Marketing.
What an incredibly vast subject that is. There are as many strategies as there are stars in the sky, but there must be some things in common, right? Why, yes. Yes, there are.
Below is a short list: 6 things that every marketing strategy has, or at least that they employ at some point. These are the basics and, when used well, they can take a business to the top.
1. Have a Clean, Intuitive Website.
A business’s website is its digital storefront. As such, it is important to remember to make sure that it is not cluttered or confusing, and that it clearly expresses everything it needs to. How to contact the business, information on products or services, prices; everything a client will need to know in order to make a purchase.
2. Create Social Media Accounts. Use Them.
Social media is a great tool, and it is very easy to set up and get familiar with. When using social media, interact with everyone you can, including companies that have a similar target market. There will inevitably be some overlap—people who follow one athlete will usually follow others from the same sport—and that remains true for businesses of all types.
3. Copy People.
Find the company with a large part of the market share and pay attention to what they do. Perhaps they do most of their marketing through social media, or maybe through pay per click ads instead. These companies generally hire teams of marketing experts in order to grow, and while the same amount of success might not be found by a smaller business, there is still some to be had.
This may not work out in every niche, and you may want to avoid directly competing with much bigger names. However, there are always those who are unsatisfied with the “big brand,” and who prefer to do business with a more relatable company.
4. Know Your Target Demographic.
If a company seems out of touch, the tactics they are using generally fail. For example, a company that provides insurance to the elderly very likely won’t advertise via memes. Likewise, a tobacco company probably will not run anti-smoking campaigns.
Therefore, knowing the audience a company is trying to reach is crucial. It is best to study the target demographic before running any major campaigns, or even before making any plans for marketing at all.
5. Study Up.
Digital marketing is constantly evolving. New techniques are being discovered all the time, and people are improving older ones on a regular basis. The internet is a great resource for quickly becoming much more than a beginner. Putting time into studying and research will exponentially increase the effectiveness of your efforts.
6. Keep Grinding.
Marketing is hard. Simple, but hard. It takes a long time to get anywhere, but results are achievable by even the smallest of companies. What is most important is keeping the faith – know that you will eventually see results from your hard work, even though it may not seem like it.