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For Part 1 of this servies click this link 13 Marketing Activities to make 2013 a Success (part 1)
2013 will undoubtedly see an increase in technological innovation, social media, internet marketing & Smarter Consumers. Here's a continuation of our 13 Marketing Activities for a successful 2013 (and beyond)!
8. Start measuring your marketing results
It's more important than ever to market "smart". Knowing how effective each facet of your marketing is is paramount to your success. Most of your tracking can start online, but it can go much deeper than just installing google analytics. Combining a system such as Hubspot along with a CRM like Nutshell, Nimble or Salesforce you'll find that you'll be able to know at the end of the month what facet of your marketing was the most effective (and what was not). Where "smart" marketing comes in is when you prioritize what works, and drop what doesn't.
"If it doesn't make Dollars, it doesn't make Sense."
9. Become a Certified Networker
There's no doubt that WOM (word-of-mouth marketing) is very influential in business. Many Business Owners we talk to on a daily basis are out at networking functions throughout the month promoting their business and meeting new people. Your strategy shouldn't stop at marketing. Having an Effective Referral Marketing Strategy can be HUGE!
Certified Networker® is a 12 week program provided by the Referral Institute. This program makes you break down your business in bite size peices so that people can talk about it. Over the 12 modules the class teaches you to find your target market, how to interact with others, how to network effectively etc. After going through this program, we were much more effective in our referral marketing activities and through the strategy we are able to measure ROI or Referral Marketing
10. Setup and Use Email Marketing on a monthly basis
I'm amazed to find how many business owners pay for an email marketing service such as Constant Contact or Mailchimp and have never sent more than 1 email marketing message. They are often plagued with the idea of "spamming" people. While often abused, and not done correctly, email marketing can be a great way to get people to know what's going on in your business. Furthermore, it's also a great way to build your Social Networking following, and visa-versa. The key to successful email marketing is to provide relevant information to your prospects in an informative way. Stop Selling in your email marketing messages. A Majority of the people on your list are not going to be interested in buying. If you come across in your email marketing message as informative, and have effective calls-to-action in your emails to provide or share more information on your website (such as a blog post, or announcement) this will drive people to your website and hopefully convert them into customers, or repeat customers if they are already.
A great tool for Email Marketing is Hubspot's Email Marketing Tool, they not only have an email marketing tool that provides great analytics, but also offer an upgraded version to help with lead nurturing too. Stay tuned for another blog post on that subject.
11. Find your target market
With Referral Marketing at it's core, at Impulse Creative we're avid BNI members (Business Networking International) and while going through their Success Program they tell you to ask for the business you want specifically. Knowing your target market isn't just important in networking groups. It's also one of the most overlooked things when we discuss marketing with prospective clients. Buyer Personas (or Target Markets) are needed so that you can cater your message directly to your buyer. It's like speaking the right language in a room, no one will know what you're saying if you're not speaking the same language they are.
12. Make Sure Marketing & Sales Departments Communicate
Regardless of how big or small your company is, marketing and sales needs to be meshed together, this is the only way they will succeed. When there are two seperate departments often there is no connection between these two departments and it's one of the most important thing that is in today's market. Wiht a majority of leads coming in through marketing and less and less of people (pounding the pavement) there is too much "grey area" that sales/marketing departments can push the blame on. Now that consumers are looking to Google (and other search engiens) and becoming more informed, the pain points that these consumers are looking to find answers to are often discussed with the sales people. Sales people need to work with marketers to answer those questions in the marketing materials, or on the website (at a minimum) and this will promote more qualified leads, resulting in a more streamlined sales process. Imagine not having to try as hard to sell your products or services, and your clients will like you more too!
13. Tie it all together with Inbound Marketing
The Customer Buying cycle has changed. Businesses that are still kidding themselves with the traditional sales process may get by in 2013, but there is a more streamlined way of doing things. Smarter Businesses looking to be able to show Positive ROI (Return on Investment) in 2013 will be using a blend of Marketing Activities such as an Informative Website, Blogging, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Lead Nurturing, & Referral Marketing. The Best Solution we've found to keep this all in one place is a service we've mentioned a few times in this post. Hubspot, is an all-in-one marketing software that helps you manage all of these important marketing tasks from one central location. If you'd like a free trial of Hubspot let us know, we can even give you a free strategy session or consultation.
