles and read and keep up with the latest marketing and industry trends and news. As cliche as it might sound, knowledge is power.