Marketing for Small Business…It’s NOT Just Instagram

Social Media is the ultimate buzzword in marketing right now. Can you even have a successful business without a Facebook or Instagram account these days? The short answer is yes. While social media can be a great tool to help drive business growth, it’s not the only tool and it may not be the most effective tool for your business. In our “Real Marketing for Small Business” 3-part series we address the following topics: What is a Marketing Strategy, Figuring Out Your Customer Journey, and Putting Content Into Action.

What Does Marketing Even Mean?

First, let’s consider the meaning of marketing and how it relates to strategy. If you look up the word ‘marketing’ in the Merriam-Webster dictionary you will find a few different definitions:

It’s no wonder, it is easy for many business owners to remain puzzled about what marketing is and how it can help their business. To construct an accurate picture of what successful marketing looks like, it is important to not only consider its many definitions but also how those definitions all fit together. While the word marketing can be used in a variety of ways, it is helpful to think of marketing broken down into two categories: Strategic Marketing vs. Marketing Tools.

Where a Marketing Strategy Comes In

Strategic Marketing at its most basic, is a plan. It is a plan grounded in your company’s mission and goals. Strategic marketing is not just the selling of your goods, the promoting of your services, or the distribution of your products…it is everything that involves moving your goods or services from “producer to consumer.”

Marketing Tools, however, are the meat and potatoes (so to speak) of how you are going to get your plan done. These tools include social media platforms, branding, advertising, and how you execute your plan to reach your business goals. Those listed are just a few of the marketing tools your business can use to implement an effective Strategic Marketing plan.

Example Time:

Imagine if you will, marketing in terms of going on a trip. There are many tools you can use to go on a trip: a vehicle, vacation time, and of course, money. You could just hop into the car and start driving. When you notice you are getting low on gas, pull off at the nearest gas station and fill up. You decide you’re hungry and when you need a bite to eat, go to the nearby drive-thru. When you can no longer keep your eyes on the road, stop at the closest hotel and rest. Each of these options will meet your needs and will get you to a destination.

However, these options are based primarily on proximity instead of price, on circumstance instead of a goal. This is great if you have unlimited time off and plenty of money, but what about the rest of us who only have one week of vacation and a few hundred dollars? This is where a plan comes in handy. Your plan allows you to define the route you wish to take. It is based on your goals of where you want to go and how much you want to spend.

With your plan in hand, you can now choose where you fill up your tank. Maybe the cheapest gas station happens to be right next to the diner with famous BLTs. Then, with the money you save on gas, you can afford to stay at that cute Airbnb with the ‘Superhost’ that offers Fido a treat on his dog bed each night, but I digress.

Basically, we all have needs: gas, food, and sleep (not necessarily in that order) and still use tools: a car, a few days of vacation, and some cash. However, we can all agree we use these tools more effectively with a plan. Much like a marketing strategy, a plan for your trip helps you get where you want to go, using the best route, and staying within your budget. Now isn’t that a vacation we all want to take?

What's Next?

Up next for the “Marketing for Small Business” 3-part series: Figuring Out Your Customer Journey! We’ll cover how to figure out what your customer journey is and how it allows you to plan appropriate content along the way to nurture your buyers through the buying process.

For further reading on marketing strategies vs marketing tools, check out this blog post.

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