Posting on social media, running ads, and sending emails are all important marketing activities. But here’s the hard truth:
none of it matters if you don’t have a strategy.
A lot of business owners fall into the trap of just doing things. They post daily on Instagram, spend money on Facebook ads, and blast out emails. But if there is no clear plan behind these efforts, they will not get results.
Being busy does not mean you are being effective.
The Three Things You Must Know Before Marketing
Before you do any marketing, you need to answer three key questions:
1. Who Are You Talking To?
If you don’t know your audience, your message will fall flat. You need to identify
who your ideal customer is and what makes them tick.
Ask yourself:
- What are their biggest problems?
- What keeps them up at night?
- What solutions are they already trying?
Understanding your audience is the foundation of an effective strategy.
HubSpot’s guide to buyer personas is a great resource for getting started.
2. What Problem Does Your Product or Service Solve?
People don’t buy products; they buy solutions to their problems. Your marketing needs to clearly show how your product or service
makes their life easier, saves them time, or helps them achieve their goals.
Instead of saying, “We sell high-quality accounting software,” say something like, “Our software helps business owners save 10+ hours a month on bookkeeping.” See the difference?
For inspiration on how to craft a compelling message, check out
Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework,
which helps businesses clarify their messaging.
3. Where Can You Find Your Audience?
Not all marketing channels are equal. If your ideal customers are
busy professionals, LinkedIn might be a better platform than TikTok. If you run a
local business, Google search ads might drive better results than Facebook ads.
You need to
go where your audience already is instead of hoping they will come to you.
Neil Patel’s guide to digital marketing channels is a helpful resource for figuring this out.
Hope Is Not a Strategy
Too many business owners throw out content, run ads, and send emails hoping something will stick.
But hope isn’t a strategy.
Before you invest in any marketing activity, take a step back and make sure you:
- Know
who your audience is
- Understand
what problem you solve
- Identify
where to reach them
When you approach marketing with a clear plan, you stop wasting time and money on efforts that do not work and start seeing real growth.
Need Help Building a Marketing Strategy?
If you are tired of guessing and want a proven plan to grow your business, we can help.
Reach out to us today to talk about how we can help you to build a marketing strategy that actually works.
