What Does a Modern Comprehensive Marketing Strategy Look Like?
Marketing traditionally involved broadcasting to (and talking at) audiences through TV, radio, and print advertising. While these traditional channels still play an important role, digital avenues have become much more important and the way we undertake marketing activities has also evolved. It’s now much more about conversations and listening to our target audiences rather than simply telling consumers what they should do.
Whether you’re the owner of a small business (including sole traders) or you manage a major company with a global reach, you can’t ignore the need to create and implement an effective, targeted marketing strategy that’s tailored for your brand, business, and target customers or clients.
Marketing is not just about advertising – although advertising does play a role in marketing strategy. Marketing is more about building brand awareness and a robust loyal customer base that converts and ultimately even generates leads on your behalf.
There are numerous steps involved to achieve this:
- defining your business objectives
- identifying (and understanding) your target audience
- branding accordingly
- analysing your competitors
- developing your unique selling proposition
- setting your budget and metrics
- designing, developing, and implementing a comprehensive marketing plan to help you drive tangible, positive results
- reviewing, refining, and re-executing your strategy
A comprehensive marketing campaign involves a strategic combination of steps and activities aimed at promoting awareness of your brand, product, or service – and each campaign should have a specific goal.
Key Types of Marketing Include:
Content Marketing – create and promote content including website copy, blog posts, ebooks, online newsletters, podcasts, videos (more on this below), and more. It should be interesting, informative, relevant, and original.
Advertising – TV and radio advertising remain important, but advertising online is where the real power lies. Pay-per-click campaigns (e.g. Google Ads) and social media advertising (Facebook Ads, Instagram or X Sponsored Posts, etc) involve you paying for the advert only when a potential lead clicks on said ad. You only pay what you’re willing to per click – so a budget-friendly ad campaign is at your fingertips.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – being seen online can’t just be about paid advertising if you wish to extend your online reach. A lot of consumers actively avoid blatant advertising – so how do you get your brand, business, or product out there? SEO is an effective way to improve your position in organic search engine results pages (SERPs) – making sure the people who need to find you do so when they are actively looking.
Social Media Marketing – social platforms are now the cornerstone of how we as a society spend our time online – for everything from connecting with family and friends to accessing the latest news and trends, researching brands, products and services, shopping, and feeding our interests and beliefs. From Facebook to TikTok, Instagram to Pinterest, and LinkedIn to Snapchat, social platforms are a treasure trove of opportunities for marketers.
Video Marketing – from creating commercials to corporate video content and videos suited for social media and YouTube sharing, video marketing is incredibly powerful and effective. It’s easy for audiences to consume and drives real results. A professional video production company is the ideal partner to assist with this aspect of marketing – and some of the best digital marketing companies carry this provision under their umbrella.
Email Marketing – a great tool for connecting with current and potential customers, email is an effective way to inform, foster loyalty and interest, and encourage your prospects to act. To comply with spam (unsolicited bulk email) laws, email marketing content must be sent to subscribers only on an opt-in basis. Opt-out must be simple. Personalisation greatly improves the success of email marketing campaigns.
Direct Mail Marketing – this more traditional channel continues to deliver in terms of return on investment – the key is to make it memorable, interactive, and personalised. Think contests, coupons, visually captivating content, and more.
There are many other types of marketing campaigns and strategies – including but not limited to product marketing, brand development, public relations, user-generated and influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, fundraising, SMS marketing, and more. Partner with a professional digital marketing company to get started, seek the services of an expert SEO provider, improve your website, and create compelling blog and video content … the opportunities are endless.