Buzz words aside, your business strategy is what got you to where you are. Like a chess game you’ve just started, don’t abandon it now! In fact, elaborate on it. Use it to produce your marketing strategy and guide your company on its path to growth.
Having a separate marketing strategy and plan will allow you to separate business tasks from marketing tasks in order to promote your business as well as run it. While it may sound daunting, having these goals will allow you to align your vision with a long term solution.
Stay True to Your Company’s Purpose
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it over and over again, knowing exactly what the purpose of your company is, is imperative. Without this innate sense of purpose, there is potential to spiral out of control and lose focus.
For example, say you have a company based solely on making tables and have earned all of your business (even if very little so far) on tables. Then you suddenly decide to start making chairs, but does it align with what you see your company taking on in the future? Determine if this additional product (or service) truly speaks to the goals of your company.
Mission and Vision
Your company has a mission and a vision. If you haven’t written them down already, what are you waiting for? Shout it to the world!
Putting ‘pen to paper’ will give you – as well as your potential customers – a much clearer picture of the company’s goals and thus, the direction your marketing strategy should go in.
Knowing what your company’s direction today AND tomorrow are will provide the guide necessary to not only engage your employees, but prospects, customers, referrals and more! They will see that you not only have the desire to commit to them today, but that you’ll be there tomorrow and beyond, doing what is best for them.
Voice and Personality Strategy
Especially as a small business owner, you have a particular voice and personality that helps you stand out from the rest. Use it!
Allow your style to shine through your work, your words, and your shared content. People will see that they are not just dealing with another company treating them as a number, but that they are truly working with another human.
The desire for connection in today’s electronic world is strong. You don’t need to go so far as to try to sound like someone else with slang you never use. Just”speak” in a way that your audience can relate to and it will make your and their lives so much simpler.
They’ll understand exactly what it is that you’re trying to help them with and why they should connect with you and your business. This puts less pressure on you if you’re not necessarily a salesperson, but also helps the right people find you.
Take It to the People
That is, determine – preferably via research – where your ideal customers are online. You should have created an avatar of them in your plan at this point. Now, question whether you are more likely to reach them via TikTok or LinkedIn (or elsewhere) and why.
Discover exactly what the majority of them are interested in, what their work generally is, and/or what they truly desire in life. Whether you do this via Google Analytics, by sending out a survey, or by asking them face to face, get to know your audience really well.
This last one may seem difficult, but put yourself in their shoes. Stop thinking like an old-school salesperson and think like the consumer you are. Remember the last time you made a purchase (even if you weren’t necessarily planning on it) and enjoyed the process?
Think of how you or your customers want to feel when making a purchase. It will not only benefit your company by being able to make any potential changes or improvements, but allow your ideal customer to feel comfortable and happy working with your company.
Maintain Customer Focus
This mentality will then transition into maintaining a customer-focused business. If they have enjoyed their experience until now, they will be much less likely to experience buyer’s remorse, and much more likely to recommend your products or services.
-Julie Rice, Co-Founder of SoulCycle and Chief Brand Officer of WeWork
Think to the last time you recommended a product you truly enjoyed, were you excited to share the joy with them? Likely yes or you wouldn’t have shared the experience.
In addition, how much more likely were you to share your terrible experience? Typically these are much more passionately expressed and more likely to be remembered by the listener.
Ensuring your customers are happy with their entire experience (from discovery to post-purchase) will save you the expense of refunding them and/or finding a new client. Not to mention the people who will never purchase with your company because of any negative word of mouth.
Stay on Target
Even if you have already created your Marketing Strategy, inserting the most important aspects to your business from these ideas will only enhance it. Allow yourself to expand the thinking of strictly selling into creating the kind of experiences you would want for yourself or for the people you care about.
If you’d like help creating or enhancing your strategy, I’d love to help!