The first introduction of a new product or service is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to crafting a successful marketing campaign. From selecting a target audience to making adjustments based on customer feedback, businesses have a lot to handle and it can be easy to miss something important when leaders are trying to market something for the first time.
To overcome these challenges and see long-term success, it’s essential to examine every aspect to ensure a step has not been overlooked, as even one element could make all the difference for your next marketing venture. Below, 17 Forbes Business Council members share the winning strategies they leverage to create winning marketing strategies.
1. Develop Systematic Processes
One commonly overlooked step is developing systematic, recurring processes for understanding and leveraging customer insights. It’s important to invest in this initial phase as customer insights can help you tailor messaging to different segments and personas, ensure your messaging will resonate, reach buyers on the channels they prefer, guide product development and build trust in your brand. – Carla Bourque, Rebrandly
2. Communicate New Offerings To Existing Customers
One overlooked step is often forgetting to communicate the new product or service internally with current customers. So much time, effort and money is spent on marketing the new product and service to new customers that we often forget existing customers. Making sure they know about the new offering can be low-hanging fruit in the overall plan. – Craig West, Capitaliz
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3. Prioritize Efficient Resource Allocation
Many businesses fall short when it comes to efficient resource allocation. By understanding your audience, you can direct your marketing resources (both time and money) toward channels and strategies that will be most effective in reaching them. Instead of casting a wide net, you can strategically target where your audience is most active or responsive. – Stephen Nalley, Black Briar Advisors
4. Invest In Social Influencers
Find social influencers. These influencers are a really underrated channel that I didn’t understand the power of until we started using them ourselves. We recently allocated a budget for influencers to help with a campaign and saw almost double the results of our usual methods. Having people authentically vouch for your product will make your target market feel like you’re someone they can trust. – James Clift, Durable
5. Utilize Customer Testimonials
One overlooked step is not utilizing customer testimonials and reviews in marketing campaigns. Leveraging positive feedback not only builds trust, but also humanizes your brand by showcasing real experiences with your product or service. This step is crucial because people tend to trust peers more than advertisements, making it a potent tool for enhancing credibility and attracting new customers. – Sevana Petrosian, SEV
6. Test Your Product Or Service
Before diving in, test your product or service. Being a business owner means being in sales. Remember that success requires wearing many hats and stepping out of your comfort zone. Don’t assume greatness guarantees sales; validate market demand for profitability. – Allen Kopelman, Nationwide Payment Systems Inc.
7. Use Segmentation And Targeting
One overlooked step in marketing is failing to focus on customer segmentation and targeting. Businesses often focus on product features but neglect identifying who their audience is. Segmentation allows for personalized messaging, enhancing engagement and conversion rates. This focused approach also maximizes marketing ROI, making it a critical element for success. – Anuraag Sunder, Aon
8. Dive Into The Customer Journey
Often, businesses focus on the product and its features while overlooking the intricate journey of a customer. By diving deep into the customer’s journey, we can tailor marketing strategies that resonate at each stage, thus creating a personalized and engaging experience. This enhances brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. – Ran Ronen, Equally AI
9. Be Adaptable
One often overlooked step in building an effective marketing campaign is adaptability. As your business evolves, so may your target audience. Regularly revisiting and refining your audience will allow you to stay aligned with the changing needs of your customers. By adapting and taking the time to understand your audience, you can significantly improve your chances of attracting and retaining clients. – Matthew Davis, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc.
10. Build Trust
Building customer trust through transparency is often overlooked. Sharing your product or service’s story, its benefits and even potential drawbacks instills trust. In today’s skeptical market, authenticity and honesty are essential for building lasting customer relationships and ensuring campaign success. – Trey Ferro, Spot Pet Insurance
11. Find Your ‘Why’
Simon Sinek’s idea of finding your “why” is a valuable message that’s often overlooked in marketing. Articulating your purpose is crucial to a good campaign and should come through clearly in your messaging. When designing a campaign, people are often overly focused on tactics—the channel mix, spend, etc.—but it really needs to start with the creative elements and convey both your offering and ethos. – Arthur Bretschneider, Seniorly, Inc.
12. Refine Based On Feedback
One often overlooked step in effective marketing is examining customer feedback and refining. It’s crucial because it helps businesses adapt and improve marketing based on real-world responses and customer preferences. This helps ensure campaigns hit the mark, save resources and engage the intended audience effectively. – Neha Naik, RecruitGyan
13. Understand Your Audience
Understanding your target audience is crucial but often overlooked. Tailor your messaging to resonate with them and choose the right channels, be it social media, email marketing or traditional advertising. Researching and understanding potential customers will lead to an impactful marketing campaign, bringing more business to your door. – Michael Shribman, APS Global Partners Inc.
14. Use Network Story Releases
Story releases are always better than press releases. We get guaranteed coverage with every major network. We then use this media as a stepping stone to attain more live coverage, television interviews and other media. – ‘Smitty’ Robert J. Smith, Robert J. Smith Productions
15. Communicate The Problem Being Solved
No matter how amazing a product or service may be, without good marketing, it’s likely nobody will find it or hear about it. What is often overlooked is the problem that is being solved. Many marketing campaigns start with the product or service and think about how to promote or sell it rather than focusing first on the problem or the actual “pain point” that the offering is solving. – Jason Foodman, Leaf.page
16. Use Word-Of-Mouth Marketing
Since one of the most effective marketing tools is word-of-mouth marketing, making sure people actually witness the product or service’s viability is essential. Include testimonials, client stories, feedback, useful know-how tutorials and pretty much everything that puts the product or service in question in action. – Ivan Popov, Vipe Studio
17. Have A Proper Plan In Advance
Not having a proper marketing plan in place is itself one of the most neglected steps. 95% of products or services don’t make it big because they do not have a proper marketing plan and budget in advance. If making a great product is the first step, the following 99 steps are solely about marketing. – Raj Maddula, Global Squirrels
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