When was the last time you looked at your marketing strategy? I mean really looked at it. The digital landscape is changing (surprise surprise!) and keeping a finger on the pulse, following the trends, and adjusting your strategy is vital if you want a healthy return on your marketing efforts.
Marketing can be confusing and convoluted, especially as technology rapidly evolves. The internet is a busy, noisy place and the competition is greater than ever. There are more social media profiles and websites today than ever before, and there will be even more tomorrow.
What does this mean for you?
It’s no longer enough to just do the basics that you’ve always done. Your business can’t survive on one blog post a month, one newsletter a quarter, and sporadic social media postings.
It’s time to go deep on your marketing strategy and get critical about what you’re doing if you want to change your results.
There is a lot that goes into this but before you get overwhelmed, try starting easy with the following two strategies. Before you dismiss them for seeming simple in concept, you should know that they are not so easy to execute.
These two strategies require effort, time, and commitment.
1. Create Valuable Content
It’s not enough to write a blah blog. You need to create content that stands out from the noise and really brings value.
What you’re putting out there needs to be valuable to the person consuming it. What I mean by “valuable” isn’t in the sense that you’re sharing something “nice to know.” It needs to evoke a reaction of, “Wow, I need to know this.” That’s value.
Your content needs to improve your readers’ condition in some way. They are giving you their attention and you need to provide something of value in return.
2. Develop Meaningful Relationships
In order to do this, you need to stop doing these things:
- Stop talking at people
- Stop showing up once a week to schedule all your content
- And stop mindlessly scrolling and hitting the ‘like’ button on cute puppy photos
To really form meaningful relationships, you need to start listening and engaging in conversations with your audience.
A ‘like’ button doesn’t help you cut through the noise, and it doesn’t convey emotion, understanding, or value.
You need to comment and engage with other people’s content regularly. You’re going to have to be intentional about showing up in groups and communities and answering questions to add a ton of value. Show your expertise by showing up.
You need to listen to what people are saying, especially your current and future clients.
The Heart Of Marketing:
In short, you need to care.
You need to care about how you show up, care about how you make others feel, and care about making a difference.
We forget that marketing, at its core, is supposed to let people know how you can help them solve a problem they have.
Marketing isn’t about you. Marketing is about your customer.
Do it well for them.
Of course, there is a lot more than just these two strategies that are required for successful marketing. While intentional communication and value-based content is a great place to start, if you want to be truly masterful at marketing your business, you will find value in my new book, Masterful Marketing, co-authored by Alan Weiss.
You can get your Kindle copy here or pre-order your hard copy that launches on September 6th, 2022!
