There is something nebulous about marketing. In theory, you know what it is, but in action, it feels a bit murky. And when it really comes down to it, do you truly understand the impact your marketing efforts have on your business? Do you know what your marketing dollars are really buying?
SET A GOAL
Before you spend one minute or dollar, set a goal for what you want to gain from your efforts. If you are creating a Facebook page for your business, ask yourself why. Is it because you heard everyone should be on social media? Or is there an opportunity to make real connections with your clients and prospects on Facebook, thus increasing referability?
If you see true opportunity to provide value, connect with your current clients and build trust with prospective clients, then set goals for yourself. The best goals result from asking yourself, “If I were evaluating our Facebook marketing efforts in one year, what has to have happened over the year for me to feel as though it is a success?” Use the answer to this question to set goals for specific, measurable results that you want.
A few great goals for a Facebook business page would be:
• Our referrals will increase by 20 percent because of our interaction with our clients and prospects on social media.
• We will increase traffic to our business blog by 50 percent through Facebook page promotions of posts.
STICK WITH IT
Abandoned tactics are a key source of lost marketing dollars. As you move into the implementation of your marketing strategy, it is easy to get bogged down in the minutia. You start out with excitement and a clear goal, but six weeks in, you feel yourself losing interest and wondering if it is all worth it. As your energy wanes, so do your efforts and subsequently your results.
Always remind yourself of the reason you began — the spirit of your marketing efforts. Instead of worrying about the perfect social media posting ratio of 75 percent value and 25 percent promotion, return to the spirit of sincerely connecting with your clients and prospects. Revisit your goals. The same goes for client events, advertisements, blog posts, etc. If the tactic is a fit within your overall strategy, it is worth the investments to obtain the end result.
EVALUATE, EVALUATE, EVALUATE
If you take the time to understand who you are marketing to and what your ideal end result is, you are setting yourself up for success. The final step is consistently evaluating your goals in comparison to the results. Evaluation allows you the opportunity to see what your marketing dollars are truly buying and what changes need to be made to non-effective efforts before more money is wasted.
TAKE ACTION
Set a goal for each of the marketing tactics you are currently using. Set a reminder to evaluate your return on investment in relation to your goals in three to six months.
STEPHANIE GORDON is the founder and CEO of Psych’d Marketing, boutique marketing firm based in Gainesville, Florida. She holds degrees in both psychology and business from the University of Florida. Psych’d offers full service, concierge marketing solutions for small to medium sized businesses. Stephanie prides herself on connecting phenomenal businesses with the people who need them. www.PsychdMarketing.com