Creating a Kick-A$$ Marketing Strategy

Last month, I asked you how strong your “core” was. I wanted to know if you have the four core marketing components in place before you develop your marketing strategy and hit those goals you set for yourself this year. This month, I'm going to highlight how to develop your marketing strategy to use those core components effectively.

First step: Time!⏱️ 

You absolutely must set aside time to map out your strategy- you wouldn’t just set out on a road trip without at least a general game-plan, right?! (Or maybe you would, in which case: godspeed my child!)

If you’ve developed strategies before, it’s best to go back in time and take a look at them, and review previous strategies you implemented. Look at what worked, what didn’t, and where there is an opportunity to do something a little different. Maybe there is an opportunity for a new advertising method like Facebook Ads, or a new type of email marketing drip-campaign for example.

If you’ve never created a marketing strategy before, one of the best things to do is literally sketch it out! Ok, hear me out: Take a piece of paper, and sketch out all of the various funnels and ways prospective customers can enter your pipeline and not only become a first-time customer, but also a repeat customer!

Second step: Target! 🎯

The best way to figure out your strategy is to actually identify your end goal first, then work backwards from there. Ask yourself: “What is my end-game for this strategy?” and “Who exactly am I marketing to?”

You absolutely must identify who your target persona is almost right off the bat! For example, if you’re selling toothpaste for dentures, your target audience might not exactly be the younger crowd. I cannot stress how important it is to know who the right audience for your product or service is!

How do you identify your target audience? Look at your current customers, and ask yourself why they buy from you. Take note of any common characteristics and interests, as it’s very likely that people like them could also benefit from your product or service. Additionally, check out your competition! Who are they targeting? Who are their current customers? You may not necessarily want to go after the same market, you may find a niche segment they are overlooking.

Third step: Money! 💰

Figure out where you want to spend your precious marketing dollars. If you have a small budget, consider using social media as your advertising platform, Facebook/Instagram ads can be done at a lower cost and still have great reach. Or if you have a larger budget, consider working with an influencer to help promote your product or service. Essentially, it’s important that you identify exactly where your marketing dollars will be best spent so you aren’t just throwing money into the marketing wind!

Fourth step: Execution! 👩‍💼

Who is going to be able to execute this amazing strategy you’ve put together best? Is it something you can do in-house or should you consider outsourcing it? If you’re a one-man show, and decide that social media is your best course of action, it might be best to outsource that part of the strategy to a team that can focus on that 100%, so YOU can focus on running your business and looking at the numbers (ROI is important!) Shameless plug- here at AFTW we can help with developing a strategic and customized plan to achieve your social media goals so YOU can stay in your brilliance lane, doing the things you do best!

When considering how you are going to execute your strategy, you also want to keep in mind the number of employees you have, the amount of time it may take to implement that strategy, and anything else you can think of that may delay or hamper your marketing efforts.

Keep in mind, this is a very general outline of the core components of a kick-a$$ marketing strategy! Every business is different, so you need to be sure you’re tailoring your strategy to your unique business needs. And if you have any questions, I’m only a click away!