Proven Marketing Tips For Any Small Business
Over more than ten years of marketing experience, I’ve seen my fair share of successful marketing campaigns. I’ve also seen others that from the start were pegged as great ideas only to result in total failure. The question I’ve been asking myself as of late is what sets the successful campaigns apart from those that simply do not work. The answer isn’t always simple but the good news is that success leaves plenty of clues.
Marketing continues to evolve each and every day. No matter how complicated marketing seems to become, basic marketing principles still apply. It’s very common for those considering new marketing initiatives to abandon some of the tried and true methods in exchange for anything that’s new and promising. A good example is Web 2.0. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, sometimes at the expense of proven marketing methods.
Know your audience. Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help meet those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding your audience through proper segmentation means a well targeted campaign that generates a profitable return.
Create a compelling offer. A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing campaigns that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to succeed.
Run split tests. The concept of split testing is pretty simple but surprisingly, few ever do it. When you split test a post card or jump page, you determine which version produces the better result. Each time you test a single element so that you continue to improve results over the long term. This is time and money well invested.
Never work alone. The most creative marketing ideas come from working with other creative people. Don’t feel like you need to have all the answers or great ideas. You may start with an idea, but an open dialog with other creative individuals will make it better.
Don’t use coupons. Once you start issuing coupons, your customers are trained to expect a discount. Instead of lowering the value of what you have to offer, increase it. Find more ways to add value to what you’re selling. This allows you to maintain your price and avoid the dangerous behavior of discounting. Premium pricing is a strategy that has strengthened brands significantly over the long term.
Use consistent messaging. Is your prospect hearing the same messages throughout the sales process? If the messages are inconsistent or contradictory, they are very likely to not sit well with buyers. Take yourself through the same process and same messages that your prospects are receiving to check message consistency.
Focus on after sale communication. Don’t drop off your prospects at the door of becoming a client. Once prospects become customers, your marketing campaigns need to build on the relationship you have and continue to add value. By making this investment, you create a strong customer base that can support your business for a very long time.
Test. Test. Test. In addition to split testing, you should consider multiple forms of testing in each marketing discipline. For direct mail, test headlines, offers, copy, timing, etc. Consider testing a life long mission.
Integrated Marketing Works Best. You cant rely on one form of marketing to carry you to success. Its okay to generate most of your leads or sales through PPC marketing for example but what happens when your leads start to decline? Use multiple media sources to meet your goals.
Rely on personal experience. You can run out and hire all of the marketing experts in the world, but you still have to do the work yourself. Nothing can replace actual experience. It will make you a stronger marketer and more successful in the long run.
If you want to succeed with your next marketing campaign, consider these basic marketing tips before you brand out. Simple strategies well executed can generate positive results. Stick with what has worked for you in the past and build on those results. Success comes with sustained and persistent efforts.
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