Above & Beyond
There is no right or wrong way to market, which is why it feels so difficult to find a strategy that always works. Many “professionals” like to create these simple steps to an effective marketing strategy whether it’s sales funnels, charts, pentagrams, or whatever. The truth is that you need to find what works for you. Sure, following those traditional methods is a great first step, but marketing should be going above and beyond what is expected.
Assess the Situation
No matter where you are in this journey, it is never too late to take a step back and evaluate your plan. Ask yourself these questions about your marketing strategy:
Is it creative?
Is it high quality?
Does it address the needs/desires of your target audience?
Is it optimized for every platform you’re on?
Does it have a strong CTA?
Are you making good use of video, text, and graphics?
What are you doing to push the boundaries of what you know marketing to be?
Are you focusing on your story instead of the sale?
And even if you do check all of these boxes, there still is no guarantee you will have the most successful campaign, at least right away. The market is constantly changing and shifting, so it can be hard to keep up with it to the point of wanting to quit. But staying consistent, and pushing through is the best thing you can do for your business.
Don’t Be Willy-Nilly
All this to say, you still need a plan. Going in blind is the worst thing you can do, and it will end in failure. In order to properly strategize, you need to begin by researching your target audience, their likes/dislikes, what platforms they use, what their aesthetic preferences are, who they follow/trust already, etc. Only when you truly know and understand who you are selling to, can you figure out your next steps. What you gather from this research will pave the way to your marketing strategy.
Find out what your clients are already invested in and what you can do to set yourself apart from those companies. Meet your audience where they’re at. Be patient and driven, and do not be afraid to be unconventional!
Join the Conversation
What is one marketing strategy that your competitors are doing that you can improve on and implement into your plan?
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