Simple things may be harming your brand and insights for what you can do.
How many of them are keeping you from reaching your audience effectively? Here’s a simple audit for building material marketers:
1. Multiple Messages:
To get your brand noticed and sales growing, all your marketing needs to move in the same direction; otherwise, a tug-of-war ensues that burns through budgets but gets you nowhere. That means establishing key messages that highlight strengths and set you apart. Creating and adhering to a single message, one that resonates with your audience, is the easiest and most effective way to keep your efforts on track. It can be as simple as: “With [key features], [your brand] delivers [key benefits] to [primary audience] like no one else.” Now make sure everything you communicate, from emails to print campaigns, reinforces that statement.
2. Shotgun Targeting:
With so many resources and so much media in play, today’s building material marketing is anything but one-size-fits-all.
Your message needs to speak to each audience, offering features that fit their needs. But before you can know what to say about your brand, you need to know exactly who you’re talking to.
In addition to the larger campaigns (and maybe even instead of them) take advantage of social media and a wealth of available data to connect to each audience on their own terms—tweets and e-blasts to your tech-savvy prospects, direct mail and print advertising to the more traditional crowd. Mixing your marketing means reaching a broader audience.
3. One-and-done Approach:
“We ran an ad in the paper once and didn’t see any increase in our business.” Unfortunately, that’s not a surprise.
Marketing isn’t a one-time deal; instead, think of it as exercise, letting you see promising immediate results, but requiring a long-term commitment to reach your goals. (And like exercise, beware of anyone promising fads and quick fixes.)
A series of small touches—emails, blog posts and tweets, service reminders, etc.—build relationships and a sense of connection. And that’s what keeps your brand top-of-mind.
4. Out-of-date Website:
Building Material marketers all do it: The very first stop before utilizing a new product or service—or trying a new restaurant—is to do some research online. A few clicks later we get our first impression of the brand. For some it’s an immersive brand experience; for others, ?it’s a deal-breaker. Imagine yourself as a new prospect, then visit your competitors’ sites and then your own.
Now be honest. What stood out? What made you want to engage the brand? What turned you off? Your website isn’t a brochure; it’s your brand brought to life. It could be time for a refreshing.
5. Incomplete Spends:
With tightening budgets everywhere, maximizing your marketing dollars has never been more important. And nothing is worse than leaving dollars on the table…except that late-year dash to burn through them, using reactionary (and sometimes ill-conceived) ideas that fall short of building the brand.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but developing a comprehensive marketing plan with realistic spends is a critical step that many marketers overlook. If you aren’t sure how to go about it, there are outside resources that can help, including agencies and consultants specializing in marketing plans.
Sources and Additional Articles
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