5 marketing strategies PROVEN to deliver results
In my experience……
BE CLEAR ON WHO YOU ARE
All too often I see businesses who adopt ‘corporate speak’ in their marketing and even in their own personal social media profiles. I often wonder why. People tend to buy from businesses who are clear about their purpose, offer great products and services and speak clearly and authentically.
When thinking about your marketing and sales strategy, make sure that you are clear about what you stand for, how you behave (and want your team to behave) and the brand personality you want to speak to your customers with. It has never been more true that ‘people buy from people’ and from brands they trust.
Your purpose does not always need to be expressed as a higher purpose if that’s not ‘you’. It can be as simple as clearly stating what you do and what your values are.
Why does it matter? Brands with a strong purpose outperform their competitors by up to 7% (Harvard Business Review) and a whopping 73% of consumers say a company’s purpose affects their purchase decisions (Porter Novelli).
SMALL WORDS, BIG IMPACT
There is great power in words and they are often overlooked in favour of newness and beautiful imagery. Focussing on messaging and making sure that it matches with the audience receiving that messaging can deliver great results without spending a penny more. If you have a one size fits all approach to email marketing for example, imagine how you would feel if you received an email from a company which talked to you in exactly the same way as it talked to everyone else. Or put another way, how much more would it resonate if it recognised some of the things that were important to you?
This is equally true in B2B as it is in D2C messaging. What is important to a CFO will differ from a CTO for example.
Why does it matter? Small tweaks to copy to recognise those different needs and the benefits your product or service provide specifically to them in their role and to the business, could make the difference between a sale and the delete button.
DON’T FORGET YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS
Investing in your current customer base can transform them into your brand’s biggest advocates which is the most effective (and most cost efficient) form of marketing. Here are some top tips on how:
Personalisation: Use your data to tailor you’re messaging and offers. Make your customers feel understood and valued. Everyone’s data is a ‘mess’ (if I had £1 for everyone who tells me that I would be rich beyond measure!) but trust me, you do have enough accessible data to get a level of personalisation into your messaging.
Exceptional Post Sale Service: Your teams are your ‘brand’. Coach your teams to deliver outstanding customer service at every touchpoint. A great interaction with a human goes a long way when it comes to creating advocates for your company and getting word of mouth recommendations.
Continuous Engagement: Regularly interact with your customers, seek feedback, and show appreciation.
Why does is matter? It’s easier to sell to existing customers, with an average success rate of 60–70% compared to 20% for new customers
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR ‘SHOP WINDOWS’
When economic conditions are tough and trading is tough, it is easy to think that marketing is a cost. Something that can be delayed or minimised until sales improve. But here’s the reality: marketing and sales are entwined and without the right marketing foundations, it’s hard for any business to grow sustainably.
81% of consumers do some online research before purchasing and companies that integrate multiple channels for customer engagement, such as their website and social media, see a 287% higher purchase rate compared to those who don’t.
Why does it matter? For those working with business customers, remember that 87% of customers check your website and the personal profiles of leaders in the business within 24 hours of being contacted so you need to back up your pitch online.
THE POWER OF YOU
know. It can feel scary/awkward putting yourself out there. I’ve been there and got the T-shirt. However, whether you’re the owner of a business or a leader in a business, there is a great deal to be gained by putting yourself out there when it comes to sales.
When as a business leader you are visible and involved, it adds a personal touch to the brand. Consumers trust people more than faceless corporations. By associating a business leader’s face, story, and personality with the brand, you create a deeper, more genuine connection with your customers.
Why does it matter? 61% of people say they trust businesses led by CEO and owners who engage in social media and public communication, versus only 39% who trust those who remain behind the scenes. Having a leader who communicates openly helps to foster that all important trust and loyalty.
Go on. Give it a go. If I can, you can.
I started Mighty Atoms to use proven techniques like this to help businesses grow, if you want to see how Mighty Atoms can help you deliver your objectives contact me at karen@mightyatoms.com
