Focusing on marketing your business is essential – it helps you to reach more of your target audience, drives sales and builds a great reputation for your company within your sector. There are so many elements you could choose to implement into your marketing strategy – whether that’s the packaging you use, like honey jar labels, mailing bags, or your online presence – there is a strategy to suit everyone. If you’re not sure where to start, here are 5 marketing tips that you could try to boost your business.
- Get to know your audience
If you don’t know your target audience, how are you going to develop a marketing strategy with them in mind? Getting to know your target market means you can develop your product or service to suit your niche. Think about what you can provide that other companies cannot. Think about your customers and try to understand any issues or problems they might face and think about their priorities so that you can meet their needs. Giving your customers what they want means you can get ahead of your competitors, leading to increased sales and reputation within your sector.
- Promotional materials
A lot of marketing is based online, but not quite all of it. You can still use some of the old classics to give your company the boost it needs. Promotional materials tend to be anything with the company’s name on it. This could be free pens, keyrings, or any gift that you can give to your customer as a way of enticing them back to use your company. Promotional materials that customers can use every day, like notebooks, and calendars means your brand will stay fresh in their minds so they’re more likely to turn to your products and services.
- Enhance your online presence
As mentioned previously, most marketing efforts take place online – and it’s easy to see why with so many platforms to choose from. If you don’t have a website, you’ll need to invest in building one before you branch out. Your website is the first place a lot of your audience will go to find more out about your company, so ensuring that it has helpful, up-to-date content in an easy-to-use format is key. You can then begin to try other forms of social media to reach your audience, creating content that is both informative and creative. Short videos and blogs are incredibly popular online, so get creative and see what you can come up with! You can interact with your target audience and find out more about them this way, allowing you to tailor your product and marketing efforts to them.
- Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great way of staying at the forefront of your customer’s minds. It allows you to keep them up to date with your company, including new products and services, sales, and promotions, as well as simply giving them an insight into what is happening within the business. This allows you to keep in touch with your customer, and drive sales to increase profits. You can personalise your email marketing efforts by analysing your customer’s journey, their most recent purchases and any items left in their basket. It’s also a good way of following up with your customers to find out how they found your service and allow you to gain feedback on products.
- Product packaging
If your company sells a product, the packaging that it comes in can be used as a way of promoting your brand. Your packaging should represent what you stand for, whilst also giving customers an idea of what the product is, and ensuring it stands out from the rest. For example, a bold colour scheme that fits with your brand is more likely to get noticed in a shop than packaging that is plain and bland. If you sell and ship online purchases, the mailing bags you use should allow your customer to identify what has been delivered before they open it – this helps with brand identity and creates excitement for the customer.