Marketing without a strategy is like driving with your eyes closed. That’s why every business plan should start with the development of a comprehensive marketing strategy. A marketing strategy will not only be your bible when you’re creating content, posting to social media or sending out newsletters, but it will help you to keep everything in one place and to meet your own objectives.
However, creating a marketing strategy isn’t always as easy as it seems. There’s a lot to think about, from creating buyer personas to the allocating duties within your team. And in order for your marketing strategy to be effective, you should put some thought in every one of those aspects.
With marketing changing rapidly these days, you need a strategy that stands out. That’s why we created a list of things you probably want to give some thought when you’re creating a marketing strategy.
Think about your target audience
When you try to develop a marketing strategy, you should keep your target audience in mind at all times. This means you should understand your potential customers and their behaviour. A good approach to this is to create buyers personas, where you can include details about their demographics, interests and consumer behaviour.
When you’re trying to define your target audience, it’s recommendable to look for a certain niche. What customer group would you appeal to (and what is the best way to reach them?). Look at it this way: if you’re a backpacker and you’re looking for a good and durable backpack for your upcoming trip overseas, would you be more inclined to buy a ‘strong backpack’ or ‘a strong backpack made for travellers’? In this case, that latter option would be much more appealing.
Of course, you might miss out on some customers that aren’t travellers, who might think that the backpack isn’t right for them. But in return, you’ll get a lot more niche clients who are looking for a product that exactly fits their needs.
Omnichannel marketing strategy
These days, people invest in marketing on so many channels. We see a sponsored post on Facebook, we get a newsletter in our inbox, we see a YouTube ad, we watch a TV commercial or even see a poster on the street. The importance of multichannel marketing, where you should include different channels into the marketing mix, has been made clear over the past few years. What if we tell you it’s all about omnichannel marketing strategies these days?
Omnichannel marketing refers to the fact that all your different marketing channels are integrated and work together. This means that the Facebook ad you saw will trigger another Instagram ad and that your website visitors will result in exposure to retargeting ads. Your abandoned shopping cart will be shown to you in an email with a discount code, and after your purchase, you’ll see related YouTube ads to the products you bought.
By reaching out to your customers at so many different touchpoints, all of your marketing channels will contribute to conversions. The most important thing with omnichannel marketing is that all your communication, overall channels, should be consistent. If they all reveal the same core message you will establish a coherent brand image.
Use a different perspective
Marketing is competitive, we won’t lie. It becomes harder and harder these days to be unique, but finding a different approach than your competitors is also becoming increasingly important. That’s why you should always let your creativity speak in your marketing tactics and try to find a new angle.
And it’s not just about coming up with a catchy tagline or creating a funny Facebook ad. It’s about the whole package. A good example is when it comes to positioning the products or services that you offer. For example, Facebook is not just a social media platform, it connects the world. Airbnb doesn’t just offer cheap accommodation, it offers an experience.
Try to look at your values and unique selling points and find a new way to promote your brand to your customers.
Focus on mobile
It seems like the whole online world has been screaming ‘mobile’ in the past few years. Your web design should be responsive, your SEO should be optimised for mobile, and local business marketing is more important than ever. It almost seems better to start your whole strategy from a mobile point-of-view instead of a desktop.
Mobile should be in the back of your mind at all times. Not just when developing a website, but with every step in your marketing activity. Think about people looking for information, reading the news and browsing social media on their phones, and make your adjustments accordingly. For example, provide subtitles on social media videos because people watch them on their phones in public places, or create simple and clear Google Display ads that capture your message in the blink of an eye.
Use influencers
Influencer marketing strategy is hot, and the big brands have known this for a while. Based on the old principle of celebrity endorsement, influencer marketing seemed to be a thing for bigger brands at first. But with influencers, both big and small, rising from every corner of the planet – it’s easy enough for smaller brands to jump on board too!
However, with more and more influencers being available to give your campaigns a little boost, it becomes more common that the wrong influencers and brands get connected. When you’re looking for an influencer, make sure they fit your brand and your mission.
