As a lifetime marketing professional, I’ve seen a great deal of marketing campaigns initiated in virtually every marketing area known to man. Some campaigns have been wildly successful while others have failed. I’ve frequently asked myself what the the difference has been between the most successful marketing campaigns and those that have been complete failures.
Even though marketing has evolved a great deal over the last decade, the basic ideas remain the same. Despite the consistent nature of basic marketing principles, many marketers, web site owners, and small businesses do not use the best techniques for generating profitable campaigns. This is generally due to a belief that newer is better. However, this simply is not true. Rather, a focus on what works is best. Here are some marketing tips that I’ve discovered work again and again.
Segmentation above all else. Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help fulfill those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding your audience through proper segmentation means a well targeted campaign that gets results.
Create a compelling offer. A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing promotions that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to succeed.
Invest in split testing. A split test is when you use multiple versions of a marketing piece, measuring the results. This is a great way to improve the results of any marketing campaign. This is very important when considering running a campaign for a long period of time. Split test for long-term success.
Build a team. No matter how talented you are, building a marketing team is a great way to improve results. As you develop ideas, a marketing team can build on that idea, enhance it, and consider multiple options. Your team should be made up of a diverse group of people who can add to each others ideas.
Don’t use coupons. Once you start issuing coupons, your customers are trained to expect a discount. Instead of lowering the value of what you have to offer, increase it. Find more ways to add value to what you’re selling. This allows you to maintain your price and avoid the bad habit of discounting. Premium pricing is a strategy that has improve the strength of brands significantly over the long term.
Use consistent messaging. Is your prospect hearing the same messages throughout the sales process? If the messages are inconsistent or contradictory, they are very likely to turn off buyers. Take yourself through the same process and messages that your prospects are receiving to check message consistency.
Create value after the sale. Marketing doesn’t end once a sale is made. In fact, more emphasis should be placed on building relationships with existing clients. This can often generate significantly more revenue at a much lower cost. Consider how you’ll grow your customer relationships and invest your marketing budget. This is an investment that you can’t afford to overlook.
Test. Test. Test. In addition to split testing, you should use multiple forms of testing in each marketing discipline. For direct mail, test headlines, offers, copy, timing, etc. Consider testing a life long requirement.
Consider integrated marketing. Find multiple ways to generate business. To do so, test different forms of media such as print or online. There are endless sources of leads and customers and your job is to find as many as you can that can produce a positive return on investment. This reduces your risk and improve your options.
Rely on personal experience. You can run out and hire all of the best consultants in the world, but you still have to do the work. Nothing can replace actual experience. Having and using your own experience will make you a stronger marketer and more successful in the long term.
These marketing tips have been built from more than ten years of experience. Consider applying basic techniques that can deliver results. Once you’ve established baseline results, test campaign variations and measure your success. Rinse and repeat. Keep these marketing tips in mind each time you initiate a new campaign.
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categories: marketing tips,internet marketing,marketing


