“Can’t you just tell me what the best marketing strategy is so I can implement it myself?”
No. I can’t. Trust me when I say that I am just as disappointed I don’t know the perfect strategy for everyone. Individuals have unique situations!
Marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all and, honestly, it shouldn’t be! How would you stand out to your audience if you used the exact same tactics and had the same message as your competitors?
The decision fatigue and the fear of wasting time and money are very real. However, without a little risk, there is no reward. Everyone embarking to find their perfect marketing plan has to do a little experimenting.
Luckily, there are ways to figure out where to start.
Pick one or two main goals.
Are you trying to build a loyal following? Lead generation? Increase sales? Figure out your buyer’s journey? Improve customer or user experience?
Choose an area to focus. Every marketing decision must move you toward your goal or it’s not on the table. There, now you have fewer items to focus on.
Audit your resources – mainly, time and money.
What’s your financial budget for marketing? From that, what will be allocated to:
- Paying people dedicated to building and executing on your marketing strategy. (If you’re a one-person show, know that you’ll need to set aside your own time. If this eats into time you’d normally be making money, consider that cost.)
- Tools to help you with your CRM, email, social media, lead generation, etc.
- Ads on your chosen platforms.
How much time do you and your team have to put toward marketing? What can you complete each week that moves you toward the goals you chose above?
Find your target market.
I’m sure you know who benefits from your work. Find where their attention is – Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, a specific podcast? Choose two places and put all your attention (and ad budget) there.
Get involved in your buyers’ lives.
Wherever you just found your target market, be active there. Like, share and comment on posts that speak to your people.
Most of your activity should be non-sales – testimonials are fine, humor, support to whatever makes sense for your brand and followers, thanking people for supporting you, lifting others up. There are a ton of ways to make people smile without selling. In between a bunch of the human-centered posts, talk about your product or service.
That’s where you start. Go forth and build your strategy. Experiment with your tactics. The time and money will be worth it once you find that winning strategy!
Thanks for reading,
Amber
Amber Heiden's Marketing Services 