Get ready for back-to-school season! September is the time to prepare your marketing strategy. Here are 12 fundamental points to help you take actions that will boost your brand awareness and sales.
Define Your Objectives
First and foremost, clearly identify what you want to achieve with your annual strategy. Whether it’s increasing sales, growing brand awareness, building a customer base, or something else, your objectives will guide all your actions.
Review Your Target Audience
Defining your target audience isn’t a one-time task when starting your business. Take advantage of the new school year to reevaluate your potential customers. Analyze your current customers to gain a better understanding of who they are, their needs, and what interests them.
Analyze the Competition
Study what your competitors are doing. Understand their strengths and weaknesses to differentiate yourself. Take note of the platforms they use and what customers like about them. The better you know your competitors, the more you can leverage your own strengths and differentiation.
Establish Your Value Proposition
What makes your product or service unique and valuable to your audience? That’s your value proposition. Be clear about it because it serves as your guiding principle.
Choose Your Platforms and Channels
Identify the social media platforms you want to leverage this year and define your other marketing channels. This can include social media, newsletters, website content, events, promotional items, online advertising, etc.
Plan Your Content
Create a content calendar. Schedule topics, publication dates, and types of posts. The more your content is planned in advance, the easier, faster, and more effective the creation process becomes.
Set Your Budget
Allocate a budget for each aspect of your marketing strategy, including advertising, content creation, website management, etc. What budget do you want to allocate for boosts, Facebook campaigns, direct mailings, etc.? Knowing your budget in advance will help you plan and maximize your campaigns.
Create Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Identify the metrics that will allow you to track your progress. This may include website visitor numbers, social media engagement rates, conversions, etc. It’s easier to measure if your strategies are working when you can quantify them.
Ensure Consistency Across Channels
Make sure your various marketing channels work together consistently, reinforcing each other’s message and your brand presence.
Create a Monitoring and Adjustment Plan
Schedule times to assess the results of your actions. If something isn’t working, be prepared to adjust your strategy accordingly.
Be Flexible
The marketing landscape evolves rapidly. Be ready to adapt to new trends and customer feedback, and avoid being overly spontaneous, especially on social media. Customers need to feel that you’re genuinely behind your business and not just an “agency.”
Stay Attentive to Comments and Data
Listen to your customers and monitor data to make regular adjustments to your strategy.
By planning effectively, you should be able to develop a strong and comprehensive marketing strategy while adapting to the changing needs of your business and audience. Of course, if you need assistance, I’m here to help!