Marketing isn’t easy, but there are certain actions that will most definitely give your marketing efforts a much better chance of success. To summarise the best actions to take, here is my A-Z of good marketing.
A for Art of Communication – Communicating with people is as much a science as it is an art, so make sure you consider your strategic approach as well as the creative flair.
B for Balance – Try to have a balance between short term lead generation activities and long term brand awareness. You’ll need both if you want a sustainable business.
C for Catchy Message – If you want people to understand you and remember you, then having a catchy message that speaks directly to your audience and is focused on their needs will really help.
D for Digital Marketing – There is actually no such thing as digital marketing. It’s just one of many marketing channels. If you treat it separately you will never get true consistency in your marketing.
E for Explosion – If you want to get your name out there, do what I call a brand explosion. Make a list of every single channel and opportunity you can think of and then work out how you can get your brand seen or heard in every space.
F for Feelings – Humans are emotional. We can’t escape it. So if you’re selling to people – regardless of whether it’s B2B or B2C – make sure you bring emotion into it.
G is for Grab ‘Em – Have a hook at the centre of your marketing plan that will grab people and make them take an interest in you. Like a discount, an ebook or a competition – what will get them coming to you rather than you chasing them?
H for Hashtags – Use hashtags wisely. Understand what you want to get out of the post and how you want people to interact with it.
I for Intelligence – Build your marketing activities around sound research and knowledge. Be objective. There is little room for gut instinct in marketing.
J for Just Checking – Proofread everything you do, and preferably get someone else to cast their eyes over it. You see what your brain thinks is there, not necessarily what is, so it’s really hard to be objective about your own work.
K for Keep It Social – If you’re going to use social media for your marketing, then keep it social. Interact with other people and use the platform for its purpose. You’ll get more out of it.
L for Listening – By doing some research and listening to what your clients are saying online, you will build up very valuable information that you can feed back into your marketing plan.
M for Mail – As digital channels are getting far noisier, people are finding greater success with more traditional marketing channels, like direct mail. It’s definitely something to consider.
N for No Scattergun – Plan, plan, plan. The scattergun approach simply doesn’t work in marketing, and it can make you look unprofessional.
O for Omni-Channel – Use as many channels as possible and don’t be tempted to focus all your activities in just one area, like social media. There is a lot of evidence that proves the more channels you use, the more success you’ll have.
P for Personal – Speak to your customers, both current and prospective, as if you know them. The more they feel valued and understood, the better they’ll connect with you.
Q for Query Everything – Just because something was the case last year, it doesn’t mean it still is. We live in a very fast paced world, so keep an open mind and constantly ask questions so you can be sure you’re doing the best thing.
R for Routine – Get into a routine with your marketing. Don’t just do it when you remember or when you’ve got some spare time. Small regular activities will be far more powerful than bigger gestures at random times.
S for Squeeze It – When you get some content, squeeze the life out of it. Share it everywhere and use it in as many ways as possible. It will make your life much easier.
T for Timing – Don’t assume you have to do things regularly, as if there’s a marketing rule book that says you have to. All that matters is your resource and your audience. How much marketing can you do and how much is your audience going to listen? Work that out and be sensible in your approach.
U for Underutilised Areas – Think about the channels you’ve never tried. PR? Advertising? Direct Mail? Sponsorship? What else could you be doing to get your name out there.
V for Video – Video can be powerful, but only if video is the right format for the communication you’re pushing out. Don’t create videos for the sake of it. They take longer to do and it could be a waste of time if no one is interested. Be choosy about what you do. It’s far more efficient.
W for Walk First – Don’t be tempted to run before you can walk. Take the time to build a solid foundation to your marketing. Think about your brand, have a good website and work to a plan. The results will be far better in the long run.
X for X Marks the Spot – What is it you’re actually aiming for? Decide what your X is and then your plan becomes the map of how you’re going to get there. If you don’t aim for things, you’re just meandering around, and that never leads to success.
Y for Yardstick – Measure your marketing. Know what is working and what isn’t, so you can do more of the stuff that works and cut out the stuff that doesn’t.
Z for Zillions – If you want to earn the big bucks then you must have a strategy. It’s the easiest way to success. If you want to improve your marketing, we’re here to help. We offer a free half hour meeting to discuss what you’re doing and explore ways how we can help. If that would be useful, get in touch.
