Congratulations. You have put in a lot of sweat and time to come with a marketing plan that works. The most important thing you can do now is make a commitment not to screw it up. The next thing to realize is your key to not screwing up your marketing efforts is to make sure all the right marketing elements are in place and working. This has to all evolve around setting clear goals and objectives.
Far too many marketers work hard to build their reputation and generate positive word-of-mouth buzz. However, there are always those who end up undermining their own hard efforts. When pacing the floor until 4 a.m. in the morning, keep the following marketing tips in mind.
1. Your marketing plan and efforts were never about you. It is about your customers and the services and products you can provide to meet their needs. Remove yourself from the marketing mix. Your customer is the hero of the story—not you.
2. Know everything there is to know about your audience. This calls for investing money and time to know who they are and how they behave. Where do they work? What are their interests? Are your products or services age-related? What ultimately influences their buying decisions? Take the time to develop buyer personas.
3. Back up your marketing plan with relevant data. Data will offer insights into the minds of your customers. With data, you can rely on creativity and art far less. These are not bad things. It is just that data can help you come up with ideas to create new opportunities.
4. Do a much better job of shaping the experiences your customers are willing to share. Millions of consumers rely on the social web to connect with peers. They love interacting. Businesses should be on top of ways to help shape the way their customers think. In short, engage with potential customers at every opportunity. If someone asks a question, answer it. People look for an immediate response. If you can’t respond within 24 hours, their ability to make a buying decision diminishes.
5. Diversify your marketing plan. The old saying of not to put all of your eggs in one basket easily applies. Consider the elements of search marketing, social media, display ads, webinars, e-newsletters, email campaigns, and whatever works. Some of your channels may not perform as expected, while others will.
6. Remember that patience is always a virtue. The day you plant the seed is not the day it will reach fruition. Fight off feelings of frustration if things do not seem to go according to plan at first. Frustration will drain your positive energy. The right marketing efforts with the right audience will always work.
7. Above all else, remember to make clear to your audience what you want them to do. If there are call-to-actions, make sure that customers do not have to search for them. They should be short and inspire customers to make a decision.
Always remember to keep your material fresh. Google loves fresh, relevant content. Update your videos, page content, keywords, links, and site architecture. However, it can be a challenge to implement and monitor all the elements that will bring success. This is is why it is so important to work with digital marketing professionals who know the ropes. These are the people who can deliver on a promise
