When you are a business owner, it is easy to simply outsource your marketing and let someone else deal with it. However, it is important that you and your team understand what your marketer is doing and why. When you and your staff are informed about your marketing efforts, the level of excitement will grow and your staff will be an advocate for your brand. This can lead to new ideas and increased creativity. While every business is different, the overall marketing process will be the same. It includes building a marketing plan, following it, and applying the resources and time that are needed to make it successful. Regardless of whether you plan on carrying out your marketing campaign yourself, obtain guidance from a marketing coach, or outsource your campaign completely, here are seven rules you should follow:
- Put the Customer First — For any business to succeed, you must understand who your customers are, what makes them tick, and what are the things that they value, want and need. Additionally, keeping in touch with them after the sale will help to ensure you are ahead of the competition.
- Know Your Target Market — Anyone and everyone is not a viable target market. A true target market includes people who want and/or need your product or service. Targeting these people is the best way to create quality leads and turn potential customers into long-term customers.
- Create a Marketing Plan — One of the most important things that you can do for your business is work out a marketing budget and plan. A good plan will last for years and is a valuable tool to keep you moving in the right direction. Your marketing plan should be written down, clearly communicated to your entire team and referred to every day.
- Provide a Product or Service People Want — It sounds obvious, but if you don’t have a product or service people want, it won’t matter whether you do your marketing in-house or outsource it – either way, your business is doomed to fail. So regularly evaluate your products and services to make sure they match what your target market wants.
- Create Great Marketing Materials — Everything you hand out to customers or that they may see is potentially a marketing tool. Business cards, sales flyers, website, uniforms, signage and more are all considered marketing materials and should look professional at all times.
- Build a Solid Database — Good marketing includes building a database that consists of past, present and future customers so that you can communicate with them regularly via by phone, email, and newsletters.
- Master Social Media — In today’s society, all good marketing campaigns must include social media. Thousands of people log in to their social media accounts every day, which means the potential to grow your business is huge.
If you follow these seven rules, your marketing campaigns are much more likely to succeed.
