Are Your Marketing Efforts Making Inroads with Customers?

If your marketing efforts appear to be sputtering out of control as of late, what do you plan on doing to correct the situation?

Unfortunately, too many business owners are not able to answer that question, a question that has multiple implications on their business fronts.

With that being the case, it is important that you never take your marketing efforts for granted.

Yes, some marketing campaigns will fall short of their intended goals, but the key then is to analyze why they did just that.

Did you fail to target the proper audience? Was your message short on pertinent consumer information and more loaded towards trying to make a sale? Were you ignoring the importance of social media in marketing your brand? These are but a few of the questions you need to be able to answer.

So, are your marketing efforts making inroads with customers?

Let the Professionals Point You in the Right Direction

In order for your marketing initiatives to truly take hold, remember these pointers as you strive to add more customers:

  • Is the right team in place? – Depending on the size and scope of your business, you will either do your marketing campaigns via an in-house team or outsource such needs. Either way, having the right people in the right places is crucial to achieving success. For instance, if you decide to go outside your business and get marketing professionals, look at several factors. First, how long have each of the digital media agencies you review been in business? If they’re newcomers on the block, don’t automatically assume they can’t help you. Some newer agencies will come to the table with fresh ideas, ideas that younger minds oftentimes bring. That said you can never totally discount the importance of experience. Going with an agency that has been around and seen and heard just about everything, they can prove just the answer for your needs. Secondly, what are other businesses saying on social channels about your prospective agency of choice? This is but one reason social media is so important to your brand’s survival. You may pick up some feedback from other business heads on a number of agencies (their professionalism, whether or not they get back to customers in a prompt and courteous manner etc.). In doing so, you will have a better feel for those you should steer your ship towards and those to steer clear of;

  • Message matters – Once you have your marketing team of choice in place, you must make sure your message resonates with the buying public. Remember, today’s consumers can shop in myriad of places, so you have to clearly demonstrate why it is your brand should get top billing. One of the reasons you should strongly consider a digital media agency to guide you is those companies are professionals at crafting just the right message to lure more customers your way. Given that many consumers have limited attention spans, you must tailor a message that will resonate quickly and passionately. That message can and should be delivered via not only your website blog, but also through catchy videos, social media sprees, and even podcasts. As for that last item, if you are new to the podcast arena, don’t discount the marketing punch such initiatives can have;

  • Follow-ups necessary – Finally, your marketing pros likely already know this, but do you know how important it is to follow up with customers? Unfortunately, too many businesses drop the ball when it comes to stellar customer service. As a result, they lose the chance of gaining that person’s loyalty, something that is proving all the more critical in today’s world. Make it a priority to have your staff follow up with customers on a regular basis. Even if the customer’s experience was fine and dandy, most of them will appreciate the fact you took a minute out of your day to see how their shopping and buying experience with you went. For example, if you run an auto repair place, a quick call or email to the customer who just had his or her vehicle serviced by your establishment is a no-brainier. Nine times out of 10 (along with good service), that call or email will make them lean towards coming back to you the next time their vehicle needs attention.

In order to make inroads with your customers, market your business with the right message, all the while having the right people spreading that message.