Tips for Creating a Successful Marketing Strategy

Every business needs a standout marketing plan because it drives business and gives direction. And in a world where resources—and money—aren’t unlimited, the best marketing plan keeps customers engaged without breaking the bank.

Use these tips for creating a successful marketing strategy as you work to further your business.

Know Your Challenges

The first step is to note what obstacles you need to overcome. Challenges could include:

• Location: If your business is customer service–oriented, are you in a high-traffic area?
• Competitors: What are competitors doing, and how are their marketing plans working for them?
• Engagement: Are customers engaging with your business, or do you blend in with the competition?

Once you’ve nailed down your challenges, you can begin creating goals centered around these. But remember to make these goals within reach and to set a deadline for when you’d like to meet them.

Pro Marketing Tip

Many industry experts use SMART goals. This stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based. As you draw up a plan and create your goals, be sure to use this as a baseline.

An example of a SMART goal is setting a target of seeing a 5% increase in customers within a specified time frame.  

Keep It Customer Focused

Your business wouldn’t operate without customers, so keep your goals and plan centered around customer experience. This includes new and current customers. T

Too often, companies draw up new marketing strategies and neglect their current customers in favor of targeting a new group. This isn’t just problematic—it’s one of the major marketing pitfalls to avoid.

Think about the experience customers have as they interact with your brand, ranging from when they’re shopping in person to interacting with your company’s online presence. With awareness of their experience, you’ll begin understanding how they view you and what you need to change.

You may even want to test your changes on a segment of your target audience to gauge its reaction to the marketing shifts.

Get Everyone Involved

You need a plan that’s measurable and customer oriented and that also includes employees. You should consider everyone who interacts with your business—including your employees—in your marketing plan. Find out what they’ve noticed and where they see areas for growth.

Why is this tip for creating a successful marketing strategy so important? Because it’s easy to overlook front line employees. The employees who work in your storefront are interacting with customers.

These employees will understand customers’ wants and needs firsthand. Once you’ve set your plan, it’s time to implement the changes and start testing!