The key elements of a great marketing strategy

Going into 2019, we’d like to share the foundation of a great marketing strategy with you. With over 15 years of business we have discovered that perhaps ironically, the best way to future-proof your enterprise and make sure it lasts is to stick to old-fashioned values. The rest is details.

In the world of communications, technology advances more quickly than most people can keep up with. The modern world that we inhabit is in hyperdrive. Things feel fast, furious and frantic. The platforms we communicate on are myriad.

The good news is that you don’t have to opt in to everything. Every business is different. And every business needs to be marketed differently. Including yours.

But what you do require is a constructive, creative strategy and an efficient marketing team. Whether your branding, marketing and communications are managed internally or outsourced, you won’t make it out there without a plan and people to action it.

Here are the five ‘S’s’ any business worth its salt should embrace for a sustainable and effective communications strategy:

EMPLOY SYSTEMS

Things need a structure to work properly, or else you’ll always be playing catch up and swimming in chaos. You need plans, targets and checks and balances. DO it.

BE SINCERE

Whatever you sell or do and however you tell stories about your brand, products and services, you need to be genuine. Don’t be glib. Don’t over promise and under deliver. Be real. Meet commitments. Meet deadlines. If you can’t, communicate clearly and have a plausible excuse. Otherwise, it’s on you.

In the Age of the Internet everyone is a potential advocate for or against your brand. So don’t mess with that. If you make mistakes, own up. If you succeed, share your joy but try not to be boastful or smug. Your clients will applaud you for it, and tell their friends and associates about you.

PROVIDE SUBSTANCE

A ‘smoke and mirrors’ approach will only get you so far before people get sick of the show and ask for substance. Provide good, relatable, entertaining and helpful content, insights, stories and advice. Content marketing works, as long as the content really is interesting and betters your clients’ lives in some way. Tweaks, hacks and tips work great. So do listicles (chatty articles comprised of readable lists…sort of like this one).

EMBRACE SYNERGY

Even the Elon Musks and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world need collaborators and colleagues to make the engines turn. Work for a greater good and adopt an ‘everyone’s a winner’ approach to business. Reward hard work and innovation from staff or team members. Acknowledge all contributions made. Don’t bottom line everything. Add value to your customer experience.

KEEP IT SHORT

Be brief. Brevity is one aspect of the modern age we all need to make part of our arsenal. People are busy. They don’t always like reading reams of prose. NO matter how interesting it is. Keep emails, meetings and copy short, direct and free of fluff.

Utilise the above approach and you can’t go wrong. If you happen to need a marketing partner, we’re here, and looking forward to doing business with you soon.