The key to successful marketing is recognizing the need to analyze results, adapt to market or industry changes, and optimize strategies. It also means being willing to abandon tactics once deemed can’t-live-without that now, simply do not work.
That’s right. Success in marketing is closely tied to the ability to ditch what’s not working OR is no longer relevant and press on toward a more productive path.
Our world moves at such a fast clip, it’s imperative that goals be reviewed, strategies revisited, and long-term plans reevaluated on a regular basis.
Keep these tips in mind when checking your marketing habits:
1.No one-size-fits-all approaches, please.
Think cohesive, complementary – yet distinct, when it comes to marketing across various channels. Carbon copy content placed on each site or network does not make for an effective plan. Neither does a willy-nilly, no-agenda agenda that has unrelated content flying across the web. The key is to stay consistent with your brand through a cohesive plan that strives for a distinct voice fitting to each unique channel. Situate the formatted content for each channel into an overall marketing strategy where the individual components complement each other.
2.Banish “desktop first” thinking.
Mobile is now the primary device used for accessing the Internet. That means responsive design is a must. Invest in the training, personnel or outsourcing that will provide for digestible and optimized content for all devices so inquiring minds can interact with your brand however they choose.
Along this same line of thinking, consider web-optimized writing. Headers, bulleted or numbered lists, and smaller paragraphs make web content easier to scan which ups the chance the content will actually be read. Large sections of text are overwhelming and strike an unappealing chord.
3.Bandwagon jumping can be hazardous.
Heed the advice mom used throughout your teenaged years. “Just because everyone else is doing something, doesn’t mean you should too.” As was the case then, it probably only seems like everyone has jumped on the latest, supposedly greatest marketing strategy.
Unless you’re into wasting time, energy, and maybe even money launching into something you know little to nothing about, step back and take a breath before blindly following the latest trend. A good rule of thumb is to devote 80% of your time to proven strategies while allowing 20% of your focus for dabbling with new tactics. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. But you won’t be able to do ‘well’ until you’ve learned the ropes.
4.Steer clear of the overly promotional.
Of course, marketing is all about promoting who you are and what you do. And yes, marketing is what keeps your company on the radar of consumers. But one of the most crucial “must understand” aspects of social media is the “social” part. Users of social media are looking for connections and conversations. Sure, they want to glean information and scope out deals and keep up-do-date on the latest everything, but they’re looking to do those things through connections and conversations.
If you can establish a rep for offering great products and/or services while also providing informative, relevant, useful, and entertaining content, you’ll be on your way to the top. If you stick with an it’s-all-about-us-us-us mentality, you may end up only “talking” to yourself.
Let ASJ Partners help you put the most effective marketing “pieces” into the promotional “puzzle” that best fits your staffing company’s vision and goals. Contact us today for a consultative assessment as the first step to uncovering a winning strategy for your company.
