Whether you’re a veteran marketing maverick or brand new to the scene, you know that it’s a lot of work to get the word out about your brand. Every year, the definition of marketing seems to expand, causing more pressure and confusion than before.
Thankfully, marketing doesn’t need to be an ongoing headache. Here are some tips from business leaders and experts on how to approach marketing for less stress and more success.
Step 1: Double Down on Data
“The wealth of marketing data you can access for free is mind-boggling. You’re sitting on a treasure chest of information that you can use to simplify, streamline, and supercharge your marketing efforts across the board. Use this data to your advantage, or else you’re leaving so much on the table.” – Michael Jankie of Natural Patch.
“Look at your analytics tools as surgical devices to diagnose problems and make miraculous improvements to your marketing plan. You can zoom in on the smallest issue and solve it in a matter of minutes if you have the right data. That’s how marketing should work in 2021.” – Mike Clare, CEO of Mood Health
“Learn to live and breathe marketing data, and all your headaches will dissipate. Data is the fuel your marketing system needs to survive, like food and water to the human body. Starve yourself of data for too long and you’ll see things start to slow down or fall apart.” – Hector Gutierrez, CEO of JOI.
Step 2: Automate to the Max
“You might look at certain marketing gurus and wonder how they get so much done in one day. The truth is that they are masters of systems, delegation, and automation. Learn these skills and apply them to watch your productivity multiply – why not make your life so much easier?” – Ryan Rockefeller, Co-Founder and CEO at Cleared.
“There’s no need to fear automation if you’re a marketer. In fact, you should be seizing every chance to automate your processes, allowing yourself to focus on human-centric and creative tasks that really move the dial.” – Riley Burke, Growth Marketing Manager at Ohza Mimosas.
“Look at it this way: if a task can be done by a machine or a piece of software, let automation handle it. Just be aware that some projects need your human input and benefit from creative solutions. You have to find that balance and reconfigure things if necessary.” – Chris Gadek, Head of Growth at AdQuick.
Step 3: Spotlight on Content
“Great content is by far the best sales tool in the world. Use it or lose.” – Marcus Sheridan, Marketing Guru and Speaker
“It’s great to optimize and make things more efficient for your marketing team, but you can’t overlook the power of creative output. Your content is where the real horsepower is found. Make that the centerpiece of your efforts rather than the peripheral stuff that has less ROI.” – Yuvi Alpert, CEO and Founder of Noemie.
“You’ll notice that good content is priceless in a world with decreasing attention spans and overloaded social media feeds. When you invest in content for your brand, it will pay for itself ten times over before you know it. It takes some delayed gratification, but it’s worth it.” – Courtney Buhler, CEO and Founder of LashPro Academy.
Step 4: Go Beyond the Sale
“Marketing doesn’t end when the customer checkout process completes. It’s your job to keep that relationship going strong and bring them back for more business! Remember, it’s way harder to bring in new customers than to keep a happy one around.” – Dylan Trussell, CMO of Culprit Underwear.
“It’s amazing how much easier marketing becomes when you have your customer personalization plan firing on all cylinders. You can send people the perfect email at the right time and make compelling offers that appeal directly to them. When you do this correctly, it’s like printing money.” – Matthew Mundt, CEO and Founder of Hug Sleep.
“Customer service, advertising retargeting, loyalty programs – these are all folded into the marketing mix nowadays. They are interconnected in many ways, so expand your idea of what marketing means. When you take a holistic approach, the individual elements fit together in a more obvious way.” – Dylan Arthur Garber, Co-Founder of Audien Hearing.
Step 5: Always be Improving
“Why do marketing headaches happen in the first place? It’s typically because you’re behind the times in some way, and aren’t willing to innovate. When you strive to stay ahead of the curve, you won’t run into as many problems, that’s for sure.” – Dan Potter, Co-Founder of Craftd London.
“Business has only two functions in truth – marketing and innovation.” – Milan Kundera, Award-Winning Czech Writer
“In all honesty, you probably know exactly what’s causing your marketing headaches or what’s holding you back from the success you want. The hard part is addressing the problem, taking responsibility, and putting in the work. There’s no time to waste, so don’t delay any longer than you need to!” – Shaun Price, Head of Customer Acquisition at MitoQ.
Marketing should be a natural expression of your brand persona and an amplifier of sales and success! Follow these tips to skip the headaches and squeeze maximum value from your marketing budget each day.