Let’s face it, there are weeks where it feels like there are not enough hours in the day to tackle the ins and outs of a business. It’s easy to fall into the cycle of pushing off the need for a marketing strategy to focus on growing sales, telling yourself “I’ll get to later,” when in reality later means next year. Meeting your sales goals this year will require more than just word-of-mouth advertising or shifting budgets around – it’s time to get serious about marketing. If you want to see your business grow, a marketing strategy is a must-have investment to realign every element of your business to meet your goals. Think about it: the most convincing brands are consistent in their marketing and continue to reach the right customers every time.
It’s time to give up the “build it and they will come” mentality to marketing because you won’t see the results you want without planning and intention behind it. Knowing who you are as a brand is one piece of the puzzle, but knowing how to talk about your brand is something else entirely. If you want to start seeing real results and propel your brand forward, it’s time to turn over a new leaf.
Do you have what it takes to be a good marketer?
What value does a marketing strategy bring to your business?
What is your story? It is easy to get caught up in common messaging about what services you offer, but you need to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What story do they want to listen to and that will impact them? Alternatively, what are your competitors saying? A marketing strategy seeks to clarify the chaos of current messaging in the industry as it resonates with your audience. Without a marketing strategy, you are losing out on potential new customers. Let’s consider 7 hidden benefits you would miss without a marketing strategy.
- Develop brand recognition and a cohesive narrative
What do you want to be known for? Your marketing strategy is designed to guide how you take your brand to the next level as you bring the brand to life! From outlining your mission and vision statements to understanding your core values as a team, you can better develop cohesive narratives and build brand associations with your customers. The more your brand is recognized for a product or service, the more likely it is to see sales increase as you build trust with your customers. You want to convince your customers why they should consider working with you instead of someone else. You are the expert in your field, but working with creative storytellers in a marketing agency will help you to create a unique and authentic brand narrative and own a space in your industry where you can win.
- Develop a common language within your team
Your marketing strategy is not intended to be hidden in secret on your hard drive, it is meant to be a blueprint for the DNA of your team. From finding the right words to say in customer interactions to planning social media posts, your marketing strategy can be the basis of developing a common language and understanding within your team on the value of your brand, who you are, and what you can offer in your industry. Have peace of mind that there is consistency in information being shared with a customer from every member of your team and know that they are in qualified hands, every time. Your strategy is essential to creating and aligning your approach with your core values. When you align what you believe with how you operate as a team, it encourages a positive work culture at your company as people can relate their own core beliefs to the values you operate with.
- Talk to your target audience in a language they understand
Just like staying on top of trends, marketing efforts cannot remain stagnant! Each audience you want to reach with your brand will bring their unique problems, needs, and experiences, so your messaging will need to adjust. Don’t focus on a one-message-fits-all-all approach to your brand, but rather take a closer look at your target audiences. By setting time aside to identify your target audience and their demographics, you can save time and money on your advertising with key messages that will resonate with them. Researching your target audience will help you to understand their behaviours, thought processes and psychographics to develop personas for each customer segment. What value can you offer them that they can’t find anywhere else?
- Set your goals with realistic expectations
What do you want to achieve? Similar to creating business goals, your marketing strategy adopts SMART goals to help you make your dream for growth possible and help you move forward. Take note of the opportunities to grow your business, expand your reach, or offer a new service based on customer feedback. As the needle moves, so will your priorities. Choosing your marketing tactics is one thing, but knowing if you are hitting the mark will determine your marketing strategy’s effectiveness. How will you know that you succeeded with a campaign or in meeting your goal? From increasing conversions to meeting your sales targets for the year, your budget should align with your outlined priorities.
- Figure out your marketing priorities
Once you have set your goals, you will need to align your timeline with the priority. Creating a marketing calendar and planning content or advertising focuses a season or two in advance can save you time and effort to utilize your resources best. Take note of any holidays, work or industry events, or celebrations that could relate to your business. Let your creativity fly with your marketing calendar as you visualize your sales targets and communication tactics to execute your campaigns. If your priorities are not outlined in your strategy, your marketing efforts may seem mismatched and have less of an impact.
- Understand your business on a deeper level
Rather than look at just what services you provide, creating a marketing strategy will help you push the bounds and see your business from a different perspective. Ask yourself this: What sets you apart? When you say you have great customer service, what does that look like? Can you back up the quality of your products and services with action? Don’t fall into the cookie-cutter routine of stating a value without thought of how it specifically relates to your business. If you feel stuck, having an outsider perspective can help to see the value that you bring to your customers and the drive and passion behind what you do. At BubbleUP Marketing, we encourage our clients to cause a ruckus in their field and we can help you to see something that you may not have known about yourself or your business.
- Learn how to compete in your market
When was the last time you looked at what your competitors were doing? Take a step back and listen. What are they saying on social media and their website? To compete in your market, you need to have a birds-eye view of the industry landscape to know what is going on, and where there are gaps that you can claim. Competing in your market can range from your unique approach to service offerings to customer care and messaging. Don’t be afraid to be your biggest fan and constantly look at where you can succeed.
Is a marketing strategy the same as a brand strategy?
While they are not completely exclusive, marketing strategies and brand strategies focus on two different aspects of marketing. A marketing strategy touches on where you want to go as an organization, outlining strategies and campaign ideas that will help your business move forward. Alternatively, a brand strategy identifies your personality by focusing on who you are as a whole, from determining your mission and vision statements to identifying your core values. As a separate package altogether, your brand strategy can influence your branding guidelines and corporate assets such as font types, logos, and brand colours.
What can a marketing agency do for you?
Understanding the benefits of creating a marketing strategy for your brand is one thing, but knowing where to start is a different struggle altogether. This is where a marketing agency comes into play. When you choose to work with a marketing agency, you are backed by a team of professionals who want to see your business succeed by reaching your goals. These goals can be anything from increasing conversions to raising brand awareness with your customer base.
From breaking down your competitors to taking a closer look at what your target audience is saying, a marketing agency can help create a custom marketing strategy and plan based on your unique marketing needs.
Did you know that the cost of working with a marketing agency is a fraction of the price of hiring a full in-house marketing team? At BubbleUP Marketing, we strive for transparency in all that we do, from providing timely updates each month on your campaigns to seeking results. Our team is made up of experts in copywriting, SEO, PPC, and project management and we bring experiences and ideas to the table to help set you apart as you tell your story.
Working with a marketing agency can also give you the confidence and skills to support your brand narrative with clear communication and messaging, helping to invest to move your business forward and continue to make an impact in your industry. Additionally, working with a marketing agency can help you find more opportunities to connect with others in your industry and grow through collaboration.
Take the next step
Interested in trying your hand at creating a marketing strategy? Sign up today to receive your free guide! If the thought of creating a marketing strategy from scratch feels too daunting at the moment, we’ve got you covered. We want to see you be exceptional in all that you do, and our team is here to help. Contact us today to book a discovery session with our opportunity creators and learn more about the impact marketing can have on your business today!
