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Written by: James Ponds
Running a business is incredibly challenging these days. The rapidly changing health, economic, and social conditions in our country have serious implications for everyone. Successful businesses today need to be cognizant of the external factors while staying true to their individual missions.
Marketing, or connecting with your target market and persuading them to purchase your product or service, is critical to any business's success. But striking the right balance in this ever-changing environment can feel intimidating. You'll need to incorporate the latest technology with the timelessness of the human touch. Fortunately, there are some core strategies you can implement to put your business on a path to success now and into an all-too unpredictable future.
Automate Your Marketing
Leveraging the power of technology to streamline and organize your marketing efforts is possible today in ways no one could have imagined a few years ago. Implementing a digital marketing platform gives your business a powerful tool for deepening relationships with existing customers while building personalized connections with new ones.
As part of your company's customer relationship management, this type of integrated tool allows you to incorporate marketing into every other aspect of your business. That means better communication, less duplication of work, and better outcomes for everyone, including your customers.
Finetune Your Website
Take a good look at what your potential customers see. Is your site eye-catching, engaging, and easy to navigate? Check every aspect to ensure all the links are working and there's no incorrect or outdated information. Beyond that, evaluate all your content with an eye toward relevance. Does some of it come across as flat or tone-deaf to what's happening in the world? Don't feel compelled to publish a response to everything, but do be sure to remove any posts that strike an awkward tone.
If you're not already doing so, use social media to drive potential customers to your website. Spend some time researching who your ideal customers are and where they spend their online time. Then focus your efforts on those two or three platforms, sharing content that interests your audience. Link those posts back to helpful blogs on your website. By regularly providing interesting, non-sales content, you'll build a trusted reputation as an expert in your industry.
Get Back to Basics
You've undoubtedly heard that word-of-mouth is the best possible advertising. That's because people are wired to trust those in their inner circle. If Jane has a great experience with your company, she's going to share that information with her friend Bob, her cousin Tonya, and anyone she knows who's looking for the products or services your business offers. Your loyal and satisfied customers are a marketing treasure. Make it easy for them to help spread the word.
Offer loyalty discounts, rewards for referrals, special insider sales, and any other way you can show appreciation for your dedicated customers. After all, it's much easier and less expensive to keep an established customer than it is to go out and recruit a new one.
You might also look for opportunities to teach free online courses or offer helpful tips via local media appearances. Connecting your brand with the public good is a great way to build trust for you and your business.
Keep Up with Your Industry
While it may not seem an obvious marketing strategy, networking is actually vital to staying relevant and successful in your field. Attend events that highlight your industry, meet and maintain relationships with influential people, and observe what your competition is doing. Having an in-depth understanding of the latest trends and how others are adapting to them will help you guide your business through today's constantly-shifting tides, which, in turn, will help build long-lasting relationships with your customers.
This is a challenging time for business owners, but also one full of potential. Take your marketing efforts to a new level by combining new tech solutions with good old-fashioned customer service, and you'll come out on top.
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