As a small business owner, it can be difficult to stay competitive in the ever-changing online landscape. But with the right strategy and tools, you can make sure your small business stands out from the competition. Here are some tips from Blu Dragonfly on how to successfully DIY your marketing strategy.
Assess Your Current Strategy
Before you start any new marketing initiatives, take a step back and evaluate what is currently missing from your existing strategy. Do you need more content? Are there certain channels that aren’t being utilized? Answering these questions will help you identify where improvements need to be made and how to best focus your efforts moving forward.
Refocus Your Target
Constant Contact notes that your target audience should be at the core of any marketing strategy. Take some time to re-evaluate who you are targeting and what their needs are so that you can ensure that all of your efforts are focused on reaching them effectively. This includes researching potential customers as well as understanding their buying habits and preferences. How can you alter your message so that it appeals to a wider group and grow your sales potential?
Pick the Right Channels
Once you’ve identified who you are targeting, It’s important to choose the right channels for reaching them. Social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter may be great for connecting with younger generations, while email newsletters may be better suited for older audiences. Carefully consider which channels will work best for your particular target audience before investing any money into them, and don’t forget that sometimes simple methods–such as hanging flyers–are just as good as the more high-tech ones. Once you’ve chosen the right channels, it’s crucial to make sure these techniques are working by utilizing data analytics tools. These will show you how your customers are accessing your website, how long they’re staying on a page, and what their buying habits are.
Get to Know Your Competition
It’s essential to know who your competition is and what they are doing differently than you when it comes to marketing their products or services. Semrush points out that researching their strategies can give you insights into what works and doesn’t work to inform your own decisions moving forward. This will also help keep you one step ahead of the competition by ensuring that whatever you do isn’t something that has already been done before by another company in the same space as yours.
Use Digital Tools to Work With Pros
If possible, it’s always a good idea to work with professionals when creating or revamping a marketing strategy for a small business. They can provide valuable insight into industry trends and create campaigns tailored toward specific audiences. To make this process easier, you can utilize digital resources such as a file conversion tool to share large images without losing quality. This is a great way to send ideas back and forth without having to create multiple emails or send several files individual
Working with an SEO firm can provide your business with the marketing boost it needs to grow. SEO, or search engine optimization, involves choosing the right key words and phrasing in your website a social media content so that your business’s information organically moves to the top of a search engine. If you are unfamiliar with these strategies, work with an SEO firm. This is a viable option for strategically investing funds and letting the experts work their magic to increase traffic through marketing.
You’re also able to DIY in other areas thanks to today’s available digital tools. For example, you can create out-of-this-world marketing materials with 3D design software that allows you to ramp up the production process of creating materials, textures, and other content. When you’re looking for a solution that allows for increased flexibility and customization of visual assets while reducing the time for producing high-quality graphics and animation, this may be a good option.
Boost Your Industry Knowledge
Finally, taking online courses in business can help boost your knowledge of marketing strategies and tactics so that you can more confidently make decisions about how best to reach customers online without wasting time or resources on ineffective methods or platforms. There are plenty of free courses available online that cover everything from SEO basics to social media advertising tactics, so take advantage of these educational opportunities whenever possible. You can also go back to school and earn a degree, which could open up more career options down the road.
Prioritize Your Marketing to See Results
Becoming your own marketing department may sound intimidating, especially if you’re a new entrepreneur. However, setting aside some time each day to work on your strategy can help you work out a solid plan of attack. Do your research, and utilize digital tools to manage files so you can easily work with freelancers and other pros.
Article by: Emma Grace Brown
