Creating a really good product or service is only half of the work. If you really want it to sell, you have to spend 50% of that energy into marketing it really well. This is why even the most revolutionary ideas don’t take off because not enough strategy was applied into selling it to the masses.
If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. In this article, we share with you tips on how to improve your marketing department’s strategy.
1. Go Wide then Go Deep
At this point, not many people know about your product yet because you probably have not exhausted all the avenues for where you can market. Don’t just get stuck with one channel. Try different platforms where your customers are likely to be. Of course, you want to avoid spreading yourself thin but you don’t want to be putting all your eggs in one basket either. Right now, think of the top five channels where you can market. Experiment and refine your strategies on the ones that are working.
2. Know your Customers
If you’re failing to reach people, it’s probably because they cannot resonate with the message you’re sending. Take this time to really know your customer. Who are they? Where are they likely to work? How much is their average income? Get very specific and you’ll understand their motivations better. Ask for their feedback about your products. Some of it may be harsh but it’ll make a world of a difference to you improving your brand. Then when you can clearly see the value you provide to your customers, it won’t be as hard to sell your products to them.
3. Build Relationships
A big part of your customer service should be focused on nurturing existing relationships. It’s much more costly to acquire new customers than it is to maintain existing ones so focus on that. Look at your customer base and pay special attention to your top 20% customers. Give them updates about your latest products and services, provide discounts. These incentives will grow your sales and build lifetime customers.
4. Be Persistent
Back in the day, a company would be considered successful if it kept running for more than a decade. Nowadays, we want instant success in just a few months. It doesn’t always work out that way. Those overnight startup success stories shouldn’t be a model your business model is based on.
Sometimes, you have to wait for years before it takes off. In the meantime, you can refine your strategy by doing what’s working, eliminating what’s not, and experimenting with new ideas.
Keep abreast of the latest trends so you maintain an edge over your competitors. By being consistent and always attempting to reach new heights is what’s going to keep business running for longer.
5. Focus on Value
Wondering why your competitor is making sales and you’re not? They probably provide more value than you. Or they’re just good at showing it. There’s such a thing as demand generation marketing and this strategy involves making your customers aware of your product’s value. If you’re not making sales, you’re may be doing a terrible job of showing the unique value your product provides. Or that you don’t even know what it is! This is a terrible way to run a business.
Talk with your marketing team and brainstorm the top three things that your product or service provides. What solutions do they solve? Why would customers want to buy them in the first place? Be clear on the answers to these questions. Once you have gathered that information, you want to implement it to your marketing strategy in a way that your customer clearly sees what it is.
Which of these strategies are you going to bring up on your next marketing department meeting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
