People need a plan for everything. From the simplest task, like the grocery store to something major like your companies digital marketing strategy, having a plan is necessary.
“If you build it they will come.”
Thank you for that line of crap, Field Of Dreams.
Far too many people have taken this simple line to heart. It’s an excuse not to take further and continuous action. Unfortunately, this is the approach that many business owners take with their businesses. They assume that just by going into business, potential customers will find them and become paying clients. The reality of this is usually much different.
Smart business owners understand that they need some degree of marketing to increase their chances for success in the near term and beyond. Before you start talking about that “one guy that you know who never spent a dime on any marketing, who had a lot of success”…..consider this. If you have ever asked your satisfied customers to tell their family and friends about your products and services with an online review…this is marketing. It’s free and every business owner should do it, but it is still marketing.
See my point?
Digital marketing can take many forms and it does not have to cost any money. I have personally talked to a lot of people who have had success with increasing their brand awareness and driving sales with different forms of marketing. Different strategies work for different businesses. I fully acknowledge this, but there is one digital marketing plan that I know of that is absolutely horrible. Every time I hear about it, I shake my head and finish with a two-handed face palm.
[Tweet “The worst digital marketing plan of all time, is having no plan at all.”]
The year is 2017 and I still meet business owners who “don’t do that computer thing.” Seriously? There has never been a better time in history to grow a business completely online or partially online than right now. You can blog, podcast, make videos, use email marketing, chat bot marketing, social media, websites and funnels to market your business. There really is no excuse not to utilize one or more of these things to your advantage.
Social media is probably the easiest way to tell other people that you exist, but it does require a lot more consistent effort than most people think. Don’t let this deter you, I am just trying to give you a realistic idea of what to expect. In my opinion, everyone should have a social media presence with consistent posting. This is super easy to do and programs like Hootsuite and Buffer can help automate this for you.
Another big focus that everyone should have is on building an email list by giving people real value. I have friends right now that still do not do this. This is an easy way to build a source of traffic that you own. There is such a large demand for email marketing and automation that I have focused much of my business on helping clients with this very thing. I know of people who big lists who grew them the wrong way and they have poor open rates and zero engagement. This equates to a HUGE missed opportunity!
What is your digital marketing plan?
If you don’t have one, its time to get some kind of a plan together. If you need help, let me know and I can help get you pointed in the right direction. You can’t use the excuse that you don’t know what to do anymore because I just gave you a real invite to connect.