You just created your social media strategy and started posting. It’s perfect, and you’re starting to see some movement. Then your boss asks you to get started on an email marketing campaign. Right now. Next, the sales team asks for a landing page. And someone says, “Hey, we should add a sales bot to the website,” during a meeting. And suddenly, your well planned social media strategy goes right out the door in favor of all the great ideas that just came up.
Every marketer has been there. And most business owners get excited about the “next thing” and want to be early adopters in the marketing game. I get it. This was my life when I worked for a couple of big retailers as their marketing specialist.
However, this last-minute, strategy-free, throw it against the wall and see what sticks, is what we call desperation marketing ’round here. And if you are doing this, you are setting yourself up to fail.
Don’t become one of those businesses. Learn how you can avoid the desperation marketing trap and enhance your marketing game.
Shun Desperation Marketing
Marketing without a strategy is just a formula to fail. Good marketing takes time. Great marketing takes a plan. Desperation marketing shows a lack of expertise. It comes across as impulsive and rushed. You didn’t put much thought into it, and you don’t have a particular plan or audience in mind. It means that you don’t have the time and bandwidth to actually see a strategy through if you are jumping from one marketing project to the next. Your customers see that, and they’re put off by it.
To avoid desperation marketing, you’ll want to develop a solid marketing plan to get your business off the ground. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll put yourself in a position to succeed.
Create a Plan
Create a timeline for when and how much marketing is necessary for your business. When is your product or service most relevant? On what social media platforms can you reach your customers?
Customers appreciate you sending them information when they need it most and through a medium they actually use. So come up with a plan. And if you don’t know where to start, consider a reliable partner to help you strategize.
Engage with People
Let people get to know you: craft blog posts, podcasts, and video tutorials. And always respond to people’s comments and feedback. The world of digital marketing now gives you so many options to create bonds with potential customers.
Take advantage of the digital tools at your fingertips. People with similar interests will see your online content and want to connect with you. Do this right, and you’ll build a loyal customer base that will support you from the get-go.
Get to Know Your Customers
How well do you know your customers? Research your audience’s demographics and interests. If you know what people need, you can better empathize with what they want out of your product and tailor your product to their needs.
Asking doesn’t hurt either. Reach out to people, respond to comments, and ask for feedback. Asking questions shows that you care, and customers will appreciate that you’re listening to them.
Keep Up with the Times
Industries change all the time, and you need to be ready. Study trends in your industry, popular products, and consumer behavior. This way, you can follow up on developments, gain new marketing ideas, and adapt your products accordingly.
I usually try to devote about 10% of my marketing time and energy to trying new shiny things. It fuels my creativity, and hey, I may just learn a thing or two. But I don’t let it dominate over implementing and executing a strategy that is measurable and that we can use to gauge success and make decisions with results.
And when in doubt, ask your customers. If people prefer other products to yours, ask them why. Gather feedback and criticism to make improvements to your services or products. Even if you fall short at first, listening and making changes will always win people back.
Patience is Key
People who resort to desperation marketing believe they’ve run out of time. But it’s never too late to revamp your marketing strategy. All businesses go through rough patches, but the ones with a gameplan always bounce back.
If you’re ready to raise your marketing game to the next level, check out our services to see how we can help you jumpstart your approach.