I’m new to using social media for marketing (and I’m not a marketer). I have Facebook and Instagram accounts, but I rarely use them or update them.
Do you have any advice on how to get started? What are strategies that you use when marketing your business? What do you think has worked best in the past?
Key Takeaways |
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1. Marketing strategies vary based on goals and target audiences. |
2. Unconventional and creative approaches can yield significant results. |
3. Freelance marketers need to cultivate a versatile skill set. |
4. Direct marketing offers personalized engagement for creative professionals. |
5. Developing a social media strategy, especially on platforms like Instagram, is crucial. |
Be A Good Listener
The best marketers are not only good at listening to their customers, but also the employees, partners and market. They pay attention to what their competitors are doing and they stay up-to-date on industry news.
They don’t assume anything–they actively seek out information from any source that might help them better understand the world around them.
Good listening skills will ensure that you’re well-informed about your business or organization so you can make informed decisions about marketing strategy.
If you’re new to marketing and looking for comprehensive insights, delve into our guide on Marketing 101: A Guide to Marketing Ideas, Tips, and Tricks. It covers essential concepts and strategies to help you kickstart your marketing journey.
Be Authentic
It’s important to be true to yourself and your brand. People can sense when you’re trying too hard, or if your approach is disingenuous. If you’re not being authentic, people will see right through it and avoid buying from you in the future.
Another interesting way to approach authenticity is by being honest about what’s working for other brands in your industry and why it works for them! It might seem strange at first.
But it can make a huge difference in how people perceive you as a business owner and expert on the topic of marketing (or anything else).
Be Genuine
When it comes to marketing, being genuine is the most important thing you can do.
Be genuine in your writing and marketing. Be genuine in your interactions with people. Be genuine in your interactions with yourself (meditate, do yoga).
Be genuine in your interactions with others on the team the marketers, developers, project managers etc., all of them! And finally: be genuine in interactions with clients and community members that you’re building up around you.
Be Disciplined And Consistent
I’m sure that you have heard the saying “consistency and discipline are key”. The truth is, it is much easier to be disciplined and consistent when you plan. Here are some tools that can help:
Use a calendar to schedule your posts. If you use Facebook or Instagram, then this is built-in for you.
For other social media platforms, there are websites like CoSchedule or Meet Edgar which will allow you to create content calendars for all of your social media accounts at once. This makes it much easier to stay on track with posting consistently because all of the work is done for you!
Make sure that each post goes live at the same time every week (or however often). This will help build momentum and consistency within your audience so they get used to checking back each week for new content from you!
Don’t forget about scheduling future posts while working on current ones either!
While popular marketing strategies are important, exploring unconventional approaches is equally crucial. Discover the potential of 13 Unappreciated Marketing Strategies that could be the game-changer your business needs.
Be Prepared To Answer The Question “How Can I Help You?”
You might have heard this before, but it’s important to be prepared.
If you’re going to go out and talk about your product or service, then you should be ready for the question: “How can I help you?”
There are many different ways that someone could ask this question, but the goal is always for them to make it clear what their problem is and for you to figure out how your product or service can solve their problem.
You should have an answer ready at all times because prospects will often ask this question just as soon as they realize they need help solving a problem!
Now let me tell you why being prepared is so important when talking with potential customers:
When someone asks how they can help me (the prospect), then I know that they are interested in my product/service. This makes them more likely than other prospects who aren’t asking any questions at all!
Begin With A Clear Goal
It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and forget about what your goals are, but it’s important to set them before you begin working toward them. If you don’t know where you want to go, how will you get there?
Before starting any type of marketing campaign, define exactly what problem your company is trying to solve for customers. What are the needs that aren’t being met? How can an organization be more effective at meeting those needs?
This step is crucial because it’s impossible to figure out how else people will interact with your products or services if they don’t understand why they should care about yours in particular.
The clearer this understanding is defined beforehand, the better chance there’ll be of making meaningful connections later on down the road.*
Be Content-Focused. Write With The Reader In Mind
It’s easy to get lost in the weeds when writing content. You may be so focused on keyword density and search engine optimization that you forget about your end goal: attracting new customers and converting them into leads.
While it’s important to make sure that your website has a strong foundation, it’s also critical to keep in mind who would benefit most from reading your content. What goals do they have? What questions are they struggling with?
How can you best answer their needs with the resources at hand? Your answers will lead you to topics that are both useful and interesting and therefore more likely to attract new readers (and thus more traffic).
Freelance marketers thrive on their skills and adaptability. Learn about The Most Important Skill for a Freelance Marketer and how mastering it can lead to success in the competitive marketing landscape.
Get Insight From Your Team
Be sure to also get feedback from other people in your organization. Talk with your team, customers, partners, and friends about how they feel about the marketing efforts you’re making. And don’t forget about peers and competitors you may find some interesting insights there too!
Asking for input is a great way to gain a fresh perspective on what works and doesn’t work when it comes to marketing.
Test Your Headlines
When it comes to writing headlines, people often think they’re not important. They don’t realize that the headline is what catches your audience’s eye and makes them read on. Headlines should be short, specific, and unique.
They should also be interesting enough so that you can keep reading even if it’s boring at first glance.
For example:
“How to Lose Weight in 5 Easy Steps” is better than “Lose Weight.” It’s more specific and the word “easy” makes it sound like something anyone could do which means there’s no excuse for not giving this article a try!
Be Specific And Personalize Your Messaging
You can use a specific customer’s name, industry, and location. This is also known as personalization. The more you know about your customers, the better an idea you’ll have of what they want to see in their inboxes.
You might also want to include something that relates directly back to their problem or solution. This will help them realize that they are not alone in having this problem, or that they do indeed need a solution for it–and perhaps yours is the best option!
Don’t Stuff Keywords Into Every Crevice Of Your Blog Post Or Article
A lot of people make the mistake of stuffing keywords into every crevice of their blog post or article, thinking that it will help them rank higher in search results.
The truth is that stuffing your content with keywords can backfire and hurt you more than it helps. Instead, use keyword research to guide you as you write, but don’t try too hard to force them into your writing if they don’t fit naturally.
Here are some tips for organically using keywords:
- Use your target keyword(s) in the title of your blog post or article (and variations thereof).
- Use one or two related keywords in the URL for each page on your site (and variations thereof). This helps users find relevant content when they’re searching Google or Bing by subject matter.
It also gives you more opportunities to optimize images and videos on LinkedIn’s platform because this information gets indexed automatically when uploaded there.[1]
Creative professionals looking to harness the power of direct marketing can gain valuable insights from A Guide to Direct Marketing for Creative Professionals. This guide outlines effective strategies to engage and connect with your target audience.
Generate Leads And Track Their Progress
If you’re not tracking the progress of your leads and conversions, then you’re just guessing. You won’t know which of your marketing strategies are working or where to invest more time and resources.
When it comes down to it, there are several ways you can track the success of your email campaign:
Google Analytics – If you have a website or blog, Google Analytics is an essential tool for tracking traffic sources, engagement with site content, and behavior by users across devices. It’s also free!
If you don’t already have a website or blog set up yet, check out one of our easy-to-use templates (and if you need help getting started with making changes on a template like this one).
HubSpot – HubSpot is another great tool that will let you track how many people open emails as well as how many click-throughs are made per email sent out.
The benefit here is that this software tracks all kinds of information about each subscriber including what happened after they clicked through the email they received from their initial contact at least once.
Before signing up so it’s easier than ever before to make sure everyone who signs up stays engaged before moving forward into the sales process (which means less money wasted later on down the road).
Think About Length
Length is another aspect of your content that you should consider.
Think about the length of your copy, and decide how long it needs to be based on your audience’s attention span and how long they are willing to read.
If you have a very short piece that requires only a few sentences, then go ahead and write those few sentences.
But if you have something longer and more in-depth, consider adding some helpful tips or techniques into bullet points so they can easily scan through the content without missing anything important.
You also don’t want to make content too long either; otherwise, people won’t have time for it! It’s better to keep things short but sweet than heavy on fluffiness (and boring).
Social media is a powerful tool for businesses, and Instagram holds vast potential. Uncover the importance of having a Social Media Strategy for Instagram and how it can contribute to your brand’s online visibility and growth.
Conclusion
Here you have it: a comprehensive guide to marketing strategies that will get your business noticed. You now understand the steps needed to build a strategic marketing plan and the different types of strategies based on your goals.
Now you can successfully adapt your marketing efforts to better reach customers and increase sales. Use these strategies as guidelines, but remember that there are many other ways outside this list that can also be effective in reaching your objectives.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources you might find valuable for diving deeper into marketing strategies:
10 Marketing Strategies to Fuel Your Business Growth – Explore this comprehensive guide on Entrepreneur.com to discover effective strategies that can drive business growth.
Marketing Strategy: The Ultimate Guide – HubSpot’s blog post provides insights into building a well-rounded marketing strategy to achieve your business goals.
Best Marketing Strategies to Try in 2020 – WordStream’s blog post highlights some of the best marketing strategies to consider implementing in your campaigns.
FAQs
What are the key components of a successful marketing strategy?
A successful marketing strategy typically involves clear goal-setting, identifying target audiences, competitive analysis, choosing appropriate channels, and regular performance measurement.
How can I choose the right marketing channels for my business?
Choosing the right marketing channels depends on your target audience’s preferences and behavior. Conduct market research to understand where your audience spends their time and tailor your strategy accordingly.
What role does content play in a marketing strategy?
Content is a crucial component of a marketing strategy. High-quality and relevant content helps attract and engage your audience, establish your brand as an authority, and improve search engine visibility.
How do I measure the effectiveness of my marketing strategy?
Measuring the effectiveness of a marketing strategy involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, conversion rates, social media engagement, and return on investment (ROI).
What should I consider when adapting my marketing strategy to new trends?
When adapting your marketing strategy to new trends, consider your target audience’s preferences, the relevance of the trend to your industry, and how well the trend aligns with your brand identity and values.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.