You’re writing blogs and social media posts. You’re attending pop-up shops and talking about your business often. You’re making some sales. And you have a few followers on social media. But you’re not getting the results you desire.
If you are not getting the best sales in your business, you have to evaluate your marketing strategy. And if you do not have a marketing strategy, it is time to develop one to begin to see your desired results.
A marketing strategy is a framework documenting your business’ mission, vision, and unique value proposition. Your marketing strategy must also identify your target audience and how you intend to reach them.
If you’re ready to stop having spotty sales and low engagement on social media and in your email campaigns, you need to develop a marketing plan. Here are a few reasons a marketing plan will make all the difference in your approach to business.
Identify Your Purpose and See Results
When your business has no clear mission and vision, it is easy to fail. Although you will sometimes see results, not having a clear plan of action will not allow you to analyze your results.
If you want to develop a marketing strategy, first begin by establishing clear objectives. For instance, if you run a cleaning and organizational service, you might set a goal to grow your following on Instagram. You might also want to build your email list so that you can send targeted campaigns to your leads. What strategy will you use to grow your Instagram and email list? That’s your marketing strategy’s purpose—to create objectives and steps that you will take for goals to become a reality.
Speak Directly to Your Target Audience
Your target audience is people that would likely use your product or service. And within your target audience are buyer personas–specific members of your target audience possessing particular needs.
More than anything, your target audience wants to know that you understand their problems and that you have a solution. When you develop a marketing strategy, you are consistently considering how your products or services will solve these problems.
And once you understand their exact needs, you will begin to see a difference in your interactions with customers and clients.
You Will Stop Wasting Time and Money
When you do not have a marketing strategy, you will always be throwing money away. And, you will also be wasting lots of time. You will spend money on vending tables at pop-up shops. You will spend money on Facebook advertisements. You will be vulnerable enough to buy more products or invest more into your service just so that you might see a positive return.
But if you develop a marketing strategy, you will not be wasting money. Instead, you will be focused on building a brand that is strategic and intentional. You will be able to plan your schedule and develop a budget that will help your business grow over time.
Create consistent, engaging content
The content you create to market your product or service should be intentional, consistent, and engaging. That means you cannot just take a selfie, post on Instagram, and share random hashtags. Instead, as part of your marketing strategy, you are going to plan and schedule your social media posts–identifying specific hashtags that you will use to generate new leads in your business. You will know exactly what type of information to share on social media because you understand your target audience’s needs.
You will have a framework that you can refine.
When you develop a marketing strategy, you are not just creating a plan. You are also producing content that promotes your product or service. And then, you will analyze the results of your plan.
While some entrepreneurs analyze their results weekly, others review monthly or quarterly. Whatever method you choose, with consistent content, you will be able to analyze your target audience’s engagement with your product or service. Then, you will also be able to see if your sales have increased due to your actions. If you do not see a return on your investment, then you can always revise your strategy and create new objectives.
Having a marketing strategy helps you become a strategic and intentional entrepreneur. When you develop a plan that speaks directly to your target audience, you will easily share your product or service. And most importantly, you will see results from your hard work.
