The power of digital marketing has skyrocketed in the last two years. Accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic; enforced lockdowns and the closure of many shops for extended periods, we turned to the internet for everything - to communicate with friends and family, to be entertained and informed and critically, to make purchases. In case proof was still needed, national lockdowns showed businesses the importance of a strong digital presence and providing an online destination for their customers. Roughly 2 in every 3 (63%) of shopping occasions start online (source: Google) no matter whether the end purchase was made in a brick-and-mortar store or online.

Establishing a successful marketing strategy for your business can feel overwhelming, but it needn't be. In this post, I share my top 3 tips for successful, sustainable marketing, whatever your business. 

1- Know your audience 

‍The most important aspect of successful marketing is knowing your audience. Who are you talking to? Where do they hang out? What do they need from you? How can you meet their needs? Can you provide the solution to their problem at the right moment? This first step enables you to establish which channels your audience use and what sort of information you might serve across your communications from your website to your social content. Before publishing anything always ask yourself, “who am I talking to and does this add value?”

2- Resonate with your audience ‍

People consume and search for information in different ways. There are so many channels out there, from podcasts to newspapers, youtube to linkedIn. Yes, digital marketing is critical in today’s virtual world but don’t forget the power of a well placed piece of signage or a well timed advert or flyer. Once you really know your audience and what resonates with them, you can work on strengthening your bridges to reach them. Establishing systems to monitor and review your marketing activity is vital to understand what works best for your business - is it case studies or emails, video content, simple product imagery or infographics? 

3 - Retaining & growing your customer base‍

By knowing your audience and consistently reaching out to your markets, you are well placed to ensure continued loyalty from existing customers. Competition is high and the internet is a busy place, so you need to keep communicating with them to stay front of mind. It is essential to remember that you don’t own your social media channels; it’s rented space. You do, however, own your contact list, so setting up an email list can be a very successful and low cost part of your strategy. Imagine not having to navigate the social media algorithms to get attention!