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Few, if any, business owners and managers are immune
to the “many hats” syndrome. When multiple priorities
are competing for your headspace, how can you ensure
necessary marketing planning and subsequent campaign
deployment aren’t overlooked as you budget that most
precious commodity called, “time”?
To find out, we reached out to one of the foremost
authorities in marketing. Kate Dunn, director of
InfoTrends’ Business Development Group, shared
her thoughts into time-saving and business-building
strategies for 2016 with a quick list of key dos and
don’ts:
settle for less than a perfect
strategy.
Dunn points out that in their quest for marketing
perfection, many SMBs tend to overanalyze and then fall
behind, never seeing their strategies get off the ground.
“Instead, your goal should be continuous improvement
through consistent action.”
Above all, get going and stick with it. Resist the
temptation to stop if you don’t see immediate results
or to flit from one strategy to another while chasing the
next marketing trend. “Often, just as consumers are
getting to know you, marketers will quit or change
tactics and negate the value of previous
communications,” says Dunn.
put your marketing on
“auto pilot.”
With the right preparation, it’s possible to “automate”
much of your marketing. Begin by thinking big picture.
What does success look like for your business next year?
How can you get there? What will your customers and
prospects need to hear? And, when’s the optimum time
to deliver any given message?
“Answers to these questions and others will help you
shape your campaigns,” says Dunn. “Be as ambitious as
you can be, but map out a modest plan at minimum.”
Automation comes into play when you create layout
templates upfront for regular email promotions or a
series of postcard mailings distributed throughout the
year. This allows you to quickly and easily drop in new
offers or content as you go.
be creative in shaping your offers
and appeals.
Special offers are likely to be part of your 2016 marketing
plan, but know that dollars-off promises aren’t always
optimal. Why? At any given time, only a small percentage
of your audience is likely to be ready to purchase. So
while a $20 savings coupon could lure some in, it may
be instantly dismissed by a majority of targets.
“Think outside the norm for your content messaging
and offers,” says Dunn. “I know a real estate agent
who offered tips to people on how to market their own
homes in contrast to competitors who said, ‘Here are
reasons to choose me.’ His message reached a sizable
niche of home sellers, many of whom were likely to need
an agent when their own efforts failed.”
overlook direct mail as part of your
marketing mix.
For ease and economy, emails to customers who’ve
opted in for ongoing communications are the workhorse
of many marketing campaigns. Yet even the strongest
digital marketers know the most powerful formula is a
combination of channels that can get the attention of
your prospect and keep them engaged.
“Capitalize on print’s tactile qualities by considering
the many options in high-impact printing like textured
finishes, thicker paper stocks, creative die cuts or
engaging folds for direct mail,” says Dunn. “And follow
industry best practices by knowing that your mailing list
will account for 50% of your campaign’s success, your
offer 30%, and the creative 20%.”
Mission critical? Source a high-quality targeted list for
lead generation, and keep your house data of current
customers clean to avoid the needless expense of
reaching out to people who have moved on. “And pay
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