“Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future”
-John F. Kennedy
When it comes to a business’s marketing strategy, we often get caught up in rigid ideas about what’s right or wrong. The truth is, no one knows your business better than you do. You understand its strengths, weaknesses, and all the nuances of your current approach.
Marketing strategies often seem overwhelming—like complex, year-long plans that require endless time and effort to craft. But here’s a little secret: an effective marketing strategy doesn’t need to be lengthy or complicated. In fact, the best strategies are the ones you can create, complete, and stick to.
So, how do you build the perfect marketing strategy? We’re glad you asked!
Here are five simple steps to help you get started:
1. Try to understand exactly what your business does. This sounds simple, but it’s the most vital step in creating an effective marketing strategy or campaign. You may be a coffee shop, but what makes you different from every other coffee shop? What makes you different from, say, Starbucks? Your answer may be something like this:
We travel the world looking for that single-origin, specialty coffee to bring the customer a new experience with the highest quality cup of coffee. We offer coffees from Brazil, Honduras, Columbia, and Ethiopia, and work directly with the producers. We are certified coffee roasters, and all of our baristas are certified to bring you a cup of coffee that will change your life every day.
2. Set a marketing goal for your business. The fact is, if you don’t know what you’re driving toward, you’ll quickly lose traction and cohesion in your strategy. We all want to increase our sales, but what do you expect your marketing strategy to deliver?
Are you looking to connect with a wider audience? Hoping to increase customer loyalty and drive repeat business? Want more people to understand your mission, vision, or company values? Or perhaps you’re focused on strengthening relationships with business partners? Whatever your objective, setting a clear marketing goal is the first step. From there, every element of your strategy should align with and support that ultimate goal.
3. Crunch the numbers. It’s time to set your marketing budget—a crucial step that requires careful consideration and specificity. Your budget will determine not only the resources you can allocate, but also how to maximize their impact. Struggling to pin down an annual figure? No problem. Start smaller by setting a budget for a quarter, a month, or even a week. Choose a timeframe that aligns with your planning needs, and build from there.
4. Focus your spending. When allocating your marketing budget, there are several ways to invest your resources. While it’s not necessary to distribute funds equally across all areas, it’s essential to plan for some investment in each category to ensure balanced and effective marketing efforts.
Web Page - It may seem like it’s not “that necessary,” but this gives your company credibility. Your business web page tells more about your business to the world - it’s the first impression online for your business, and will show not only your customers, but also your future business partners and investors, that they can and should trust you.
Social Media - In today’s business world, social media is a must for every business. Chances are your competition is on social media. Your customers are on social media. YOU should be on social media. Whether it’s a simple profile or a robust media plan and targeted advertising, Facebook is a necessity for any business. Other platforms may also fit your business, like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, and YouTube. Where your web page gives you credibility, your social media presence gives you personality - a voice.
Influencers - If you're new to marketing or running a business, the idea of working with influencers might seem overhyped. However, the reality is that influencers can boost your brand's awareness, recognition, and credibility more effectively than a traditional spokesperson. Why? Influencers are trusted for their authenticity and honest opinions, which resonate with their followers far more than paid endorsements from spokespeople.
There’s an influencer for nearly every niche, and many are eager to review your business or products. Start by observing your audience—who are they following on social media? What interests align with your ideal customers? Are there natural partnerships for your products, such as pairing a coffee brand with a bakery? These influencers can help expand your reach, attract new customers, and establish trust in your brand.
Activities - This is about engagement. Offering opportunities for your customers and business partners to have more interactions with you is key in this marketing investment. Whether it’s teaching customers how to change a tire or check their own oil, or creating events for them to attend and experience your products with other products (like tasting events or coffee and food pairings events), the idea is to offer unique activities to set you apart. This will allow you to connect, create buzz and discussion around your product, and create loyalty with your customers.
5. Analyze Your Results. At this point, we’ve set a goal, created a budget, and focused our spending. Now it’s important to understand what’s working and not working. If your goal is to create new customers, did you have new customers visiting your business? If your goal was to create more loyalty, did your customers return time and again based on your marketing strategy? Did you create more followers and fans on your social media profile? If we don’t look back, we’ll never know if our investment is working. Look back every 2-3 months to check those goals - and tweak your plan, if needed.
Feeling overwhelmed by creating a marketing strategy? We get it—it can be a lot to handle. That’s where we come in. At CIS Agency, we specialize in helping you lay the foundation with basic marketing planning so you can focus on growing your business. Need guidance? Email us, call us, or contact us on Facebook anytime! Let’s get started!
Contact CIS Agency
Tel | 616.347.6300 | service@wearecis.com | www.wearecis.com
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