Creating and nurturing a business can be a challenge, as marketing strategies change continually and way faster than ever before. Customers now expect more empowerment from businesses, especially with the proliferation of new technologies.
Companies that take time to build strong relations with customers have the advantage over the competition. But to develop those relationships, you need to have a good grasp of your community. This way you can give relevant solutions to real-world problems.
The first quarter of the year is the best time to enforce changes to your marketing strategy. People are trained to update or adapt to changes during the start of the year. Use the early opportunity to form and carry out a plan that enhances customer relationships and bolsters your position as a market leader. Here are a few actionable tips that will help you reach your goals:
1. Properly divide your existing and potential customers.
Delivering the right content to the members of your communities is the best way to keep them engaged. Not only do you require a good grasp and awareness of your customers’ expectations and needs, but you also need an efficient delivery system. Proper segmentation of customers makes it more effective and easier to cater to their needs. It adds new opportunities to serve your customers and grow your business.
2. Do a full audit of your marketing strategy.
Nearly all marketing plans used today have changed over time. Strategies and mediums that worked perfectly in the past have dropped in efficiency as the marketplace evolves. Doing a full audit of your marketing strategy underlines areas you have to remove or revise. Be objective with your audit for it to be effective. If the marketing team is smitten with certain areas to remain objective, add a new member to the team from the outside.
3. Stay creative when you use old-school marketing tools.
Traditional marketing tools are still in effect. You can use email, direct mail, and telemarketing to gain new customers and deliver sales. Even if you use outdated marketing techniques, you can still arrive with decent results. Better yet, you can use your creativity and look for innovative ways to capitalize on traditional marketing to connect and engage with your customers. Encourage your marketing team to look for better ways to resolve problems and address issues through tried and tested tactics.
4. Look for new platforms and channels.
Existing and potential customers take part in multiple platforms and channels. The noticeable of these are not automatically the most effective places to carry out a marketing plan. Allot time to look for and try out new platforms. It expands your reach and opens new opportunities that the competition may have overlooked. If you do not have a good understanding and ingenuity to study the marketplace, 2014 will pass with plenty of opportunities for you.
5. Make a new social media strategy.
The social media strategy you used last year may still be effective today but it will not last. Marketing results change at the same time as the channel changes. Create a backup strategy even if the existing ones are still effective on your chosen platform. Setting things into place before the need arises keeps the ever-changing channel from affecting your marketing efforts.
6. Set goals to be a multiscreen, multichannel driving force in marketing.
Access to your company across different channels and screens is a must-have feature. Figure out how people visit your rivals’ pages and compare the results with your ease of access. It will serve as the basis for your plans to improve. The easier for people to contact your company, the more likely your sales will grow.
7. Break the barrier between customer service and marketing.
A positive customer experience needs the marketing and customer service departments to work in partnership. You can start to improve the exchange of information and reward the collaboration between departments. It will be a win-win scenario for the company and its customers when the walls are crushed and both parties have established trust.
8. Improve your marketing analytics.
In this age of digital information, data is readily available and accessible. You can pull or derive high-quality marketing analytics from the vast pool of information on the Internet. Invest and allocate resources to acquire and use actionable information to expand your business. If you only acquire data just to compare results, it has little value compared to using it for improving marketing and customer service.
(Flickr / thetaxhaven)
What other actionable tips do you have in mind? Have you done other things to reach your goals? Drop us a comment below.
