Monday 3 March 2014

What's missing in your marketing strategy?

We have reached a point where the barrier between “marketing” and “digital marketing” is almost nonexistent. And every year that line separating the two grows thinner and thinner.

So what values determine whether a marketing campaign succeeds or fails?

It is not really any one thing, but a combination of smaller factors that makes the real difference. Every company knows that they need to interact with customers on social media channels, put out thought-leading blogs to appear in relevant content searches, create a great website design, use keywords, etc.

Here are all those little extras that many companies miss when developing a strategy:

Create Measurable Goals

It is impossible to mark your company’s successes and shortcomings without setting numbers for the team to strive for. Take time to plan ahead on this point. Consider your budget and financial goals before deciding what marketing strategy can get you there. If you want to achieve, say, 10 new sales, then you would need 500 new leads, and for that you will need 50,000 new visitors to your site in the designated timeframe.

Now that you know the numbers you can begin to hash out a marketing strategy that makes sense for your business that will also achieve your desired results. It you are looking to increase your sales, all other numbers, including time and resources dedicated to marketing efforts, must be raised at a respective rate. You can’t improve one without the other.

Integrated Marketing Strategy

This point comes down to everything in your entire marketing scheme working together toward your company’s end goal. This is also where preparation is key. You cannot dive into a marketing campaign without planning it out from every angle.

1. Consistent Branding: Crossover between all types of shoppers, such as a customer who searches your product on their smartphone app but goes to the computer version of the site to make a purchase or vice versa, is becoming increasingly common these days. As such, every platform must be delivering the same message and brand image consistently.

2. Personality and Voice: Along with your brand’s message being clear and consistent through all channels, it must also have its own personality. The tone of voice that you create is what makes your brand unique, and what gives customers a character to identify with your company. Don’t just act on content marketing’s capabilities when you aren’t making your numbers; it should be a constant interaction with your audience to show them your voice.

3. Schedule: Create a calendar for everything that is included in your campaign. Blog schedule, social media updates, new ebooks, upcoming events or webinars, special offers, email campaigns, and one that contains a little bit of all of these should all be set before the campaign begins. Think ahead and make a realistic editorial calendar for any campaign you create.

Device Readiness

Most people will abandon a sale or download if the device they are working with is moving slowly or not working properly. That is why, if you deal in digital, which we all do these days, you have to invest in a high-quality site with responsive website design.

Along with that, take mobile optimization into account as well. This can be used in various ways, so find the one that works for your company to stay ahead of the competition without alienating your leads.

While mobile devices are becoming the norm, don’t forget to have a system that easily works on tablets, which are more common for online purchases than smartphones. You can’t ignore any form of technology if it may lead to new leads and new sales.

Visual Engagement

I’ve said this before and I will say it again, visuals attract the customer’s attention the way text never can. If you have a product to offer, show it being used. If it is an event, show photos and videos from previous events so they can see what to expect.  

A great way to kill two birds is to include calls to action, or CTAs, within your web pages, blogs, emails, etc.The perfect CTA will be visually appealing while also offering your site’s visitors somewhere else to go within your site. That special product or event that your company has going on should be made abundantly clear through your site’s CTAs.

Takeaway

A unified, consistent strategy with measurable goals is exactly what you need to make a successful marketing campaign. But those extras, such as the visuals, CTAs, high-tech gadgetry, well-planned calendars, brand personality and consistency, etc. are what take a marketing strategy great.

Without considering all of these factors beforeembarking on a new marketing campaign, or improving on an old one, you will be going in blindly with a chaotic plan of attack. Take the time to schedule every aspect of your campaign so you don't miss any vital pieces!

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