 Great communication is at the heart of any successful marketing team or campaign. The entire point of slogans, media and messages is that you are communicating to others what your company can offer them and why choosing what you can bring to the table has the unique power to improve their life. Marketing can make all the difference in how fast a company grows and how well its brand gains recognition. Understanding the basics of marketing communications is a requirement for anyone who wants to gain insight into how the world of business works. Understanding these principles can help create business plans and strategies that save a lot of time and money in the long term. Here are a few of the principles all professionals need to brush up on in the business world of today. Social media in today’s digital age Any business that does not make the most of its social media presence is missing out. To be competitive in any business, you need to maintain some level of social media presence. Posting regular messages and content will keep your audience engaged and make it far more likely that they will reshare your information or recommend your products and services to others. Social media advertising and marketing are extremely effective because if you do it well, customers and potential customers will work to market your product or service to countless others. The use of influencers is another popular approach that uses social media. An influencer is someone who produces content such as blog posts or videos that they share with their followers. An influencer sometimes operates within a niche, but that is not always the case. The advantage of working with an influencer to market your products is that you gain access to their large following that is open to listening to what they have to say and acting on their recommendations. Typically, influencers are given your products or services in exchange for an honest review and an agreed-on commission rate for any business you do as a result of their work. For example, if you make outdoor gear, you would find an influencer that travels and hikes or camps a lot and give them a selection of your products. You might offer them 5% of the revenue they generate for your business. Influencers with more followers and fame may need more enticement than those with smaller followings. Of course, another advantage of using influencers is that you often do not have to pay out a lot to get them to help you. Free products and a commission mean they are incentivized to be as successful as possible. Consumer interaction and customer service It is much easier to communicate than it used to be. As a result, customers have high expectations when it comes to engagement and interaction with the companies they go to for products and services. Responding to questions and comments on social media is important and shows customers you care. Customers are often more outspoken online than they would be in person and their comments reach far more people than if they state them privately to someone at your company. Approaching negative feedback with a comment on how they should contact you so you can make their experience better is a great idea. Thanking those who respond with positive feedback shows that you are paying attention to your customer base and that you value their opinions. Customer service standards must be high. When marketing a product or service, it is important that you are clear on how customers can receive answers to questions or talk to someone if needed. A contact form on the website, live chat during business hours and a thorough frequently asked questions area on your website are all helpful. Fast response times are also important. Do not make response time promises that you cannot keep. It is far better to indicate that inquiries will receive a response within 24 hours and respond much sooner than to promise 12 hours and not respond until the next day. Customers appreciate it when you are faster than the allotted time but slower is never good. During high traffic times, you might want to put out a notice that wait times may be longer just so customers know what to expect. Attending events and selling merchandise is another great way to interact with customers. Conventions, fairs and other large events can be a lot of fun and introduce your brand to many new people. Even those who are aware of your brand may come away with a more positive view after interacting personally with your team. Free trials and samples help engage customers Convincing people to spend their money can be harder than you might think, especially if you make a product or provide a service that is really nice or helpful but may not be 100% essential. Offering free trials or samples can help others learn to trust your business and see for themselves that you have a lot to offer them that can make their life easier or more enjoyable. If trials and samples are not possible, then consider offering a substantial discount on first-time purchases. A discount of 10-20% off is often enough enticement to attract new customers. Adding in a free sample with a first purchase can also be helpful, and offsets the cost somewhat since you are gaining some business regardless of whether the customer returns. Rewards programs Plenty of companies successfully use reward programs to promote customer loyalty. Grocery stores are a great example of businesses that use points that can be used for discounts on groceries or gas. Cosmetic companies sometimes offer free products ranging from trial sizes to full sizes. Other businesses have rewards programs that customers initially pay a fee to join but receive the fee back in savings within a purchase or two. For instance, Barnes and Noble has a program for regular customers that offers a percentage off each purchase and free shipping on all orders on their website. Subscribe and save programs can encourage customers to commit to a regular purchase. Chewy is an online supplier of pet foods that offers 5% off subscribe and save orders. This not only offers savings but is the ultimate convenience for shoppers who sometimes find themselves forgetting to shop for items that they use regularly. Analyzing engagement data You need to determine where you should concentrate your marketing efforts and budget to achieve the best results. Analyzing how much business you are generating via your various marketing channels is important when planning out any future marketing campaigns. Analytics are typically easy to access thanks to online tracking. Facebook ads, Twitter and Google Ads all have analytics that you can easily view to see how your marketing efforts are performing. It is important to consider many factors when analyzing performance. For instance, are you reaching the same demographics? Is your budget for advertising larger for one website or service than another? Sometimes the answer may be that you need to change your marketing materials on a certain platform rather than stop advertising there entirely. This is why it is so important to make sure that you are making an honest comparison when analyzing analytics from different channels. Data analysis and mining Thanks to easy access to electronic records and data along with fast computer processing, it is now possible for data analysts to analyze vast volumes of data to find answers to questions that are of the utmost value to marketing teams. By analyzing large volumes of data, businesses can gain insight into larger trends that may otherwise have been overlooked. Data can also be used by marketing teams to predict future outcomes if certain decisions are made. Data analysis allows marketing teams to learn as much in-depth information about their target demographic as possible so marketing campaigns can be tailored to form a fast and lasting connection with future customers. Strategy matters A good marketing strategy can make or break a business. It is important that marketing teams are smart about what strategies they use for any segment of the population. This means keeping up with current trends in all areas of life so you have a feel for what is resonating with people at the time. Keeping your marketing strategy up to date helps avoid offense as well. A marketing mistake that is deemed offensive can have a major impact on the company. It is harder to repair a reputation after a misstep than it is to cause offense if marketing teams are not careful. Planning out strategies step by step well in advance is important as it allows adequate time for review and improvement. One marketing strategy for general use is a great idea but it is important that you approach each demographic you are trying to reach with a customized strategy for some marketing campaigns. Striking a personal note with potential customers increases the odds that they will form a lasting connection with your company or recommend you to others. Empathy and ethics Mutual empathy is important when it comes to marketing communications. Businesses need to empathize with what their target demographics are dealing with in their lives. This allows for relatable marketing messages that resonate well with the customer and create a lasting impact. Ethical business practices matter a lot to customers in today’s world. You must show that your company operates ethically. Charitable contributions and certifications such as being Free Trade Certified or Organic can all be used to market your brand and attract customers who want to feel good about the companies they are giving their business to. Communications is an in-demand profession There are more businesses and start-ups every day. Of course, there are also plenty of businesses that are constantly looking to expand and grow into new areas and niche markets. Earning an online Master of Arts in Communication from a reputable institution such as St. Bonaventure University can help prepare you to create marketing campaigns that lead to wide scale brand recognition and success. The SBU Communications Master online program involves 100% online coursework and can be completed in as little as 22 months. Students learn how to interpret data and create amazing marketing campaigns no matter what industry they find themselves working in. Students can choose to specialize in either content marketing or integrated marketing communications. The principles of successful marketing communications Embrace your unique selling points Being distinctive increases your odds of attracting any customer. This can seem challenging if you are producing a common product and especially so if you are producing a premium version of a common product. When creating a marketing strategy, it is important to ask company stakeholders what makes them unique or what main aspects of their vision they want to highlight to stand out to their customers. Offering premium quality may be one of these principles. A good example of a clothing company that has mastered standing out is the company Universal Standard. They highlight in their marketing that they offer clothing in the widest range of sizes available from a commercial clothing company. Inclusiveness in a premium clothing brand makes them stand out from companies offering limited sizing in all or some of their styles. Increase your reach If your company has been limiting its advertising, then you will likely benefit from advertising in a way that reaches more people. Social media advertising on platforms such as Facebook makes it easy to specify the markets that you want your advertising to target. Of course, the more people you are likely to reach, the higher the cost, but this can be a very good use of your advertising dollars. Whatever you can do to reach out to more people in a positive way is good marketing. Samples and trials are something to consider. Partnering with another company can be helpful as well. If you create a product or service that complements another firm’s offerings, then you may be able to help each other to dramatically increase the reach of both companies. Grab attention as quickly as possible There is a lot of advertising out there. Your ads and content need to catch the eye of potential customers and draw them in. Evaluate if your advertisement would stand out if there were two or three more ads from other companies right beside it. If the answer is yes, then you are on the right path. At the same time, it is essential not to have too much going on in your ads. A busy and cluttered look will detract from your message. No one is going to spend five minutes trying to make sense of an ad or decipher just what you are trying to sell. Be consistent with your overall message and image While ads and content need to be fresh and original, some things need to be the same. Your logo, slogan and overall brand image need to be consistent. If you want your customers to see your company as offering fun products, then all your ads and images need to portray that in some way. There is still a ton of room for creativity and fresh marketing, you just need to be sure that things are not so different that a previous customer couldn’t tell it was the same brand. Familiarity fosters trust and brand loyalty. This is how some companies become household names that practically everyone can recognize just from their logo even if they are not consistent customers. Conclusion Marketing communications are important to the success of any business. Without good marketing, a business can truly struggle. Understanding as much as possible about your customers and engaging them in a meaningful and relatable way is how businesses rise to the top of their market niche.Communications experts are in demand at practically all companies. Now is a great time to earn your degree and get started in an exciting new career helping businesses succeed.Marketing Communications’ Role In Business Success - HR News |
