The best way to maximize the success of your business is to have a solid marketing strategy. Developing and sticking to a marketing strategy streamlines the marketing process. It creates continuity across platforms, produces relevant content, and promotes the business consistently and effectively.
Although taking the time to develop a marketing strategy can seem daunting, the effort will pay off in future endeavors. Below are five critical steps to developing a marketing strategy.
User-Friendly
No matter what your marketing strategy includes, it needs to be user-friendly. If you have websites or apps, be sure that they are adaptable to mobile devices. An estimated 50 percent of all Google search queries come from a mobile device, so one could expect an estimated 50 percent of their website visits to come from a mobile device as well.
Offer promotions and coupons in a way that your customers will be most comfortable. If most of your customers regularly use the internet or their mobile devices, online coupon codes or sales may be beneficial. If they are frequently on Instagram or Facebook, that may be the mode of communication you use the most.
Customers are King (or Queen)
Without customers, a business can’t be successful. Keeping this in mind is essential in developing a good marketing strategy. What content would your customers want to read? What images or photography would they like to see? What sales or ads will draw them into your store or onto your website? Figure out where your customers are and use that to your advantage.
Personalize Emails
“The best way to develop repeat customers is to establish a personal relationship with them,” says Matthew Landau, partner at the Landau Law Group.
Many automation services can be utilized to send individual emails to your customers. Many of these can include their first name in the email, which makes it more personal.
Part of many automation services includes the ability to see how many emails are opened, how many had links that were clicked on, if there were any new subscriptions or requests to unsubscribe, and what kind of device your customers used to view the email.
Study Your Competition
Knowing who your competition is and studying what contributes to their success (or failure) will help you build your business successfully. Look at their customer base, how they choose to market their products, and what their sale trends tend to be.
Figure out what makes your business unique from the competition and market to your strengths.
Determine Your Objectives
Objectives help to define and communicate the goals of your business, as well as create ways to measure how well you are meeting your goals for your marketing strategy.
Consider establishing 3-5 key objectives and be sure they meet the following criteria: they’re specific, measurable, and have a time frame.
Re-evaluate your objectives every six months and make changes if necessary. Don’t be discouraged if you need to change your goals. Running a business is a learning experience, and it could take some time before you fine-tune your marketing strategy to your particular customer base and region.
