The Fundamentals of Marketing: How tackling the basics can set your brand up for long term success
The Fundamentals of Marketing: How tackling the basics can set your brand up for long term success
There will be more small businesses in 2022 than ever before.
The pandemic proved that we could work from anywhere, encouraging millions to launch their own business or side hustle.
This surge has led to many new businesses operating online and has opened a new chapter of entrepreneurship across the globe.
Even many established businesses saw the digital trend and began to prioritize their online presence.
All this effort online means the bidding for your customer’s attention is more competitive than ever!
So, how do you stand out?
The answer is marketing.
Marketing uses strategy, creativity, and technology to drive results for your business. Over the years, we've helped companies of all shapes and sizes grow. Through our experiences, we discovered three critical phases of successful marketing:
- Investment
- Growth
- Management
Let’s focus on the first phase: Investment.
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I grew up playing football in the golden age of trick plays.
In almost any college football game, you would see triple options, Wildcat offense, or the infamous Boise State "Statue of Liberty" play.
These plays were incredibly popular, and every young athlete wanted to try some variation of these wild plays.
Our coaches, on the other hand, had a different opinion.
They viewed these extravagant trick plays as a distraction from what won games: fundamentals.
They would harp on us every practice to get the basics down. In the end, they were right. The fundamentals won us the games - not the flashy trick plays.
The same is true for marketing your business.
Countless channels and trends are begging for your marketing dollars and energy. You're trying to have a presence on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, and the list goes on and on. It can be exhausting and challenging to know what is
essential for your business.
While you're busy deciding which platform to post on, you're losing the game because you overlook the fundamentals.
To channel my old football coach, it's time to get back to the basics.
So what are the fundamentals of marketing?
Messaging + Positioning
Clarifying your message so customers know what problems you solve and how you improve their lives.
Brand Identity
Your visual branding from logos, colors, fonts, and how your brand lives in the physical and digital world.
Website Development
Your website is your digital nucleus. You need a mobile-friendly site that loads fast and is built to convert!
Native Photo + Video
Stock photos are not your friend! Native photos and videos help you stand out from the competition and even help with your organic SEO.
Marketing Plan
Marketing is a long game. You need a roadmap to help you grow your business online.
We refer to this as the Investment phase because it is the part of the marketing process where you lay the foundation for future growth. These evergreen assets will be critical pieces of your business for the next 5, 10, and even 50 years!
You can expect to spend a good amount of money during this phase. While you won't see immediate returns, the long-term payoff is exponential!
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I can't stress this enough, DO NOT skip this phase! It will lead to incredible frustration down the road for you.
Many people try to bypass this and start running social ads, SEM campaigns, and placing ads in local magazines.
And when they don't see any traction from their ad spend, they will inevitably say, "advertising doesn't work!"
This strategy is like trying to win a football game with only Hail Marys. If you’re lucky you might win a game with one, but if you can't master the basics, you will never win a championship.
Don't do the same with your marketing.
Make sure your foundational elements are in place, which will set you up for long-term success.
PS - If you need help doing this, schedule a call with us here, and we can help you master the fundamentals of marketing to grow your business.
