When it comes to marketing, many of you know it probably took a while for you to FINALLY publish your website, get to social media, write your blog post, create a product, promote your product on Facebook, plan a workshop….Understandably, once you can say “I FINALLY DID IT!” you’ll want to walk away, wipe your hands clean, and BE DONE!
Yes, you can walk away, you can put your content out there and then be done. But, if you want recurring clients, business, etc. then you need to pay some attention to your creations. For instance, if you are selling a product on amazon, you should remember that the product photography (https://www.sunkenstone.com/services/amazon-product-photography/) ought to be carried out by a professional to produce a quality image that can be search-optimized. Such minute details play a pivotal role in an effective marketing strategy. It’s not just about technology advances, it’s about shifts in company strategies, new products, and services, new adventures, etc. Even huge corporations constantly change and update their websites.
The same is true of your marketing campaigns. Some will work (many will not, especially your first attempts), and they are a way for you to constantly grow and learn. I recently ran a Facebook ad (remember, you can pay as much, or as little, as you want! This does not have to feel out of reach due to expense) and experimented. The first ad was a bit of a flop, so for fun, I ran the same image with punchier, more fun text – that second one was a lot more successful, a lot faster, than the first. Like you, I am also learning what words, images, and ideas attract more people, and am excited by the challenge. If you’re struggling to find the time to create a campaign, it might be worth looking for a company that can help you use marketing automation.
Here are some general tips to help you monitor your marketing:
- Have a Clear Goal. When you do any marketing, you should do it with intention. Do you want clicks on your website, signups on your mailing list, customers….what is the WHY of your marketing? Make sure you truly understand this before choosing a channel and strategy. Many campaigns fail because they try to cater to a large audience rather than a targeted one, which is more intriguing for the consumers who will actually buy the product. If you are selling kitchen appliances you don’t want to advertise towards children or young people because they have no money to buy these high-value products and also, they have no need or want for them. So it only makes sense that you are constantly thinking about your audience and making sure that they are interested in the products.
- Test Two Theories. When you run ads, especially, or even newsletter campaigns, it’s great to experiment with 2 different ideas or concepts. Say you want more likes for your Facebook page. You can run two ads. Perhaps you run one ad for $5 and the other for $10 to see if length of time has an impact on success. You could experiment with different images, and see which one generates more results. You can experiment with the language you use….all of these are clues to finding out what works for YOU. To this extent what works for you may be not spending all your money on advertisements, for example, if you are a plumber you may want to put out something like a Facebook advertisement but are concerned with how much you should be spending on these ads. It can be a difficult decision so this is where companies like Plumbing SEO Bros (https://www.plumbingseobros.com/facebook-ad-cost) can guide you on how much money should be going on your advertising. Getting help and advice is the best way for your marketing to succeed!
- Measure Results. Once you know the WHY, and the HOW, you can then understand if your marketing strategy is working. In the Facebook example, you get to see which ad got more results. Furthermore, if you set a target of a specific number of page likes, you can see how close you get. You could also conduct surveys or go out and do some market research to make sure that the intended audience is the one responding to the marketing campaign and not a totally irrelevent one instead. This not only makes sure that you have grasped the attention of the correct audience but also, what you are doing wrong or right with your campaign to make it better for the future.
- Tweak Constantly. Until you find your sweet spot, you will need to delve into your creative spirit to create shifts in your strategy. This is especially important after you have conducted all of the market research to help you to determine what is working and not working. This is perhaps one of the most crucial elements because it is important for the success of your future marketing campaigns and whether they will actually be helpful in creating profits and a larger audience following.
Want to have some fun with marketing? Get your copy of Mischievous Marketing tips (along with BullBusting marketing tips) – you’ll definitely get some creative inspiration!
Spot on Heather. As it is with life, you must adapt and morph to thrive.
Thanks, Kevin! Couldn’t agree more.