As marketers, we tend to want to join the “next big thing.” New tools, new data, new campaigns. We’re always hopping on the bandwagon. And it’s important to be aware of market trends and to know where people are heading.
But, all marketing boils down to four crucial elements that will make or break what you do, regardless of what else you’re doing or trend you’re part of. You need to understand these principles and master them, so that you can create engaging, meaningful content and create a marketing funnel that will succeed.
Firstly, know your product or services
If you don’t know your product, you will fail every single time. You need to learn every detail about it. Know the in’s and out’s, and use it yourself. If you don’t understand it or like it, you won’t be able to understand your audience and their needs.
Whatever it is you’re selling, be sure to use it yourself, daily, if possible. Spend some real time with the product.
Secondly, understand your audience
You have to know who you’re marketing to and what they’re interested in, before you can begin marketing any products or services. If you don’t know who your audience is, you won’t be able to create good material and content that will interest them or speak to their needs. If your content isn’t pertinent to them, you’ll never get them to learn more about the product.
When you’re investigating your product and using it yourself, think hard about who it’s for. What problem does it solve?
And, think about that audience. What interests to they have, what do they struggle with? Imagine them in their day-to-day lives. Create a buyer persona to represent them.
Thirdly, work purposely
Use your time wisely. Often as marketers, we focus on pushing out an ad campaigns or content quickly, then moving on to the next thing. But, it’s just an extra 10% effort that sets apart the mediocre from the good. Take the time to create great content, and focus on your purpose. What is the goal? And how can you use your time the most efficiently to get the work done?
“Success comes when you always do the things you need to do even when you don’t want to. Here’s a secret, you don’t want to do it a lot.”
Fourthly, use common sense
When you know your product and understand your audience, you can use common sense marketing. Analytics and management platforms are extremely valuable tools. They give us awesome insights, reports, and data we can use to enhance our marketing. But, you can’t blindly trust these tools and numbers. You need to trust your gut and make smart choices.
Sometimes, data will be wrong. You need to make sure you recognize when it is, and use your common sense to make better choices. What do you think the best course of action is?
By mastering these principles, you can truly understand your audience and what their needs and desires are, as well as issues they face, including daily struggles. Once you know them, you can meet them where they are at, and provide them with a solution for their problems.
No doubt, your product can solve something. Figure out what it is. Now, how can you market that solution?
Aim to be truly helpful. When you focus on building relationships and serving your audience, you create real meaning behind your marketing. People aren’t interested in marketing for the sake of marketing. They want to love the companies they buy products or services from. And in order to love something, you have to have a relationship with it.
So, using these principles, focus on building a relationship with your audience. Once you do, you’ll grow repeat business and a following that is dedicated to your brand.
Have you mastered these principles? What did you learn in the process? Let us know in the comments!
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