If you’ve ever run a business, you will know that marketing is everything. And if this is your first time dipping your toes in the big dark ocean that is entrepreneurship, then trust us when we say: marketing is everything.
Thanks to the internet, cutting-edge technologies, and evolving smart software and devices, we have a pool of information available to us to make our businesses successful. However, a good business will need more than access – a good business will need a strategy.
You can write more content. You can post more on social media. You can spend more on advertisements. However, none of these things will guarantee success.
According to Ben Kirwood, co-founder of ZipSites, having a website that isn’t marketed the right way is like throwing a birthday party in the park and forgetting to send out the invites. People might pass by and pop over for a look, to take some candy, or just to see what all the fuss is about, but they won’t buy you a present, bring you a cake, or sing you happy birthday.
What does a good marketing strategy do?
A good marketing strategy will gain you the necessary exposure to the right kind of people. It will generate leads for you and convert them into customers. It will boost your reach among your targeted demographic and result in repeat customers. It can make your brand stand out among others.
Naturally, a good marketing strategy can also cost a bit. However, you have to consider the benefits. A cheaper solution might just get you a birthday party minus the invitations. It doesn’t cost as much as catering for all your friends, but it certainly doesn’t give anything back to you either.
The most suitable marketing strategy will depend on your business. There are a lot of amazing marketing agencies who provide 360-degree marketing management and around-the-clock customer service and expertise. These companies often work together with you to come up with the best solutions and to personalise the strategy to your business.
However, if you don’t want to spend money on marketing, there are a few tips and tricks we can share with you.
Market your way
- Research the best posting times. That’s right, there is such a thing as a good time to post on social media. This will depend on a lot of different things – what time zone you live in, what time zone your target audience lives in, who your target audience is, what sort of business you have, what your goal is with social media engagement, what your product is, and so on. Generally, there is a lot of available data on the topic. Look it up!
- Optimise, always optimise! Whether it’s SEO (search engine optimisation) or CRO (conversion rate optimisation), the most important thing is to regularly review your data and change things around accordingly. Not getting any interaction on posts without images? Try adding accompanying photos or videos. Your daytime activity results in more engagement than nighttime? Focus on the former. Your conversion rates aren’t taking off? Try adding different types of marketing.
- Make sure your customer’s experience doesn’t end once they’ve clicked ‘Buy’. Satisfied, happy customers are more likely to recommend your business to others or to become repeat customers themselves. Your marketing strategy should include CRM (customer relationship management).
- Most importantly, your website should be visually pleasing, easy to navigate, and quick to load. Make sure that it is designed and backed up by a reliable company that places your business’ needs first. No matter how much time and money you put into marketing, if the customer can’t figure out how to purchase your product or contact you, you’ve lost them.
These are only a few aspects of digital marketing. When done right, an extensive strategy can yield amazing results – it can mean the difference between failure and success. Whether you do it yourself or pay professionals to do it for you, make sure you understand what works best for your business. The rest is a piece of cake!
