There are marketing fundamentals every business must adhere to in the digital age. Regardless of whether you happen to be a mom selling on Etsy or running a small business with a few employees, there are some marketing musts that need to be followed.
It doesn’t matter which vertical your business is in, making use of internet marketing services is one way of ensuring you get the sort of coverage and raise your profile in the way that you need to be able to give yourself the best chance of success.
Here is a look at the fundamentals of marketing in a digital age.
The importance of social Media
The simple fact of the matter is that every business needs to have a presence on social media, and it has to be a cornerstone of your marketing strategy, if you are serious about making your marketing efforts count.
The main platforms like Facebook and Twitter are obvious starting points, but there are plenty of other venues where the sort of customer you are looking for might just be present, so explore all of your options and make the most of the fact that most of these are free to sign up to, which makes using social media a real no-brainer.
Don’t dismiss email marketing
There is no question that the prevalence of spam does dissuade some of us from making use of email marketing to a certain extent, but you shouldn’t dismiss this medium lightly as it can prove to be one of the most successful and cost-effective marketing techniques that you can use.
What you need to remember is that customers who already have a relationship with you, are normally very amenable to developing an email relationship with you and will be happy to receive relevant offers, discounts and other information that should be of interest to them.
The key is to avoid bombarding them with loads of different offers. Make sure you focus on providing value and if you do that, your subscribers will normally be ok about adding you to their safe list, so that your message doesn’t end up in the junk folder.
Think about podcasting
Video content is immensely popular and the fact that there are so many how-to instructional videos on YouTube for example, shows you how receptive your audience should be to something like a podcast.
Creating your own podcast is nowhere near as difficult as it might seem at first. Once you have put a podcast together, you can then promote the content on social media and via email.
You can use podcasts to drive traffic to your website and even create special offers for those watching, so it is well worth considering as a marketing strategy.
Consistency is key
When looking at your marketing message overall, it is important to remember that irrespective of the size of your business, you need to be consistent with your message.
If you look at how big companies with massive marketing budgets tend to operate, you will notice a theme that repeats itself across the board, which consistency in the message.
Some customers take longer than others to respond to your message, but that does not mean that your marketing efforts are in vain, as you will often be rewarded for your consistency in the long run.
Any feedback is good
It is generally considered to be marketing gold when you can get some insight into what your customers think about you, even if it is not always what you want to hear.
Customer feedback, even when it is negative, can prove invaluable in shaping your business and marketing message.
Encourage people to tell you about their customer experience and ask what it is they liked, what you could do better and also ask for some input on how things can be improved. The feedback you get can sometimes even help you to add a new service or product that you identify a need for.
You might want to offer a small reward to encourage customers to leave feedback, such as offering a discount on their next purchase.
Make a plan
All of these marketing strategies have a place and can prove successful for your business, but in order to take advantage of every marketing opportunity available, the best way of coordinating your efforts is to have a marketing plan.
Having a plan is essential and it doesn’t have to be that complicated. You can create a simple plan that includes a list of all of your strategies and a timeline to work to, so that you can track your progress.
Even if you are a small business, there are some marketing musts that really pay to implement and adhere to in your daily existence.
