Small Business Marketing

Small Business Big Growth: Techniques for Scaling Your Online Venture

It is no doubt that small business ownership has increased over the past five years, and small business growth will continue to rise over the next few years. According to the latest statistics shared by Oberlo, “there are 33.2 million small businesses in the US, which account for 99.9 percent of all US businesses (SBA, 2022).”

Additional stats from the Small Business Administration (SBA) states those small businesses alone account for nearly half of all private-sector employment. While starting a small business is difficult, scaling it is even more challenging. In the digital age, the proper techniques can make scaling an online business easier. Today, we’ll cover some of the most effective techniques for scaling your online venture.

Conduct Market Research for Business

Market research is a crucial step in scaling your online venture. You need to understand your customer’s needs and preferences and the competition in the market. Market research allows you to identify new opportunities and stay competitive. You can use various tools to conduct market research, such as online surveys, focus groups, and social media listening tools. This data will provide insights into your target audience, including their demographics, interests, and buying habits.

Build a Strong Brand

Branding is crucial when it comes to scaling your online venture. A strong brand will help you stand out in a crowded market and build customer loyalty. You must develop a unique brand identity and message that captures the attention of your intended audience. This includes creating a logo, designing a website, and developing a brand voice. Consistency is key in branding, so keeping your brand messaging consistent is crucial.

Develop a Content Marketing Strategy

Content marketing is a great online tool to increase traffic and brand awareness. Creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content can attract new customers and retain existing ones. You can use various types of content, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media posts. Focus on optimizing your content for search engine optimization and create shareable content for social media.

Optimize Your Website for Search Engines
Small business scaling tips

Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital to ensure your site is visible online, preferably on the first page of Google. You can attract more organic traffic and potential customers by improving your website’s visibility in search results. SEO includes techniques like keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and content creation. Make sure that your website is mobile-friendly, has a fast loading speed, and is secure.

Leverage Social Media

Social media is an essential tool for scaling your online venture. You can easily engage with your customers by leveraging social media platforms. You can use various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Ensure you create a social media strategy that makes sense for your customer base – post relevant and valuable content that invites them to interact and engage. Use social media to promote your products or services, share your content, and interact with your followers.

Invest in Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is a great way to scale your online venture quickly. By investing in paid advertising, you can reach a wider audience and increase your visibility in search results. You can use various types of paid advertising, on and offline, to expand your reach. Set a budget for your paid advertising campaigns and track your results to optimize your ROI.

Implement Email Marketing

Email marketing is excellent for nurturing leads and updating your customers on new developments. You can engage with your customers and build long-term relationships by creating targeted email campaigns. Promote your products or services, offer discounts or special deals, and provide valuable content. Make sure that your emails are personalized, relevant, and engaging.

Hire a Virtual Assistant

As your online venture grows, you may need additional help to manage your business. Virtual assistants can help scale your business without hiring full-time employees. A virtual assistant can handle various tasks, such as customer service, social media management, content creation, and administrative tasks. Make sure you hire a virtual assistant with the right skills and experience to meet your business needs.

Expand Your Product or Service Offerings

Expanding your product or service offerings is another effective way to scale your online venture. You can attract new customers and increase revenue by offering new products or services. You can conduct market research to identify new opportunities and develop a plan to introduce new offerings. Make sure that your new offerings align with your brand and target audience.

Focus on Customer Service

Customer service is crucial when it comes to scaling your online venture. Excellent customer service can help you retain and attract new customers through word-of-mouth referrals. Ensure you have a customer service strategy, including processes for responding to customer inquiries, resolving issues, and collecting feedback. You can use various tools like live chat, chatbots, and customer service software to streamline your customer service operations.

In Summary

Scaling your online venture requires a combination of strategies and techniques. By conducting market research, building a solid brand, developing a content marketing strategy, optimizing your website for search engines, leveraging social media, investing in paid advertising, implementing email marketing, hiring a virtual assistant, expanding your product or service offerings, and focusing on customer service, you can grow your online business and achieve long-term success. Make sure that you regularly assess your progress and adjust your strategies to meet your changing business needs. With the appropriate methods, it is possible to transform your small business into a significant success.

 

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

How To Effectively Use Influencer Marketing For Small Businesses

Small business owners face challenges when promoting their products or services. With limited resources and budget, standing out in a crowded marketplace can take time and effort. That’s why this article will show you how to effectively use influencer marketing for small businesses and reach new customers.

Understanding Your Ideal Customer

Before you can reach out to any influencers, it’s better to have a clear understanding of who you want to reach and identify your target audience. It involves understanding who your ideal customer is and researching potential target influencers. Here’s what you need to know.

Consider factors like demographics, interests, and buying habits, and use this information to create a detailed profile of your ideal customer. It will help you to tailor your messaging and choose influencers who are a good fit for your brand.

Learn how to Find the ideal customer.

Researching And Identifying Target Influencers

Once you clearly understand your ideal customer, it’s time to start identifying potential target influencers. There are several ways to do this, including:

Utilizing influencer marketing platforms: Many platforms allow you to search for influencers based on specific criteria, such as location, niche, and social media following.

Checking out your competitors: See who your competitors are working with and note any influencers who seem to be a good fit for your brand.

Exploring social media hashtags: Look for popular hashtags in your industry and see who uses them.

Engaging with your audience: Ask your existing customers whom they follow and engage with on social media.

Once you’ve identified a list of potential target influencers, take the time to research each one. Look at their social media profiles, the type of content they post, and the size and engagement of their following. It will help you determine which influencers best fit your brand and your target audience.

Defining your target audience and researching potential target influencers are crucial first steps in any influencer marketing strategy. By taking the time to understand who you want to reach and who can help you get there, you’ll be well on your way to creating successful and impactful influencers for small businesses.

Influencer Marketing For Small Businesses

Researching And Choosing The Right Influencer

Now it’s time to start narrowing down the list and choosing the right one for your brand.

Here are several things to consider when making your selection.

  • Aligning With Your Brand Values

When choosing an influencer, it’s essential to ensure that their values and beliefs align with your brand’s. After all, you want to work with someone who can authentically represent your product or service and connect with your target audience. Consider factors like personal interests, values, and mission, and ensure they align with your brand.

  • Checking The Influencer’s Following And Engagement

The size of the influencer following is essential, but there are other things to consider. It’s also necessary to look at the influencer’s followers’ engagement level with their content. 

A high number of followers is significant, but they need to be more engaged with the influencer’s content to be likely to take action and buy your product or service. 

Look for influencers with high levels of engagement, such as likes, comments, and shares, and consider these metrics when selecting.

  • Utilizing Influencer Marketing Platforms

These platforms can be a valuable resource when choosing the right influencer. These platforms can help you to find influencers who are a good fit for your brand based on specific criteria like location, niche, and social media following. 

They can also help you measure the success of your influencer marketing campaigns and track metrics like website traffic, sales, and social media engagement.

Choosing the right small business influencers for the success of your marketing campaign is necessary. By aligning with your brand values, checking the influencer’s following and engagement, and utilizing influencer marketing platforms, you’ll find the perfect influencer marketing to represent you and connect your brand with your target audience.

Small business marketing strategies

Creating a Clear And Compelling Message

Once you’ve chosen the right influencer, it’s time to start crafting a clear and compelling message that will resonate with your target audience. Here are a few key elements to include in your message.

  • Key Benefits Of Your Product/Service

Regarding influencer marketing, it’s crucial to communicate your product’s or service’s benefits. Consider what sets your product or service apart from others and what problems it solves for your customers. Make sure that this information is front and center in your message, and highlight the unique value that your product or service provides.

  •  What Sets You Apart From Competitors

Consider what sets your brand apart from others in your industry when crafting your message. Whether it’s your commitment to sustainability, your focus on exceptional customer service, or your innovative products, make sure that this information is included in your message.

  •  Communicating The Value Of Your Brand

Finally, make sure that your message communicates the value of your brand. Consider what your brand represents, what it stands for, and what it means to your target audience. Ensure that your message reflects these values and helps establish a strong emotional connection with your target audience.

In the end, creating clear and compelling small business marketing strategies is essential for the success of your influencer marketing campaign. You are highlighting what sets you apart from competitors, communicating your brand’s value, and driving accurate results for your small business.

Offering Value To The Influencer Marketing

When working with influencers, it’s essential to offer value in exchange for their help in promoting your brand.

  •  Free Samples Of your Product

Providing free product samples is a great way to give influencers an inside look at what you offer. It will also allow them to share their thoughts and opinions about your product with their followers.

  • Discount Codes And Special Offers

Offering influencers discount codes or special offers is a great way to show appreciation in promoting your brand. Their followers can redeem these offers, providing additional value for the influencer and your target audience.

  • Monetary Compensation

Finally, consider offering monetary compensation to the influencer for their help in promoting your brand. This compensation could come in a flat fee, a commission-based structure, or a combination of both.

Influencer Marketing

Measuring The Results Of Your Campaign

Once your campaign is up and running, tracking and measuring its success is essential. Here are a few key metrics to focus on:

  •  Tracking Sales, Website Traffic, And Social Media Engagement

Tracking sales, website traffic, and social media engagement will give you a good sense of your influencer marketing campaign’s impact on your business. Use tools like Google Analytics, social media analytics, and your e-commerce platform to track these metrics and see how your campaign performs.

  • Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Campaign

Once your campaign is complete, take some time to evaluate its effectiveness. Consider what worked well, what could be improved, and what you learned from the experience.

  • Making Necessary Changes For Future Campaigns

Based on the results of your campaign, make any necessary changes for future campaigns. It could include choosing different influencers, adjusting your messaging, or adjusting your compensation structure.

The Final Say

Influencer marketing for small businesses is a powerful tool for those looking to reach new audiences and drive accurate results. By defining your target audience, researching and choosing the right influencer, creating a clear and compelling message, offering value to the influencer, and measuring the results of your campaign, you can maximize the impact of your influencer marketing efforts and drive accurate results for your small business.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

 

How to Determine Which Marketing Strategies Work Best for your Small Business

When starting your small business, it can be tempting to try everything at once. But when it comes to marketing your business, doing too many things at once is a waste of time and resources. The key is finding out which marketing strategies work best for you and then focusing your efforts on those channels. In this article, we’ll walk through determining which marketing strategies are most valuable to your small business based on what works best for your company’s goals, mission, and objectives.

Make a list of everything you do in your business to attract customers.

Make a list of everything you do in your business to attract customers. Take note of all the ways you promote your business, interact with customers, track your success, and measure results.

This will help you identify where your marketing strategies efforts are the most effective and which efforts need more work. For example, if you’re using social media but don’t know how well it’s working for you (or if it’s not), that would be worth investigating as an area where more attention is needed.

Look for patterns and gaps in your marketing efforts.

When looking at your business as a whole, you should also look at the big picture of your marketing strategies efforts. Look for patterns and gaps in your marketing strategies efforts. Do you find that customers are only responding to one type of communication? Is there a period during which they’re more likely to respond? Are there specific events or seasons that seem to trigger a boost in results? Use these insights when determining how best to continue reaching out to customers in the future.

Look for resources that will help you measure your marketing strategies channels.

To determine which marketing strategies channels are working for you, it’s essential to know what is and isn’t working. When you’re first getting started, set up tools that can help you measure your marketing channels to see how effective they are. Here are some options:

Google Analytics

HubSpot

SurveyMonkey

Qualaroo

Google AdWords (for pay-per-click campaigns)

Facebook Ads Manager

Assign dollar amounts to each channel based on the results of your research.

To fully understand your marketing strategies ROI, you will also have to assign dollar amounts to each channel based on the results of your research. This will help you determine how much money a particular channel is worth and whether it should be used in the future.

When analyzing each channel’s effectiveness, determine the cost per lead or sale (CPLS). Then, add up all of the costs associated with that particular strategy under one category called “Total Cost.” Finally, divide Total Cost by CPLS to find out what percentage of every dollar spent on that marketing strategy was profitable for your business. If a tactic doesn’t yield positive results within six months or less, stop using it!

Don’t forget to look at customer retention, upsells, and cross-sells.

The first thing you should do is analyze the lifetime value of your customers. This will help you determine whether or not a marketing strategy is worth implementing. The lifetime value of a customer (LTV) refers to the total profit generated from one customer over their life with your business. To calculate this, subtract all costs associated with acquiring that customer from their lifetime revenue streams (for example, if you spent $1 on advertising and they spent $3 in product purchases, then their LTV would be $2).

Another way to measure success is by looking at how much it costs to acquire a customer and how much they spend over time. For example: if it costs $4500 per year for each new client but they generate an average income of $5000 per year after purchasing products/services from your company three times in that same year, then it’s probably worth keeping them around!

Summarize your findings with an action plan.

Once you’ve finished your research and analysis, it’s time to make sense of what you found. To begin the process, create an action plan template with the following components:

  • Objectives: A short description of your goals. What do you want to achieve and why?
  • Strategy: Why did you choose this strategy? How will it work toward achieving your objectives?
  • Tactics: What specific steps are included in this strategy? How will they be executed, monitored, and measured (if at all)? Which metrics are important to track during implementation — engagement, conversion rate, or other metrics?
  • Tasks: The who/what/where/when of each task involved in making this plan happen (e.g., who will be responsible for creating social media posts).

There are many effective marketing strategies and channels you can use to promote your small business, but it’s important to know which ones work best for you.

The most effective marketing strategies are the ones that align with your business goals, budget, and time constraints. Social media might be a better option if you want to get more customers through paid advertising but don’t have the funds available. Similarly, if you already have a website that generates steady traffic but wants new ways of reaching customers who aren’t finding their way there yet (or haven’t found it yet), then an email newsletter could be just what the doctor ordered!

There are also other factors worth considering before choosing between one channel over another: what kind of customer base do I want? Is my target audience online or offline? How much time do I have available each week/month? These questions should influence which channels or combination of channels make sense for me as well as where else I can spend my precious resources outside of paid advertising opportunities such as Google AdWords or Facebook Ads.

If you’re a small business owner, marketing strategies can be a daunting task. You might think there’s not enough money or time to do it all, but don’t worry! The key is to start with some research about what’s working for other companies like yours and where your audience lives online. Once you know that information, it’s time to put together a plan with goals and milestones so you can measure progress along the way.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

6 Useful Digital Marketing Strategies to Grow a Small Business

Digital Marketing Strategies is a huge topic. It’s not just about using paid ads, social media, and email marketing. There are so many more digital marketing strategies that can be used to help your business grow online. The good news is that there are plenty of digital marketing strategies available to small businesses that don’t require a lot of money or time—but go a long way toward improving their website’s search engine rankings, conversion rates, and sales volumes. Let’s take a closer look at six of them:

1. Improve Your Website’s Design and User Experience

Digital Marketing Strategies:

A website is an essential tool for any business, but many small businesses don’t realize how important it is to have a well-designed and optimized site.

  • If your website isn’t performing well, it’s time to make some changes. A few options for improving your digital marketing strategies include:
  • Improving the design of your website by making sure the navigation is clear and easy to use, updating outdated graphics or images on the page, fixing broken links, and other technical issues that may deter potential customers from visiting again in the future.
  • Improving user experience by ensuring that all pages load quickly on all devices (desktop computers, phones), using responsive web design (no matter what device is being used).

2. Use Video Marketing

Video marketing is a powerful way to connect with your audience. It’s a great way to show off your products and services, show off your brand personality, and demonstrate expertise. It’s also an opportunity for you to be more creative than other types of content creation like photos or blog posts.

After all, there are more than half a million videos uploaded by businesses every day on YouTube alone!

3. Take Advantage of the Power of Social Media Marketing

Social media is a great way to reach your target audience. It’s also a great way to get feedback from them and learn more about their behavior—and that of the market at large. It’s also a fantastic tool for engaging with them, which can lead to increased loyalty and brand loyalty. Finally, it can be used as an effective means of promoting products and services.

If you’re not using social media marketing for your small business yet, now is the perfect time to start implementing this strategy into your existing digital marketing strategies plan.

4. Write and Publish More Content That is Strategically Optimized

On the topic of content marketing, there are two main types: informational and promotional. The former is more of what you’d typically expect to find on a blog or website; it provides valuable information on a particular topic. The latter involves creating content that promotes your brand and its products/services. These can be written blog posts, ebooks, infographics, or slide decks—anything that helps promote your business while also providing value in some way (through entertainment, education, etc.).

The only question now is how to write appealing content that attracts readers. Here are some tips:

  • Use keywords in your title so search engines can easily find it when people search for them online. For example, if you’re writing about SEO techniques then use “SEO” as one of the keywords rather than just using something generic like “how-tos.”
  • Optimize body text by making sure it’s concise yet detailed enough so readers will understand what you’re saying without having to reread sentences multiple times (or worse yet – jumping over sections altogether). You want people who read your content to feel like they’ve learned something new after reading it—not frustrated by their inability to understand what was just said.

5. Utilize Loyalty Programs/Retention Marketing

Loyalty programs are a great way to reward your most loyal customers. This can be as simple as a discount coupon or as complex as a points-based program with rewards for reaching certain milestones. In the case of the latter, it’s important that you first have a firm grasp on who your best customers are and what they’re purchasing from you; this will help determine which rewards best incentivize them to make future purchases. For example, if one of your top sellers is toilet paper, perhaps offering discounts on other bathroom products would be more effective than giving away free pizza coupons (which might not even apply).

A note about loyalty programs: be careful not to make them too difficult for customers to redeem! When creating these programs, think about how often people would want them and what kind of return on investment they’ll get by participating in them compared with other promotional methods (like paid ads).

6. Budget for Content Promotion

As a small business owner, you probably already have a marketing budget in place for your other digital marketing strategies. But what about content promotion? Content promotion is one of the most powerful ways to get more traffic to your website and brand recognition—but it can also be an expensive investment if not planned out correctly.

Budgeting for content promotion will help ensure that you’re getting the most out of your marketing dollars by investing in only what works best for your business. You want to make sure that every dollar spent on promoting content goes towards something that will bring in new visitors and lead conversions.

Wrap-Up Digital Marketing Strategies

Keeping a pulse on your business’s digital marketing strategies is an important part of growing your business. This can be done by staying up to date with the latest trends and digital marketing strategies as well as maintaining a steady flow of content that informs current and potential customers about what you do and how you can help them. Digital Marketing Strategies are constantly changing and evolving, so it’s important to stay on top of these changes for your business to excel.

 

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Best Small Business Growth Strategies for 2022

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For a variety of reasons, 2021 was a difficult year for small company owners. 2022 gives a fresh opportunity to build your business, whether it was a successful or unsuccessful year for you, or if you’re just getting started. Eight small company growth methods and recommendations are included below to assist you in achieving your objectives.

Create a Successful Business Plan

You should prepare a business strategy if you do not already have one. Writing a business plan pushes you to consider different areas of your company, including your products and services, target clients (more on that later), competitors, and marketing strategy.

A business plan also aids in the formulation of revenue predictions and the setting of firm objectives. Take the time to consider all of these factors and set objectives for the year. It’s time to dust off your old company plan and refresh it with new objectives and predictions.

Boost your Online Visibility

Having an online presence is critical for future success, regardless of whether your firm is thriving offline. The eCommerce business is increasing at a rate of roughly 23% per year, and some experts predict that by 2040, online sales will account for 95% of all purchases.

2022 is the year to have a website for your company if you don’t already have one. A website may assist your firm gain reputation, expand sales capacity (particularly in the future), develop brand recognition, allow you to engage in email marketing, and much more.

Another channel you can’t overlook is social media. 45 percent of social media users said they used the platform to study companies and items, and 67 percent said they bought something they saw advertised on social media. Even concentrating on one or two social media channels where your clients are engaged might help your company grow significantly.

Quality Employees to Attract and Hire

A solid team is one of the most important components of a successful business. Quality and devoted staff may make a huge difference in the success of your small business.

According to the most recent labor data, the United States still has 10.6 million job opportunities and insufficient applicants to fill them. In reality, for every job opportunity, there are just 0.7 jobless people.

Write precise and informative job descriptions to attract great employees by letting applicants know exactly what will be required of them. Then, to make your firm as appealing as – or more appealing than – your rivals, match incentives from other businesses in your field.

This might include a welcome bonus, a hybrid work model, or other perks.

Develop a Positive Company Culture

Businesses have faced large waves of resignations in what has been dubbed “the Great Resignation,” in addition to facing financial difficulties and implementing Covid-19 safety standards.

Developing a strong business culture is one of the greatest methods to retain outstanding personnel. In 2022, make an effort to bring the whole business together for events – as securely as possible – to establish trusting connections via transparency, to have an open-door policy so workers can voice their concerns, and to be as flexible with scheduling as feasible.

Reduce Your Business’s Risks

While running a company does come with risks, having proper business insurance will protect you from serious liability risks. 75 percent of firms, according to one research, are underinsured.

There are many various forms of company insurance to consider, but general liability, workers’ compensation, and commercial property insurance are the three most important.

– Liability in general. General liability insurance protects you and your company in the event that a client, customer, vendor, or other third party is injured on your premises or while using your products and services.

– Workers’ Compensation Insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance is almost mandatory for all employers. It pays for medical expenses and missed earnings when employees are injured on the job or get ill as a result of their work.

– Commercial real estate. Accidental damage, vandalism, or loss of the physical structure and assets are all covered by commercial property insurance.

Make sure you have the correct sort of business insurance and enough coverage so that you and your company are protected in the event of a disaster.

Make a Marketing Investment

Invest in marketing and spread the word about your company to get ahead in these unpredictable times. In 2022, marketing must be a component of your business growth plan, but it doesn’t have to be expensive.

Utilizing social media ads, google ads, regular print advertisements, and other marketing strategies can all be effective ways to make your business known and attract potential customers.

Directing visitors to your website and establishing an email list may also be quite successful if you have one. Make marketing a priority in your budget, regardless of the path(s) you take.

Concentrate on the Correct Customers

Do you know who you’re trying to reach? Do you understand their wants, needs, and passions? If not, you should make this a high priority because you won’t be as successful if you can’t satisfy your clients’ demands.

Making customer/buyer personas is a fantastic method to get started thinking about your consumers’ problems and how to address them.

Are your products and services satisfying the requirements, wants, and interests of your target customers? Make contact with your current consumers and solicit feedback. They’re the ideal individuals to inform you how you’re doing and even provide you advice on how to better.

Make Customer Service a Top Priority

This may come as no surprise, but customer service must be prioritized in order to expand your business in 2022. If you don’t provide better service than your competition, your clients will move elsewhere.

When customers’ concerns are promptly addressed and their problems are rapidly resolved, they feel appreciated. Always go above and above to assist your clients, and make sure your employees are well-trained to deliver the finest possible service. Also, it is a good idea to get a business phone number.

Don’t forget to request reviews and testimonials, as 88 percent of purchasers trust internet reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

How to Manage Your Own Marketing Department

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Marketing departments can be expensive for startups and small businesses. Because it is vital to ensure your business is visible and accessible to the right people at all times, many small businesses tend to go beyond their budgets on marketing departments.

For those who aren’t familiar with the industry, it may seem overwhelming to get started. But with these helpful tips from Keetria, you can be on your way to managing your own marketing department.

What Are “Channels” in Marketing Terms?

Companies use marketing channels to send out their messages to consumers. Marketing channels are essential in order to reach as many customers as possible with a particular message.

Marketing channels can be both offline and online. They can include anything, from phone pole advertising to email marketing. For email marketing, for example, consider using eye-catching subject lines and include content that addresses consumer needs.

It is important to select the channels that best suit your brand and business model. To get the best feedback, you should test several different channels at once. These channels can be used to direct your marketing department efforts.

What Is “Messaging” in Marketing Terms?

Many industries use messaging in marketing. It describes the communication your company has with customers. This type of communication is meant to keep customers trusting you and to encourage them to take the next step in their conversion or sales journey.

It’s much more than simply communicating with customers. It’s about creating meaningful messaging to influence customers’ behavior over time. It’s also about getting the customers excited enough so that they take action via the channels you provide.

How Can You Tell if Marketing Worked?

Did your marketing campaign work? Marketing department can be complicated, especially when you are trying to reach new people. You can use five methods to assess whether your marketing campaign is successful.

  • Traffic to websites has increased
  • Increase in social media interaction
  • Always positive feedback from clients or customers
  • Sales or conversions increase
  • Value your own feedback

Effective Marketing Strategies

Marketing campaigns are crucial to any company’s success. Marketing strategies are essential to growing your customer base. You can get help from a professional marketer if you need it. Here are some tips for those who want to do it on their own.

Find Your Target Market

Before you can create a marketing campaign, it is important to identify your target audience segment. You can identify your target market’s needs and provide the products or services they need by conducting market research.

Protect Yourself

The Marketing Department doesn’t count for much if you fail to safeguard your customers’ financial information (as well as your own). So make sure you’re implementing tough measures to protect your business – and your customers – against cyberattacks. With new strains of malware and viruses popping up constantly, routinely updated patches are a must if you want to safeguard financial information from hackers, as well as facilitate data recovery.

Create a Marketing Budget – Marketing Department

Before investing in any marketing strategy, you should create a Marketing Budget. The campaign should be considered for how many people it will reach, how often it will appear, and how long. If you’re launching a new product, a marketing budget will help you stay within your means.

Use Different Types of Media

Social media is one of the best ways to market your product. You can reach millions of people through social media, and they will share your content easily on their profiles. This will generate a positive buzz around your business.

Different media types, including pictures, videos, and text posts, can be used to increase engagement on social networking sites.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, business consultant, and lifestyle wellness coach with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, media personalities, and entertainers. If you have a question or would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Conquer the New Year with These 4 Top-notch Marketing Tools

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Digital Marketing is always evolving and there are always new and exciting tools being introduced in the market to make digital marketing more effective. If you have a business, you need to know which of these tools can help you be the best that you can be. The right tools can help you stay updated with the latest trends, help you get organized, and can optimize your efficiency. Here are some tools you need check out this 2018:

Flock

Flock is a communication app for teams. Flock allows you to bring your team together to chat, share information, meet via video conferencing and push efficiency by using its productivity features. You can even integrate all your apps in a single platform. Once you sign up, you can create one big team and hubs for smaller teams. Flock is also faster, slicker and has a more intuitive interface compared to other team communication tools.

Sendy

Sendy is one of the hottest tools in email marketing today. It’s a self-hosted email newsletter application backed by Amazon’s Simple Email Service. Sendy allows you to send attractive emails easily to your email audience and receive a detailed performance report afterward. And the best part is, it’s a lot cheaper than other email marketing apps in the market. You can send 20,000 emails for only $2! If you have less than that, let’s say you only have 10,000 subscribers, the cost can go down to $1. Now, that’s a deal you won’t find anywhere else.

Ptengine

Do you get frustrated when your website visitors suddenly leave and don’t convert? When you have a business website you want to find out why people are leaving your site. Ptengine is a heat map application that records every visit, click, scroll on your site and turns the data into a heat map to help you visualize at what point your customers are abandoning your site. Are they leaving because of usability problems? Pricing problems? Do they find the copy confusing? Once you’ve identified the issue, you can now make adjustments on your site and convert customers better.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a unique tool because it lets you know what people are searching for every day on Google Search. According to statistics, there are 3.5 billion users on Google Search daily and over 50,000 searches every second. Among the 50,000 searches, as much as 20% are from new users, which means that there’s always something new to discover. Google Trends can sift through all the searches and show you, by using keywords, what’s trending worldwide. It will give you an insight on what consumers are really looking for and predict market trends. To see the data, all you need to do is type a keyword or the industry name and press “Enter.” It’s that easy.

Now that you know some of the best tools you can use this year, give one of them a spin and let us know what you think.

3 Creative Ways to Generate Publicity for your Brand

Publicity, if done right, can turn your brand into an instant star. Publicity is a way to spread the word about your business. And if you want your brand to get noticed in a big way, publicity stunts are a great way to get your brand in the spotlight. Here are creative ways on how your small business can turn heads:

Do the Unexpected

While following trends is great, going the opposite direction can also do wonders for your brand. Doing something unexpected grabs people’s attention and makes your brand instantly memorable. Some of the most unforgettable publicity stunts recently have stopped people in their tracks and created ripples of delight in traditional and social media. You might get some ideas from these campaigns for small business:

  • No Pants Subway Ride for Shobha

Every January, brave New Yorkers face the challenge of walking around the city without their pants. Hair removal salon Shobha saw a unique opportunity to publicize their service during the event and sent out a team of pants-free individuals wearing underwear bearing the Shobha brand. The No Pants Subway Ride was organized by the Improv Everywhere prank collective and the stunt has succeeded in surprising and delighting the unsuspecting public.

  • Ice Bucket Challenge

The Ice Bucket Challenge was a simple idea started by Chris Kennedy to raise funds for ALS. What started out as few videos showing people’s funny reactions became a viral phenomenon through social media. Soon, local and international media took notice and challenges were done on air by famous celebrities.

Go Guerilla

Guerilla Marketing is an advertising strategy that highlights creativity over budget. Ideas are often unique and yet easy to do on the local level. Concepts are often dynamic and imaginative and focus on grabbing the attention of the public. Here are some Guerilla Marketing tactics you can learn from:

  • Stencil Graffiti

Stencil graffiti uses stencils to create memorable street art. The idea is to paint as many stencils as possible in a given area, in a short period of time. The objective is for the street art to get noticed and create a buzz in public.

  • Treasure Hunts

Treasure hunts involve posting mysterious clues on social media about hidden treasures scattered across the city. The idea is to entice social media users to find the hidden treasures.

Attempt to Beat a Record

Beating someone’s record is a great publicity stunt because it’s fun and entertaining. There are also plenty of records to beat. When you decide to do this, make sure that the challenge is related to your line of business. For example:

    • If you have a pizza parlor, you can try to beat the 2017 record of Pizzaovens.com. Pizzaovens.com created the longest pizza that measures 6,333 ft 3.60 in.
  • If you’re the owner of a barbershop, you can attempt to break the world record for the number of haircuts done in 24 hours. Proceeds from the event can be given to charity.

Let us know if you’ve tried any of these!