Basics of Marketing and 10 marketing strategies for the growth of your organization
What is Marketing?
Marketing is the activity, all institutions and processes of creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offers that are of value to clients, customers, partners and society in general.
4 Marketing Ps
The four steps of marketing can also be applied to another popular marketing model known as the four Ps of marketing. The four Ps of this model are product, price, promotion, and location.
Product
A product is defined as a set of attributes (characteristics, functions, benefits and uses) that lend themselves to exchange or use, usually a mixture of tangible and intangible forms.
Thus, a product can be an idea, a physical entity (a good) or a service, or any combination of the three. It exists with the aim of exchanging to achieve individual and organizational objectives.
Although the term “products and services” is sometimes used, the product is a term that includes both goods and services.
Prices
The price is the formal report that indicates the amount of money, goods or services needed to acquire a certain quantity of goods or services.
This is the amount a customer must pay to purchase a product.
Place (or distribution)
Distribution refers to the marketing and transport of products to the consumer. It is also used to describe the extent of market coverage for a particular product.
In the 4Ps, distribution is represented by location or placement.
Promotion
Promotional marketing uses tactics that promote short-term purchases, influence the flow and quantity of the purchase and are highly measurable in terms of volume, percentage, and profit.
For example, coupons, draws, discounts, rewards, special packaging, cause-related marketing, and licenses.
Forms of advertising
There are many types of advertising that you can use to promote your business, inform your customers about your products and generate sales. Print, radio and television campaigns are forms of advertising, as are direct mail, email and Internet marketing. If you have a website, it should be optimized for search to help customers find it through search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing. Newsletters, press releases, and articles are also forms of marketing that attract potential customers and generate sales. Some companies also use reference marketing, where satisfied customers recommend others (often as a reward) to boost business.
The growth of social media platforms has increased the importance of social media marketing, including connecting with customers on social media by convincing them to follow your business, partnering with social media influencers through product placement or paid sponsorship, and paying for advertising on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. The type of advertising you choose depends on your budget, type of business and the preferences of your ideal customers.
The marketing lifecycle
Advertising or promotion is only one element of your marketing plan. The marketing process starts with the idea of your product and continues until the product is in the hands of the consumer who bought it. Even after a customer has made a purchase, your marketing must not stop. Part of your advertising should be targeted at existing customers to ensure that they remain customers and build customer loyalty.
Growing a business is not easy. First, you need a viable idea. From there, you need to discover a profitable niche, define a target group and have something of value to sell. Whether it is products, services or information, it is becoming increasingly difficult to spread the word. And without the right marketing strategies to stimulate your growth, it is virtually impossible to make a profit and stay afloat.
However, identifying the right strategies to commercialize your company is often compared to missile research. How to get your message across to the right audience and make it effective? How to increase your visibility and turnover while making a profit with a conversion offer? Today, with so much competition for social media attention, search engine optimization, blogs, and pay-per-click advertising, it is easy to understand why most people are willing to cut their hair.
The truth is that what has brought you to this point in business will probably not take you to the next level. If you feel stuck, join the fight. Most entrepreneurs are so busy working “in” their company that they cannot “work on” their company. Because of a company’s daily activities that include customer service, supply chain requirements and more, we often overlook the right marketing strategies that help drive our company’s growth.
What does it take to do that? Simply put, you need to step back for a moment. You need to analyze and understand the basic mechanisms of your message and how you can effectively reach a wider audience without losing your shirt. The secret of all this? Whatever marketing strategy you use, if you don’t have an efficient sales funnel and don’t optimize your conversions, you will simply waste money.
What are the best marketing strategies to use?
There is a clear need to increase visibility to significantly improve sales. But to have more visibility, companies must spend more money. When this well runs dry, what are we supposed to do?
There is no obvious and clear answer to this question, which covers all situations. But there are things that can be done today, right now, even with a limited budget, to reach more customers without breaking the bank. However, it all boils down to a matter of time. If you don’t have enough money, you better have time to put money aside.
Anyway, as long as the foundations of a healthy business are there and you work tirelessly to establish a genuine relationship with the consumer by sincerely trying to add value, there are 10 strategies to use to market any online business.
1. Use social media
You can’t ignore social media. This is where all the so-called magic happens. Some companies have been built solely on the back of social media. It can be intimidating at first. Of course, but as you gain momentum, you will find that social media postings become easier and easier over time.
Of course, you can also hire a social media manager if you have money to spend. But if you don’t, be yourself. Be authentic. Post your thoughts. Display your products. Post anything you find relevant and useful that could help your audience learn more about you and your company or the industry in which you operate.
Use direct messaging on platforms like Instagram and even Snapchat or Twitter to reach other successful businesses or even communicate with potential customers who may be looking for your products and services. It’s a very powerful marketing tool.
2. Create video tutorials
One of the most effective ways to spread the word in your company is to create video tutorials. Teach people something useful. Hold their hands. Step-by-step instructions are on everyone’s lips. The better you are and the more value you offer, the faster you can increase your visibility and, ultimately, your sales.
Today, YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world after Google. Every time someone wants to learn something visually, they go. You’ve probably done it yourself countless times. So you’re wondering what you could teach in your company to help consumers solve a problem? What brought you into the business anyway?
The most difficult part? Hear your own voice, reproduce it and even see yourself. You no longer need to appear visually in front of the camera, but you probably need to be heard. You get used to it over time. But you can’t ignore the visibility and reach of YouTube, so get out there and start making instant, authentic and useful videos today.
3. Start blogging now
Of course, you can also start a blog. If you don’t have a blog for your company, you need to create one immediately. But you don’t just have to blog on your own blog. Most people find blogs banal because they lack visibility. The truth is that your blog will be like a barren desert if you don’t know what you’re doing.
But it’s not just about posting your ideas on your own blog. You should start writing authority blogs. Use platforms like Medium to publish content. Answer questions about Quora and Reddit. Or visit the LinkedIn publishing platform. These are all areas of authority that anyone can post to, that has a massive audience, and that gives you instant and immediate reach.
When you blog, make sure you do it effectively. Do not publish fine content. Think about value creation. Are you afraid to disclose all your trade secrets? Don’t be. Don’t be. Give the farm away. Give people so much value that you immediately become an authority in their eyes. This is one of the most powerful strategies you can use to market a business.
4. Understand search engine optimization
This is an area of marketing for which I am very passionate. But it’s also an area that scares a lot of people. There are companies that teach you how to use suspicious PBNs and other link schemes to “catch” Google. This may work in the short term, but in the long run, you will end up in hot water.
Some tips on how to do things right? Do not send spam keywords. Hands down. Hands down. Hands down. This is one of the biggest mistakes most people make. Create your content for people and at the same time appreciate the search engines. But more importantly, make sure everything you transmit is revealing, engaging, unique and creates a lot of value.
5. Use influencers
Would you like to pass the word on and increase your visibility in social media without it taking years to build the audience? Then you should definitely use Influencer. But the key is to find the right influencer. You don’t have to deal with influencers with millions of followers. You can choose micro-influencers with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers.
The trick? Find the right influencer in your niche so you can reach the right target group. It’s not just about spreading your message. It’s about getting your message across to the right consumer base. If you can do it right, then you can probably reach a large audience for not much money to invest when you think of the potential profit it can bring back.
If your sales systems and products are there, that makes sense. If you have an offer that clearly converts, and it’s just about more visibility, then this is probably the right marketing strategy for you right now. Evaluate the situation and contact the influencers and measure their prices. Do small tests and see what works, then scale.
6. Build a large solder magnet
So much marketing effectiveness can really be reduced to creating a large solder magnet. I have discovered that the right solder magnet presented to the right audience can have explosive results. The best way to do this is to identify the right pain points and present a solution in your solder magnet so that you are on the right track.
What is the problem with the consumers in your niche? What brought you into the company? Ask yourself these questions before you build your solder magnet. The better you identify the problem or pain points first, the better you can approach them with a solution in your solder magnet.
What kind of solder magnet should you build? This can include an e-book, a checklist, a checklist, a checklist, a video, and others. Of course, it’s not just the solder magnet. You need a page with crisp sales copies so people can fall into your funnel. But it all starts with a big solder magnet. The better, the more effectively you can reach your audience.
7. Use Facebook ads with retargeting
One of the most powerful ways you can market almost anything these days is Facebook advertising. With Facebook, you can reach a very specific audience and it’s easy. You can search by interest, age, relationship status, geographic location and more.
But the trick here to get great results is not just to click on the traffic. You need to focus on pixel conversion and retargeting. If you don’t know how to install the Facebook Pixel on your page, you need to learn how to do it now. Even if you don’t place Facebook ads, you can build your audience with one Pixel.
8. Use LinkedIn in the right way
Do you have a video in your LinkedIn profile? Did you know that you can easily add one? Take the time to introduce yourself and your company. Link this to your profile description. It is an easy way to passively market your business and, if done right, it can lead to shocking results.
If you have a lot of links on LinkedIn and you don’t really post there, start right away. You can reach a wide audience, especially if your messages become viral. It is an ideal place to pass on the entrepreneurial path. Talk about your challenges and tell stories. The more effective your stories are, the greater your potential reach will be if you become viral.
On LinkedIn, you can also join other companies and work with like-minded entrepreneurs. It is an excellent resource to consult for everything related to business and too many people are unaware of it.
9. Create an affiliate program
Most people do not understand the power of affiliate marketing. Affiliates can be a massive growth driver. But it is not always easy to find the right affiliates. You need to have good conversion if you want the biggest affiliate to take you seriously.
I found out that navigating the connected minefield can be difficult. It takes perseverance and courage to get out of it. Most of us are discouraged after a few setbacks, but you can’t let emotions get in the way when it comes to belonging. Create an affiliate program and start contacting the potential partner who can help you.
10. Use email marketing sequences
Part of every good sales funnel is an email marketing sequence. These are the automated messages that are sent to users after they have subscribed to your list. Use your email sequence to establish a relationship with the subscriber. Be authentic and transparent. And submit your journey.
Use email replies and clicks to segment your list. For example, if someone clicks on a particular link, it means they have a clear interest in something. Mark that subscriber to sell later. When someone buys, you mark them as buyers. The identification of your buyers and the interests of your subscribers is enormous for segmentation.
When you broadcast broadcasts, share the test. In fact, you never really know what will be most effective until you press the trigger and really test it. This will help you better understand what your audience will respond to, making you a better communicator and enabling you to sell better to your customers.
If you're looking for an automated Human Resource Management system, we suggest you IceHrmwhich is one of the best HRIS systems which has so many HR functions automated into one system.