Why good marketing takes time
So, you’re excited! You have just launched this amazing new product or service offering; you have done your research to know there is a market for it and you’re implementing all these marketing activities but sales aren’t coming in as quickly as you expected!
We know marketing for a small business can be a little overwhelming and frustrating if you don’t see results straight away. We understand in a competitive market place you are eager for fast and consistent results to stay afloat.
A question that we are regularly asked is ‘Why is my marketing not working for me?’ And the simple answer is usually time. Good marketing takes time and a consistent effort. Assuming you will see results after just say a few weeks or a month is very rare.
A general rule is a consumer needs to hear/see a message at least seven times before they consider purchasing from a brand. If you are doing solid content marketing it can take well over six months to really see any results.
Have you heard the marketing phrase: know, like and trust?
In the new age of personalised marketing, sending your message out to all and hoping you find an interested customer is no longer viable. You need to take the time to understand who your ideal customers are so you can build a connection with them and make more informed decisions on what online or offline marketing channels to use.
With digital marketing and data analytics readily available now, customers have the expectations that you know their needs and like it when businesses offer more personalised experiences. They will tend to only purchase from you once they know, like and trust you.
You need time for them to get to know you
Your ideal customers need time to get to know you and your marketing activities help you do this. It’s all about consistency and utilising different touchpoints, for example, social media, website, events, publications, print and digital advertising etc. to allow the time to build brand awareness.
You could create the most inspiring piece of content or advertisement but, single, once off marketing activities like these won’t give you the frequency you need for customers to connect with your brand or the return on investment you are looking for. Make sure you are consistently sending your marketing messages across a mix of marketing channels that are relevant to your ideal customer.
Take the time to show them you really care
For your ideal customer’s to be in the ‘like’ phase you need to produce marketing content that should address what pain points you solve for them and their specific needs and priorities you identified when understanding who your ideal customer is. Activities such as blogs, whitepapers, guides/ebooks, press releases, webinars, case studies, social media updates, digital advertising (in particular retargeting people who have engaged previously with your content), website page updates, videos, podcasts and many more, can start to build your brand reputation and engagement with your ideal customers. Although, producing high quality content can take time, it will be better for your brand in the long-term then a continuous pushy sales pitch.
Remember: “The customer is the hero, not your brand.” Donald Miller.
Building trust and credibility in your brand
Many of the marketing activities mentioned above are ultimately developing that trust with you and your brand for your ideal customer to become a ‘paying customer.’ However, to continuously build that trust, people are looking for something genuine and this is where some of the personalised experiences with your business start to help. Activities such as consultations, demonstrations, email marketing, newsletters, events/exhibitions and networking can help your audience build that personal relationship that they need to take that next step with you.
It’s also important, that at the same time, you are showcasing your brand credentials as your business develops, with testimonials/reviews and endorsements throughout your website, social media and brochures/company profiles.
Take the time to create a marketing strategy and plan
A concise marketing strategy and marketing plan will provide you a roadmap to develop consistent marketing messages, set relevant activities for each phase of your customer’s journey and timeframes to deliver the results you are looking for. Continually measuring your marketing activities will help you understand which ones have worked well, those that may not have worked at all and others that need to be adjusted to achieve a better result.
Marketing is important to build that trust with your audience and relationships with your existing customers and to generate new leads into your business. For you to start seeing results, time and a consistent approach is what is needed.
Need help with planning your marketing?
At Hadleigh & Co we are a professional marketing consultancy for small to medium sized businesses. We strive to understand our clients’ business to provide the right advice and successfully execute tailored marketing solutions that work. By investing in us, our advice could help you to prioritise and focus to effectively allocate your time and resources helping you achieve more return on investment from your marketing budget.
Our marketing packages
We have created three marketing packages to step you through the marketing and business development process from planning to delivery your key targets for successful growth. They can be tailored to suit the individual business needs.
Contact us today
Contact us today to book your free 30 minute business marketing consultation and explore how our services could help benefit your business. We will get to understand your business goals, the challenges you may be facing and what it is that you want to create to take your business further.
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