The 5 Non-Negotiable Aspects of Marketing That Can't Be Ignored.

Let’s face it, there are truckloads of information out there about how you ‘should’ market your business. It can get quite overwhelming for someone who is new to marketing OR someone, who just wants to focus on running the business and doing what they love. 

BUT your marketing does not have to be overly complicated. As long as you get the basics right from the beginning, the rest of the process will be far easier. Your campaigns will be more effective, less time consuming and produce tangible results.

Before I share the list, let me reiterate that marketing, no matter what size business you own, is NOT something that you should push back for 'sometime later'. No business is too small and every business owner should make sure they have these non-negotiables nailed before they start trading: 

✅ Your product market fit and value proposition - do the research understand if there is a need and demand for your product / service. Is it viable? What problems will your product/service solve? How do you compare to potential competitors? What are your unique selling points? Consider practical and logistical details of your offering too.

✅ Your target audience - who will you be helping? Consider demographics, behavioural segmentation, geographic areas. What are their needs, fears and goals? Deeply explore your ideal customer personas and find a way to genuinely solve their problems through your offering. 

✅ Your plan of action - yes, you need to create a strategic plan. And yes, it should be written down. Too often businesses have an ‘idea’ in their head of what they want to achieve, but it is too abstract and without commitment or goals. You need to create a simple plan so you and your team are on the same page so you can measure your performance and identify what does and does not work for your business. Marketing strategy can be reviewed and amended based on the review of your activities and results. Just make sure that you don't change the goalpost too often and keep an eye on the prize. Change the tactics and do not be afraid to try and test new ideas.

✅ Your passion - this is a given. When you love what you do, it shows. When it’s just about money - you guessed, it shows! People buy from people, so connect with your audience and do not be afraid to show your personality, it will help you connect with your audience, share your passion and build trust.

✅ Consistent execution - create a plan and FOLLOW it. I cannot reiterate this enough! Review your campaign performance on regular basis and make amends if needed, but remember, that creating a plan is only a 1/3 of the job. Results come from consistent execution. 

And finally, be patient. Building a brand and a business takes time. It will not happen overnight. I know that sometimes it can get frustrating and feel like you're spinning your wheels on a spot and getting nowhere. But if you nail your brand purpose, understand your audience and keep at it, you will make progress and build momentum.

Just start and stick with it.

“Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” – John C. Maxwell

Would love to hear your thoughts on this so leave me a comment below👇🏼

Send me a message on here or email me if you are facing a marketing conundrum. I am here to help!

📲 www.daliacourridge.co.uk