Here are things that take approximately 7 minutes to accomplish:
- Hard-boil an egg
- Make a bowl of oatmeal – (instant)
- Pay your credit card bill
- Repeatedly tell your dog to get off the sofa (perhaps that’s just my house)
- Inflate your bicycle tires
- Become disgusted with politicians all over again
Now here are things you can do in less than 7 minutes:
- Slice a roll
- Become a better marketer
- Tell your dog to put the cat down
When it comes to marketing, there is ONE THING you can learn that will help you get a better ROI and it will take you less than 7 minutes to learn it.
But before I reveal that one thing, let’s take a look at some of the other key things that will help you become a better marketer.
- Create Strong Customer Relationships
Why focus resources on attracting new customers when retaining current ones costs so much less yet still generates high revenue?
A loyal customer base is often the difference between a small business that fails and one that thrives. Creating this fan base will require brand transparency, providing value, and listening to feedback with a caring ear.
Remember, today’s consumers are tired of blatant sales pitches. They want memorable experiences and authentic connections. And why shouldn’t they get them?
If you think you’re building relationships with your customers but aren’t exactly sure, try using a good ol’-fashioned customer survey to find out if your customers appreciate your products, service, and engagement. Always remember the best marketing strategies derive from knowing what an audience wants.
- Learn to Analyze Data
Are you guilty of ignoring data? A recent study from the CMO Council and IBM found that many marketers, 27% in fact, said they collect data but don’t do anything with it. And 14% admitted to being in a data rut—doing the same thing over and over again with no advancement. But the data is the customer, and advertisers are unintentionally ignoring it (them).
According to The Top 5 Google Analytics Reports for Social Media Marketers, there are 5 ways to analyze data being generated by your marketing efforts:
- Filter social media traffic for goals and sales actions completed
- Watch for conversions to signal the content that is speaking to your target audience
- Understand the type of visitors visiting digital assets using behavior and key indicators
- Test and tweak content and various campaign elements
- Understand the link between marketing efforts and sales
- Agility
It seems not a month goes by without some new trend or social media platform pushing itself into relevancy or a search giant changing its algorithm. One advantage smaller businesses tend to have over their larger counterparts is agility. Sure, you may have 1/16th the budget of that big box store and only three employees, but darnit, your size is what makes you flexible. Being able to react to changes or industry disruptions quickly and develop campaigns accordingly will help you stay afloat when others sink.
And now the one thing you can learn to do in seven minutes, give or take, that will make you a better marketer….
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Here’s the biggest mistake marketers make…
Thinking of WHO the competition is instead of WHAT it is. Your real competition is not the other fitness center on the other side of town (the WHO), it’s every single obstacle your customers have in getting and staying in shape (the WHAT).
When you focus on the WHO, your marketing falls short. You get into the bad habit of showing off the few differences between you and that other local gym. But when you focus on the WHAT – fatty foods, no time to exercise, a lack of willpower – you create campaigns that emotionally connect with your audience and convince them you understand and can solve their problem.
Once you redefine your competition as your customer’s problem or obstacle, you stop spending resources on differentiating yourself from the guy down the street and start developing ads that easily convert.
If you create strong customer relationships, learn to analyze data, remain agile, and speak to your prospects’ problems, there is NO WAY your ad campaigns will fail.
Still feel like you could use some extra help with your ads? Get in touch with us. We help small local businesses get the biggest bang for their ad bucks.
