How can preparing your marketing strategies help you achieve your business goals and boost your business’ growth?
The Roman philosopher, Seneca, once said “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”
But whether you believe in luck or not, there’s no doubt that being prepared is one of the most important skills as a business owner.
As the times, conditions, and your business change, you always have to be ready to strategize, make a plan, and take action.
But how does that apply to your marketing strategies? How can you prepare your marketing strategies to meet the right opportunities for your business?
Here are a few tips to help you.
1. Have a specific set of marketing goals
Before taking action, it’s important to set out specific things you want to achieve.
This will help to inform your decisions and preparations down the road. More than that, specific goals also help decide which strategy to use, the resources you would need, and the kind of opportunities you should be looking out for.
This brings us to…
2. Know the Kind of Opportunities to Take advantage of
Sure, some of the opportunities we’ve taken advantage of seemed like they all came out of the blue. But most of the time, it actually takes a keen sense of opportunity and observation.
You shouldn’t just wait for luck to sprinkle its magic on you. Look around now and think about the kind of opportunities you can take advantage of at this very moment.
Here are a few hints to help you out:
Platforms
Are you taking advantage of the right platforms to market your business?
Maybe you’ve been using Facebook to reach out to your customers, but it hasn’t been producing results. Could it be because your clients are mostly professionals using LinkedIn? Or are they young people who spend most of their time on Instagram and TikTok?
Alternatively, are there other platforms in which your marketing strategies would work better?
For example, if you’re offering consultancy sessions for clients, make sure you’re taking advantage of platforms such as Clubhouse, Zoom, YouTube, etc. that allow you to post video-based content and host video calls.
People
Are you targeting the right kind of people in your marketing campaigns?
Remember: your products and services provide solutions to certain needs. But if your marketing isn’t resonating with the people you’re aiming to help, it still won’t work.
Moreover, as times change, people’s needs change too.
For example, products like face masks, video conferencing apps, and other things we relied on during the pandemic had completely different target audiences before 2020. Now, the demand for these products has skyrocketed and they are now used by all kinds of people.
Instead of sticking to the particular target audience you’ve always been reaching out to, try to think of other people who might also have a need for your product and how they can benefit from them.
Events
Are you taking advantage of certain opportunities, such as events, campaigns, and other situations, to market your business?
Social media, commercials, and emails aren’t the only marketing strategies you can use for your business.
If you’re a B2B business, are there networking events you can attend or sponsor? Conferences you can attend or host?
Similarly, B2C businesses can also spearhead charity drives, giveaways, National Something Days, or even events around their neighborhood or personal circle to showcase their products.
If you’re directly involved and showing people what you can do, you can win them over and even move them to tell others about your business.
3. Prepare an actionable plan
Now that you have specific goals and you know what kinds of opportunities to take advantage of, it’s time to develop a clear and actionable plan.
If you’ve read our guide to goal setting and planning, you’ll know that one of the tricks to making an actionable plan is to make it specific and break it down into baby steps.
So an action plan can look different for each of your goals and even for each of the opportunities or situations you face. And as you keep preparing your marketing and developing your marketing strategies, the most important thing you can do is RESEARCH.
For example, if it’s your first time launching an ad on Instagram, what policies and guidelines do you need to know? What kind of ad is the most effective on that platform?
If you’re planning to launch a product targeting a new audience, what things do you need to learn about them to make your marketing more appealing? Do you know their wants and needs? How will they see your campaign?
And remember: not every detail of your plan is going to work sometimes and that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to tweak your strategies along the way.
4. Be flexible & track your progress
As business owners, it’s important to learn how to roll with the punches and keep moving forward. And it’s the same with marketing strategies.
Like we’ve said in the previous point, not all your plans are going to work on the first try, especially if this is your first time doing it. BUT THAT’S OKAY. That’s how we learn, after all.
As you keep preparing your marketing and executing your plans, keep track of your progress and record data. That way, you have tangible results you can look back on to inform your next actions and decisions.
For example, was it really worth pursuing a new target audience? You can check your data, such as social media insights, sales, etc., and see if your business gained anything from this new endeavor.
If you find that things are not working, we’re not saying you should give up and move on immediately. Look at it from a different perspective. Are you posting at the wrong time? Are you not using familiar language in your posts? Should you change the way you present your product to your audience?
Looking at your data can help you study your results and develop your marketing strategies accordingly.
5. Consult with Marketing Specialists
Another way of preparing your marketing is to learn from others. After all, you don’t have to do everything on your own.
Most likely, if you are presented with an opportunity for your business, there are other aspects that you want to work on too, such as your products or services themselves. Getting help from marketing specialists, such as The Biz Spa, can ease the load off your plate and even help you formulate creative marketing ideas.
They can also help you analyze different angles and approaches you haven’t looked at before, such as different marketing platforms, tools, and strategies.
PSST! We offer a FREE 30-minute consultation for business owners like you to help them figure their marketing goals. Talk to a marketing specialist now.
Preparing your marketing to meet the right opportunities for your business can help your business grow and help you excel as a business owner. And thankfully, there are many ways to do it and you don’t even have to do it alone.
At The Biz Spa, we offer different marketing solutions that fit your needs. Whether you need a free 30-minute marketing consultation, resources for your business, or help with websites and marketing, our team is always ready (and lucky) to work with you!