It’s no secret that marketing is a big part of running a business. You need to get your message out there and you need to do it consistently, otherwise, you get lost in the crowd.
Unfortunately, most people are confused as to what marketing in 2017 actually is. They follow marketing trends without necessarily using marketing strategies. In fact, when I consult with small businesses, an actual strategy is usually missing from the equation.
Here are x marketing strategies you should try in 2017. Note, none of these are fads. Instead, I’m focusing on the tried and true stuff that has consistently proven itself.
Create a content plan.
This is one of those marketing strategies that sounds like common sense, but it’s not.
Most people know they have to run campaigns for launches and products, but very rarely do they have a plan for content that provides value outside of that.
In 2017, make it a point to create a consistent content plan that not only highlights your business, but that also provides value for the people who follow you. At the end of the day, you need to build trust and create a loyal community, and the way to do that is to create good content.
Automate parts of your social media.
If I had a dime for every time I heard someone complain about how time-consuming social media is, I’d be a multi-millionnaire.
There’s a very simple solution to this: automate it. Or, well, at least automate parts of it. For example, you can automate social media postings on several channels with services like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Edgar.
This is one of the marketing strategies I simply cannot live without, especially as my brand grows. Trust me, I’ve tried. I tried to be cheap and save a few bucks my doing my social media manually, and it is by far one of the stupidest most time-consuming things I’ve ever done.
I was so consumed by social media that I wasn’t doing what actually leads to money in the bank: selling.
Repurpose content for different social media channels.
One of the marketing strategies I started using in 2016 that I will definitely continue in 2017 is to repurpose content for different social media channels.
For example, I’ll publish a podcast on my website and I’ll also upload the video to YouTube. Or, I’ll do a live video on Periscope and repurpose it into a blog post. The possibilities are truly endless, and this is the kind of stuff that helps you be everywhere at once.
Work on your brand’s visuals.
I’ve recently become a little obsessed with Instagram. Maybe it’s because I’ve been attending art events and hanging out with photographers, but there’s something to be said for solid visuals in your branding.
Granted, I kind of already knew this. Back in 2015, I did a rebrand and I really went for it in terms of creating a visual brand that you just won’t see anywhere else in the world of finance. I knew a spectacular design would help me stand out – and it did.
But in 2017 it’s time to translate that to platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. It’s time to take visual branding seriously as a marketing strategy.
Final Thoughts
Marketing strategies are important to implement as you grow your business into 2017 and beyond. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it is a good start as we head into the new year.
