Marketing can be a daunting task. You know your product / service is great, but why don’t others? With all the options that exist for promoting, discovering the strategy for you can take time. Flip the question and learn to address: what is the CUSTOMER’S need or problem and how is it being solved by you? Here are a few more important marketing points to address for your brand.
#1 Don’t be afraid of competition
If there is competition, it means the idea is proven—there is demand! People want this product or service. If there isn’t, that means you have to define the space. Explain to people not only your offering, but what is this problem they may have not realized before or never had a solution to. What have they been doing instead as a work around to this issue?
#2 Highlight your differentiation point
No matter how many others are in the sphere, you need to highlight what makes you unique. Why would someone choose you or your product? It doesn’t have to be a different feature. There are many products that are the same, or offer the same service, but there is still a clear winner in terms of who is getting customers. For example, Peloton wasn’t just their bike, but their classes and their instructors is what made them stand out against others. For some companies, it is the customer service aspect. What is yours?
#3 Figure out where your target market is
There is no point in paying for advertising if your customers aren’t there or aren’t influenced by their positioning. Are they shopping for similar products/services on social media or direct searches on Google / Google Maps? Where should you place yourself to be no only seen but have this lead to conversions.
#4 Be able to explain yourself in a single sentence or two
Could you pitch everything that you are in an elevator ride? This is a common pitch form used by start ups and entrepreneurs but applies to many situations. If you can hook someone in and explain what you do / your value proposition in under 30 seconds, you are doing well.
#5 Don’t forget about organic traffic
Many people, when then they think marketing, they think advertisements. Paying for posters or ad placements, etc. However, unpaid means of traffic acquisition are just as important. We’ve gone into detail about this before, but don’t overlook SEO, map profiles, testimonials, word of mouth, etc.
