The rules of marketing have been evolving and adapting rapidly over the last two years. The pandemic has changed the way people are doing business and how they are searching for companies. In many cases, their values have shifted, and they want to find brands they can trust that align with their beliefs.
Even if you don’t think people are searching for you online, they are. Your brand can inspire and motivate your audience to take action exactly the way you want them to. With a solid marketing strategy in place this year, you will see tremendous results in your business – a higher ROI, higher conversion rates, increased customer loyalty, and more revenue.
We suggest implementing these five strategies this year to improve your marketing and increase your brand awareness.
Analyze Your Data and Set Goals
Before you can improve your marketing strategy, you must first understand how you performed in the past. What efforts have you made (both paid and unpaid) to increase your brand awareness and online presence?
Look at your website analytics data to see where you need to pay more attention. Your analytics reveal a lot about your visitors – who they are, how long they stay, where they are coming from, and what they like. You can create content and marketing campaigns targeting your ideal customer to improve their experience, leading to more conversions.
Find out where you were successful and where you need to improve. If you were successful in one area, what tactics did you use to achieve that success?
Once you’ve dug into analyzing and evaluating your data, you can begin to set realistic goals that align with your vision to maximize your ROI and create growth for your business.
We suggest that you clearly define your goals with measurable results, key milestones, and deadlines to help you succeed. Ensure that your marketing goals align with your company’s overall goals and objectives and fit within your available resources.
Revisit and Refine Your Brand
Reviewing your analytics will reveal who is looking at your website and following your business. Now is your chance to really dig in and see if you’re serving who you set out to serve.
Take the time to revisit your brand – aka, how your business is showing up through your voice, visuals, and message.
- Does your brand align with your mission, vision, and values?
- Are you serving the right people?
- Does your website, social media, and email tell a story that connects with your ideal customer?
The more personal and targeted you can make your message, the more people you will reach. This may sound counterintuitive, but you will reach no one if you’re talking to everyone.
Focus on your Existing Content
Utilize your existing content to your advantage. If your website is telling the right story, you can reuse and recycle your content into social media posts, blogs, and even email campaigns.
Your analytics will help you understand how your website is performing and who your audience is; it can also tell you exactly which content gets the most visits and has the most engagement. Capitalize on this and use it to your advantage! As a reminder, your content should educate and provide immense value to your audience at no cost to them.
The quality and consistency of your content will shape their decision to stay on your page and whether or not they become a paying client. Your content has the ability to help you establish credibility, build trust, and position yourself as an expert in your industry.
Nurture Your Advocates
Your loyal customers are (and should be) your number one fans. People want to buy from brands they know and trust. This means that your customers can get their friends, family, and acquaintances to believe in what you do and turn into raving fans themselves.
Your customers can help you reach new audiences and drive more conversions. Here are a few ways to incentivize your loyal advocates…
- Offer rewards for referrals
- Create campaigns to incentivize them to share your message
- Start a social media challenge
- Create a branded hashtag
- Highlight loyal customers on email, blogs, and social media
- Create a membership program
Invest in the Right Tools
Your marketing will only be as successful as the effort you put into it. Investing in the right tools to help you succeed will be critical to your growth. Often, organizations leave minimal funds aside to spend on their marketing, which is a big mistake. The more you hone in on your marketing message and strategy, the higher your ROI and the more customers you will attract. Depending on the size of your organization and the structure of your team, here are a few tools you might want to consider.
- An SEO-optimizing tool
- A CRM (customer relationship management) platform
- A social media scheduler
- Google Analytics (and a professional to help you organize and understand the data)
- A designer to ensure your graphics and visuals align with your organization’s mission, values, and goals
- A project management software
A strong marketing strategy is key to ensuring your hard work pays off. If the task seems too daunting or overwhelming, we are here to help. In today’s landscape, the trends are continuously changing and evolving. Creating a plan, implementing it, and revisiting it along the way is crucial to your success.
If you’re unsure where to start, schedule a call with our team of professionals.
We’re here for you!