Wondering how to create a marketing strategy that will help your business grow? Don’t worry if you’re a beginner, because it needn’t be a stressful process. Here’s what you need to know about the fundamentals.
Begin with Research
It’s vital to know your target market and the types of customers you are trying to attract. Research helps you to understand the different needs, wants and characteristics of your ‘ideal’ customer so you can create personas. This helps with your marketing activity. Research into the market itself, using PESTEL analysis and other tools, gives you the insight you need to position your marketing accurately.
This stage can be complex, and it underpins all of your activity, so it’s vital to get it right. Many brands will use marketing strategy consultants such as https://www.reallyhelpfulmarketing.co.uk/specialist-services/marketing-strategy-consultant/ to access specialist expertise in this field.
Plan Your Channel Marketing
For most brands, a marketing strategy will include a number of channels that can span digital, print, direct and Out Of House. You might begin with a website and some brochures, attend some trade fairs and grow from there. Or you might focus on social media marketing and really invest in your content, SEO and online advertising. Every brand will have a strategy and marketing mix that is right for their offer and objectives.
Resource Your Delivery
It’s vital to fully resource your marketing so that you can deliver it according to a plan and in a consistent, well-considered way. This means using marketing experts with specialisms such as digital marketing or content writing. Some brands use agencies or freelancers, and others have the luxury of an in-house team. Again, every brand and business will be different with a different size of budget and varying needs.
Plan Your Measurement
To know whether your marketing will be effective, you must build metrics into your plan to measure the success of your delivery. This will help you to baseline your results and identify where things are working well and where they can be improved.
These steps will all help you to create a strong marketing strategy.
