~by Brooke Chaplan~.
Anyone who’s launched their own business can attest to how difficult it can be to market a new brand and products successfully. Although marketing can be intimidating to new business owners, anyone can master the skill of expanding their brand and reaching new customers.
Here are some tips for making your marketing strategies more manageable.
Have The Right Foundation
If you are completely clueless about marketing, it’s not a bad idea to go back to basics and get a little education. From marketing blogs to books, there is a plethora of information out there to start learning on your own. Another idea is to solidify your background with formal education. Take classes, work toward a degree like a master MBA online option, or earn a leadership certificate.
Know Your Audience
Many marketing efforts fail because they aren’t focused on a specific audience. If your business’ marketing campaign isn’t targeting the right demographic, you’ll generally fail to generate new business. You probably know who you are aiming to target, but take a step back and evaluate who actually does buy your product or service. If it’s a group you didn’t expect, you may need to rethink how you target new customers.
Be Selective and Slightly Stingy
The answer to a great marketing campaign isn’t just to blindly throw money around. Too many businesses end up failing because they thought the “you have to spend money to make money” adage was law. When it comes to spending money on promoting your business, do your research. Be selective in the campaigns you start and the marketing companies that you work with. Some social media is good, but don’t think you have to try everything to reach new audiences. Sometimes just having one avenue is best when starting out.
Patience and Persistence Are Key
If entrepreneurship was as simple as starting a marketing campaign and generating a profit within weeks, everyone would be a millionaire. Instead, it’s important to be both patient and persistent. For example, if you are attempting to market your business using social media, you’ll have to be patient while you build an online following. You’ll also need to be persistent, making sure to post something new every day so readers have something to look forward to. Marketing your business successfully should be a marathon, not a sprint.
A business is only as strong as its customers, and the best way to attract new customers is with great marketing. If you follow these tips, you can begin to market your business successfully. It might not happen overnight, but if you stick with it and remain focused, you can create a marketing campaign that actually works to bring you new business.
Meet the Author: Brooke Chaplan
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening.
For more information, contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan
