Throughout the past 25 years, the way that marketing works has transformed thanks to advances in technology and the different ways that people all over the world have implemented these into their marketing strategies. That being said, basic marketing principles remain fairly consistent, regardless of whether the ways that they’re carried out are changing — in fact embracing that change is one of the principles.
It’s something that people are generally interested in as it’s one thing to know how marketing works and why you are doing what you’re doing and it’s a totally separate thing to have a grasp on the foundations that those methods and ideologies were built upon. As such, this article is going to explore in more depth the top five universal marketing practices.
Never Be Afraid to Embrace Change
The minute you stop embracing change is the minute your marketing tactics become ineffective. Look at the internet and the overall development of technology as an example. When this initially came into play, some marketers were more willing to embrace it than others but now, using technology as a means of marketing is no longer a luxury, it is absolutely paramount.
It is used by businesses all over the planet and it doesn’t stop there. Not only are businesses using it, but this kind of tech has also managed to work its way into politics, with the likes of congressional SMS fundraising playing a major part in Obama’s initial election victory and remaining in play for every election since. This highlights just how important a willingness to embrace change is in order to succeed.
Imagine if a business now was stubborn and stuck in its ways about not using the internet? Sure, it might survive as a local store (so long as it’s in an area with plenty of natural foot traffic), but the idea of it expanding any further than that is laughable. If marketers are not willing to welcome change openly and work out the most effective ways to adapt their methods around it, then they are already setting themselves up for failure.
Focus on the Media and Make a List of the Types of People that Make Up Your Audience
Before you get started on any kind of marketing campaign, it is incredibly important that you focus on the media and then also select who you want your audience to be made up of. If you are going into a campaign without a clear understanding as to who that campaign is going to be directed towards, you may as well be walking into a fight with one arm tied behind your back. Essentially, you’re at a disadvantage before the true test has even gotten underway. This step is a necessity and requires careful study and planning.
These kinds of marketing strategies have always existed as in the past, direct marketing mail lists were often compiled with the names of people who demonstrated propensity to make a certain number of purchases. Locating these potential customers was based off of criteria such as their location, their income and also their past purchasing history. Thinking about your audience now, in the digital age, is more important than it has ever been, as you need to be able to understand what makes different clients unique and what questions they will likely be asking. This will help you give the right people the right information at the right time. It all boils down to the fact that you can have, unequivocally, the greatest ad of all time, however, that won’t mean anything if it’s not put in front of the right audience.
The Offer You Make Needs to Be Powerful and Impactful
For decades it was believed by marketers that the offer was actually the “deal” or the incentive to buy. They thought and acted under the idea that if the offer was in itself attractive enough, the prospective customer would be more than happy to buy. As such, the offer that was made usually pertained to some kind of price-related discount with a timeline attached, for instance, “25% off, offer expires July 30th”.
This has changed in the modern day as most customers who you market towards, a lot of the time, aren’t looking to buy initially and they don’t enjoy being pressured into buying either. Instead, today’s consumers are usually looking for information that will help them buy the right thing. This is especially the case if the purchase being made is a major one, such as a laptop, car, tablet, etc. The offer is no longer a deal, but it’s instead providing the customer with helpful information so they can solve their problem.
Be Creative
It’s easy to get the word creative muddled up in this context as there are a lot of marketers and business developers who have managed to confuse the word creative with brilliant, clever or skillful. While this might be the case in other industries, in marketing, to be creative simply means to be able to get across a brand’s message in a way that is both simple and eye-catching.
If you are sending your information to the right market, recipients aren’t going to filter through emails and be swayed by pretty pictures and bright colors. Instead, they will be looking for communication that answers questions and is clear and communicative. As such, it is important to be creative but in a way that makes your brand and your message accessible for your audience. The way to do this is with simple, eye-catching content, rather than overcomplicating the way your emails and ads look.
Timing Is Everything
The final aspect of marketing that needs to be done right is the timing of whatever marketing strategy you are considering putting out. For example, if you have a product or service that is especially appropriate at Christmas time, then it will be best to start marketing it at Christmas rather than in summer. This is a very obvious example, but the same applies across the board. When you choose to start marketing your product and service will have a massive impact on its overall success.
