April 2022 - Analyze. Create. Achieve.

Let’s Talk Marketing & Strategy is a blog about exactly what marketing is. We’ll also cover some simple strategies you can take to improve the marketing of your business.

Firstly, let’s use the definition from a HubSpot blog and Dictionary.com, “the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.” It and more can be read here: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-marketing

There it is. Consequently, the definition is a little broad. We create content, images, video, and do design work. We also do market research and a little advertising. The initial definition is a bit blurry in our opinion though. Thats marketing for you. For example, there is no mention of brand, creativity, or messaging. These are essential pieces of marketing too. However, the description does get a bit more detailed further in the read.

Purpose.

So, let’s move along. As you can see in the HubSpot link above, they describe the purpose of marketing thoroughly. There’s not a whole lot that we would add.

However, our idea about marketing is much more primitive…”get more eyes on your product or service.” Truly we believe this is the main purpose. Yes, <caveman grunt> our views can sometimes be uncouth. We can assure you though that your marketing will never be. Also, if done correctly, marketing will substantially increase leads, referrals, and visibility.

Marketing’s main purpose, we believe, is to get more eyes on your product or service.

What next?

Next, now that we’ve got an idea about the definition and purpose of marketing, we can turn to the strategy. HubSpot has an extensive list of the forms of marketing. They are all in the article above. Some of these are, blogging, social media, SEO, video, and more. Additionally, there’s newer forms of marketing popping up yearly. Influencer, VR (Virtual Reality,) text, and alternate forms of digital marketing are some of the most recent types.

Traditional forms like print and social media also still make HUGE impacts. Of course, all of this depends on the style of message(s) your company puts out. Tags, links, images, designs, offers, and much more all are relevant to the strategy success. More than we could explain here.

Simple strategies we’d recommend include:

Keep the website simple. Update it regularly. Of course, make sure it’s mobile/SEO friendly. Change content and images often. Additionally, ensure there are no broken links or inaccurate info.

Images for the site and all social media posts should look and feel professional. Eye catching photos and designs attract more clicks. They also increase the length of time a reader views the page. Don’t believe us? You don’t have to. There are so many studies that back up this claim. Google it.

Hire a professional photographer. That is, hire one with experience in product or commercial photography. A wedding photographer, for example, will shoot things in a completely different manner. Likewise, with graphic designers. One that routinely creates bright elegant invitations will have a different style than one who works with industrial clients. Many in these fields won’t admit that they aren’t jack-of-all trades, but the final work will showcase the varying differences. Ask for examples of work.

Social media channels should be posted on regularly. Find the ideal post times. Or, hire an individual or team capable of making excellent social media posts. Create a buzz! Make posts that are interesting and informative. Use these channels to be a help. Highlight your team. Highlight your company’s product or service. Show off customers. These are just a few ideas.

Need some help developing a successful marketing strategy? Drop us a line https://77designco.com/contact-us-2/ for a free consultation. We are always excited to learn about your business!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

Admittedly, we’ve posted about this topic, Comparing Marketing to Gardening, in the past. There’s no problem with repurposing good content! At the same time, we feel this is good. Also important. It’s that time of year again. Spring time!

In Western Pa, spring is here. We couldn’t be happier! We love gardening and we love what we do! This weeks blog post explores how comparing marketing to gardening will help with business growth.

Much like your garden, a business requires constant attention, maintenance, and care to result in good growth. We all want healthy, bountiful vegetables or fruits from our gardens. Your business should be looked at in the same way. Due to a variety of reasons, there are many similarities to both that you may not initially be aware of.

Comparatively, here’s an article about business growth and gardening from Medium.com similar to our blog: https://medium.com/the-mission/5-steps-to-grow-your-business-like-a-plant-4e7abbadf390

Attention:

We must pay attention to everything about our business. Troubles can occur if we don’t. Exactly like a garden. Things can spiral out of control if they aren’t looked after. The weeds can take over and almost always this results in a depletion of growth. Customers can get upset due to a lack of response, something an employee did, or a bad estimate. Just to name a few. Getting great reviews from your clientele base is essential. Stay on top of things. Pay attention to potential problems and ‘weeding the garden’ are both crucial in order to succeed.

Maintenance:

New customers come from a range of different places. For example, word of mouth may be the main tool you use. But, perhaps you started promoting your business on social media or another outlet. Customers that find you elsewhere will expect a certain level of maintenance on your platforms. They want to see and read about your business. Consistent upkeep is essential so things stay fresh. Rarely does a business thrive on social media by letting things get stagnant. Marketing and finding new leads for your business consistently is similar to watering or adding essential nutrients to garden soil. Therefore, maintenance must be exercised regularly.

Care:

Care certainly wraps up both of the above. This can be looked at in several ways. Care means caring about your customers and your reputation. Likewise, care also means caring about what happens with your marketing garden. Just planting and walking away will result in failure.

If your business “has been doing it this way for so long” it may be time for a change. When you do make a change take great care in how you do it because nobody wants to spend more than they have to without the desired results. Like a garden, you should rotate. You can’t continuously plant the same seeds and plants in the same areas year after year without changing things a bit. This will hinder growth. Care will ensure that your garden stays healthy.

In conclusion, plant the (marketing) seeds of your business garden. Pay attention to everything happening. Maintain customer relationships, and grow new ones. Care for the new things you are trying and your reputation. Then, watch your profits and business garden grow!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.