A common problem I see when talking to people about digital marketing is that business owners, senior managers, and marketers often don’t consider the big picture. They don’t think about how each component of their marketing fits in with the overall business, just their marketing plan.
To help illustrate this, I created a simple flowchart of objective oriented marketing that shows how all the different pieces of the business can fit together. This allows businesses to take a step back and think about how to ensure their marketing strategies are as successful as possible.
It’s important to note that this is a very simplified approach, and every business is different. However, the key takeaway is that businesses need to be able to zoom out and analyze all the different components of their business in order to be successful at marketing.
1. Business Planning
When we look at our Objective Oriented Marketing flowchart, the first step in the process is business planning.
It’s a good idea to have a clear understanding of how you plan to make money with your business idea. This may seem like common sense, but have you actually considered the following?
Who are your target customers?
Why would they choose to give you their money over your competitors?
Have you done your market research to understand what the market is looking for?
Are your competitors meeting that need? If not, how will you compete?
How will you bring your product or service to market?
What is your pricing strategy?
How will you approach sales?
Are you aware of the tax laws?
There are many more factors to consider when planning your business, and it is important to do your research and plan carefully from the outset. This will help you avoid problems down the road. If things do not go as planned, you will be able to refer back to your business plan to identify areas that need improvement.
2. Brand Development
Once you have a business plan, it is time to determine your brand.
I love this quote from our senior brand strategist:
Marketing is you asking someone out on a date, branding is the reason they say yes!
This quote perfectly captures the importance of branding. A strong brand is what makes a customer choose your business over the competition. It is what makes them say yes to your offer.
Businesses today should strive to be as human as possible in order to build rapport with their customers and establish long-term relationships. This means being authentic, transparent, and empathetic. It means communicating in a way that is clear, concise, and engaging. It means providing excellent customer service.
Branding is often misunderstood to be just a logo and a bunch of brand colors. But it is much more than that. It is the sum total of all the ways your business communicates with its customers. It is the way you make them feel. It is the reason they come back for more.
As a business, developing a brand strategy is a critical component of your success. This strategy should define your brand’s purpose, values, and personality. It should also outline how you will communicate your brand to your target audience.
It is important to ensure that your entire team understands and embraces your brand ethos. This will help them to consistently deliver a positive customer experience, which is essential for building a strong brand.
3. Marketing Strategy
With your brand strategy in place, it’s time to focus on marketing.
Your brand strategy has informed you of how you want to present yourself to the outside world. Now you need to figure out how you’re going to reach your target audience and encourage them to take action.
It’s important to have a clear understanding of your marketing budget. This will help you make informed decisions about how to allocate your resources.
If you have a small marketing budget, you’ll need to be more strategic about how you spend your money. You may want to focus on digital marketing or social media marketing, which can be more cost-effective than traditional advertising.
If you have a larger marketing budget, you’ll have more options. You may want to consider a mix of marketing channels, such as print advertising, television advertising, and public relations.
Once you have a budget in place, you can start planning your marketing campaigns. Your target audience will be a major factor in determining which channels you use and what kind of messages you communicate.
Your brand’s tone of voice, which you developed during the branding phase, will also be an important guide. It will help you ensure that your marketing messages are consistent with your brand’s overall identity.
It’s also important to set clear goals for your marketing campaigns. This will help you measure your results and track your progress.
By following these steps, you can create a marketing plan that is aligned with your brand strategy and helps you achieve your business goals.
4. Digital Marketing Implementation
Now that you have a plan, it’s time to implement it.
Great content, aligned with your brand values, is going to be key to attracting your audience. This content can include images, videos, copywriting, and other forms of media.
Your website is the single most important component of your marketing strategy. It is your digital storefront, where people will go to learn about your business, your products, and your services.
First impressions count, so make sure your website is as high-quality and informative as possible. Ensure that your customers leave your website feeling like they have a better understanding of your brand and what you offer. Impress them!
Once you have a website, you need to drive traffic to it. You can do this through social media, search engine optimization (SEO), online advertising, mobile applications, emails, newsletters, and other channels.
It is important to choose the marketing channels that are most effective for your target audience and your budget. You should also make sure that your marketing messages are consistent with your brand strategy.
5. Conversions
By following these Objective Oriented Marketing steps, you can create a successful marketing strategy that aligns with your brand values and helps you achieve your business goals.
As we mentioned earlier, setting goals is essential. Evaluating your conversions allows you to determine success. A conversion can mean different things for different businesses, and the list in my Objective Oriented Marketing flowchart is just a small sample of potential conversions.
The key here is to ensure that you review and revise what you have done before, based on the success of your conversions. You will notice that we do not just stop at reviewing the marketing implementation. The data that comes back from your campaigns can help you revise your marketing strategy. Changes in the marketplace may mean new opportunities that require you to review and adjust your brand strategy. Developments in technology may mean you need to change the way you do business.
Be open to change, stay on top of the data, and explore new opportunities.
