Marketing can be a difficult job to tackle, especially with the long list of marketing strategies and techniques that exist in today’s digital world. Fortunately for you, we have a few pointers that will make your marketing efforts more meaningful and efficient, so you won’t drown in an abundance of marketing methods that waste your time (and money). Let’s dive in.
targeting the right audience
One of the beginning steps to any marketing strategy is to define your target audience. Are they consumers? Other businesses? Millennials? Locals? Tourists? Who are you trying to sell your products or services to?
Some brands have multiple audiences and target them through different channels—for example, targeting Gen-Z through TikTok videos and Millennials through Instagram. Other brands may only have one target demographic, which is okay too. Remember, each marketing strategy is different and should be tailored to the brand it’s built for.
To properly lay the foundation for your marketing strategy, you must have a clear idea of who you’re trying to market to—you wouldn’t buy someone a shirt without knowing their size first, right? You can do this through market research.
Market research (verb): The process of gathering information about your target market and customers to verify the success of a new product, help your team iterate on an existing product or understand brand perception to ensure your team is effectively communicating your company’s value (Hubspot).
By conducting research on who your clients or customers are, you can get to the heart of understanding consumer attitudes and behaviors to streamline your marketing strategy and target those specific measurements.
conducting competitor research
Similar to sketching out your target audience, understanding who your competitors are and being aware of what’s happening in your industry is crucial for keeping your marketing strategy on track to success. One of the first steps is to map out your competition—and we don’t mean with a physical map (however, this could help you narrow down your audience niche even more if you are targeting locals)! Keeping up with your competitors and what they’re doing on social media, in their email newsletters and on their website can help you identify new opportunities and strategies to use for your brand too.
This is like a second part to your original market research, as some competitors may have similar target audiences and demographics. Unsure of where to start? Let’s begin with a simple social media search. By conducting this research over social media, you can find information (and ideas) for your brand to use as well. According to Hootsuite, through social media competitive analysis, you can find performance benchmarks (such as average followers and engagement rates), posting cadences and times, new content ideas and more. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and in this case, it’s only helping you strengthen your marketing strategy… perhaps this isn’t a form of flattery, but it definitely helps you stay up to date with the competition!
using social media strategically
Social media can be a game changer for brands… if used correctly. Before you go and create an account on every platform imaginable, take a moment to consider your target demographic. What platforms would they most likely use? Instagram and Facebook (and LinkedIn if you’re a b2b company) are great starting points.
Even if your target audience doesn’t seem like the type to be on all forms of social media, it is often a good rule of thumb to be on at least one or two popular platforms to create a digital presence apart from your website. Building brand awareness on social media is ideal—it’s one of the easiest ways to spread your message quickly and widely.
When it comes to using social media, there’s a long list of ‘tips and tricks,’ strategies and ideas, however, starting with the basics—hashtags, engagement, consistency, meaningful content—is a great way to step into the world of social media. Want to go a little further? Here are some resources that will help you build the Instagram profile of your dreams:
- Tips on Growing 4 Popular Social Media Platforms
- It’s Time for a Social Media Audit: 4 Aspects to Look At
And of course, if you need a little bit of extra help—or a personalized plan tailored to your business and its needs—we are here for you along the way. Drop us a line (and a follow!) and let us redefine your marketing strategy.
