Do you try to do everything right with your marketing strategy, but still feel like you’re not getting anywhere? Did your business do “ok” in terms of sales and growth in 2019 but you still are not where you want to be? Are you not 100% confident that your marketing strategy is solid enough to take you where you want to go in 2020?
Sometimes it is the small things that can make all the difference. Rather than huge shifts in strategy or expensive investment, it can be a simple tactic or technique which gives your marketing that edge you need to build your business and smash your goals.
Here are 7 simple marketing hacks which could make all the difference in building your business.
1- Be Data-Driven
It’s all very well to read the blogs, stay up to date with the latest trends and follow the newest, shiniest marketing tactics, but how do you know these are the things that work best for your business. The only way to know for sure is to track, monitor and follow the data.
This means employing the best analytics tools, including (but not limited to) Google Analytics, Heap Analytics and Mixpanel to track current and historical performance of your marketing campaigns, see what works, what doesn’t, and make sure you get the best ROI.
2- Use In-Depth Content
If you’re reasonably savvy with your digital marketing, chances are you’re already producing content, including articles for a blog on your site. Hack your content marketing by making sure your articles are long-form and in-depth. The number one reason for this? Google loves in-depth articles, and is getting better and better at identifying them.
That means, the more detailed and genuinely useful articles on your blog, the better your site will rank. You should be aiming for well-researched articles which are at least 2000 words long. Additionally, the more in-depth your articles are, generally the more useful they are to users, who are therefore more likely to share them on social media, driving organic traffic to your site. And of course, organic traffic means potential customers.
3- Encourage Referrals
Marketing in the 21st century is all about referrals in one or another, whether word of mouth, social media or influencers. It all comes down to the fact that people are more likely to make a purchasing decision based on the opinion of someone they know or trust, rather than what the brand themselves says about the product.
Research shows the consumers are most likely to trust shopping recommendations from family members (77%) or friends (75%). You can leverage this by setting up a referrals program, rewarding existing customers who refer you to their friends and family.
4- Personalize Your Ad Post-Click
You’ve invested a lot of money in resources in building a carefully-crafted your ads, and targeting who sees them. Finally, users are clicking on your ads – success! What happens now is the make or break moment. Make sure you lock in the sale by optimising what your prospect sees when they click on your ad.
Send your prospect to a landing page that is personalised for the ad, as well as by optimised in terms of messaging, call-to-action and all of the elements necessary to convert that prospect into a customer. This will mean you get maximum ROI from your ad campaign, and of course more sales means more profit, and more growth!
5- Attend Trade Shows
In our modern, online world, many businesses are so focused on digital marketing strategies that they overlook some traditional tactics which remain very effective even today. Yes, some old-school marketing tools like TV and print advertising are far less effective than they used to be, but some are more powerful than ever.
One of these is trade shows: these are highly popular across many industries, and a great way to connect with potential customers and suppliers, as well as being fantastic for brand building. With 92% of tradeshow attendees coming to shows to discover new products and services, this is an incredible market to tap into.
Work with a company like Fret Free Productions to get a winning trade booth design and attract new customers through exhibiting at trade shows.
6- Network Like a Pro
Networking is a powerful way to market your
business, and in 2020 arguably the most powerful networking tool is LinkedIn, at least for B2B businesses.
Marketing your business on LinkedIn is closely related to building your own
personal profile as it connects to your company. Make sure you have both a
business page and a strong personal profile on the platform. Make as many connections
as possible, post regular status updates and join (and actively participate in)
relevant groups. You can also try further proactive marketing on LinkedIn such
as publishing posts and using paid ads.
7- Canvas by Email
This may seem like a very old-school approach, but it is one that many businesses are still using, and with great success. In fact, email marketing is still one of the best marketing mediums for small businesses and startups.
Cold emailing can be a great way to grow your client base, whether by building your email list and sending mass emails, or sending personalized emails to major prospects. In either case, cold emails should be send to qualified prospects – either someone who has already interacted with your business, or who you have some idea will be interested in your product.
It is important to be as targeted as possible to maximize your chances of success. Even when sending mass emails, use niche lists and tailor your emails to this audience to make sure you are reaching out with an offer which will be compelling for them.
The Bottom Line:
Tweaking your marketing strategy is not one time task and it goes on with the life span of your business. You will find tens of other options to tweak your marketing strategy on and off. The above 7 are the core areas to start with!
