Digital Marketing is a confusing and tricky world. Are you doing it right? Is there one right way? Will what worked in the past continue to work today? Probably not.
No matter if you are an expert in the field or just getting your feet wet while trying to build a business, there is one thing for sure. Digital is always changing. And as such, your efforts to grow your business with the digital space need to be ever-evolving. So much can change in a year, not just the digital landscape, but within your business too, from small businesses and start-ups to large enterprise, things are changing all the time. Consumer preferences, new products, trends, shifted goals, new opportunities, new management... you name it! To rely on what has worked in the past, or worse, what was barely working, is a dangerous game. There is too much on the line to rely on luck to grow your business.
With that in mind, how do you pick a direction? How do you make sure all of your work will pay off? What is the safest, most effective way forward? I'm glad you asked...
1.) Look to strangers.
You need a fresh perspective. Get a new set of eyes on all that you are doing. It is real easy to fall into complacency with your own digital efforts. The tasks can become cumbersome and de-prioritized. The content production gets too laborious and it can be extremely difficult to take a step back. Look at what you are doing (or what it has evolved to become over time) objectively and determine if you are still on the right path to achieve the goals you are tasked with chasing.
Many agencies, ours included, offer a marketing analysis, or a deep dive into your company, your goals, your efforts and how they match up to what you are being held accountable. We look at your consumer profiles, website, content, social, user experiences, conversion elements and more. We compare and contrast with the efforts of your competitors and we show you the open lanes for progress, outlining the next steps that will get you there.
2.) Study the results and get your bearings.
Our Marketing Analysis is not a standard high level look at your business with a few quick tips that apply to almost anyone - we’ll give you that for free, just call. This is a paid service resulting in a full audit of your efforts and how they relate to your goals and customer profiles, complete with action items, next steps, and creative suggestions for improving aspects throughout your customer journey.
We also dive deep into things you may not be actively doing but will boost your bottom line and outline how you can get them off the ground in the short and long term and where to start. Chances are the Marketing Analysis uncovers a bunch of things you were doing well, things you could be doing better and a whole slew of new opportunities specifically geared towards achieving your goals. Now is the time to take the results, look at your team, your budgets and your capabilities and decide on the best way forward for your group and your firm. Jump on the 'no-brainers,' explore some new segments, maybe implement some training and explore new agency partnerships that can help you go the distance.
3.) Take action.
Maybe you can handle most of the advice internally or maybe you need to look outwardly to embrace some new skill sets and agency efficiencies in order to take things to the next level. You won't know until you know what needs to be done. Once you do, it's a simple matter of planning and winning. If you find yourself needing a little extra fire power, that is where partners like us come in. We bring experience, efficiency, ideas and results to the party.
Regardless of whatever the right jump off point is for your company, there is one thing that rings true for companies of all sizes: Action Trumps Everything. Grab the low hanging fruit and get to work.
"Always remember that your present situation is not your final destination. The best is yet to come." -Zig Ziglar (want more Zig?)
Now is the most opportune time you will find to start your next phase of growth. The market doesn't wait for fiscal cycles, people are out there everyday buying and selling in your industry. Your (potential) customers are Googling, looking for products/services just like yours right now, all day, everyday... that's a fact. The question is, will they find you?
