Marketing Strategy: The Secret behind the World's Top ...

A marketing strategy refers to a firm's overall game plan for reaching prospective consumers and turning them into customers of their products ... PlatformMaypleplatformPlatformOverviewHowMaypleworksData-BasedVettingHowwevetourexpertsAI-PoweredMatchingHowwematchbrandswithexpertsMonitoringSystemTotallyUnbiasedMonitoringMarketingRecommendationsHowwehelpwithstrategyFAQsAnswerstoallyourquestionsMayplevs.YourAlternativesMayplevsAgenciesHowMaypleworksMayplevsIn-HouseHowMaypleworksMayplevsFreelanceMarketplacesHowMaypleworksMayplevsAgenciesMayplevsIn-HouseMayplevsFreelanceMarketplacesCompanyWhoweareAboutWhatMaypleisallaboutOurmissionMarketingyoucantrustCareerWe'relookingfortalentslikeyouCaseStudiesExploreMayplecasestudiesContactus15West38StreetMB#532NewYork,NY,US10018+1929-203-6341Sharonst.4,Giv'atayim,IsraelPricing&ServicesPricingCheckoutourpackagesConversionRateOptimizationAuditsandongoingtestingGrowthMarketingViralgrowthtacticsforyourbusinessPaidAdvertisingPaidsocial,paidsearchandmoreSEOAuditsandongoingmanagementSocialMediaManagementOrganicsocialgrowthEmailMarketingFlows,campaigns,automationsMarketingStrategyComprehensivemarketingstrategyInfluencerMarketingInfluencerdiscovery&campaignmanagementMarketingTalentOurplatformWhyWorkWithMayple?WhyjoinournetworkExperts'PlatformOverviewHowMayplehelpsmarketersLearnFAQAnswerstoallyourquestionsTopexpertsWe’vebuiltanincrediblecommunityofexpertsJoin600+marketersandstartworkingwithbrandsyouloveApplyNowBlogLearnBlogReadandlearnaboutallthingsmarketingMarketingPlanTemplateRefineyourmarketingroadmapMarketingStrategyCreateawinningstrategyforyourbusinessMarketingFreelancersHowtobesthirethetopmarketingtalentMarketingStrategyCreateawinningstrategyforyourbusinessMarketingPlanTemplateRefineyourmarketingroadmapMarketingFreelancersHowtobesthirethetopmarketingtalentTheMaypleBlog EcommerceeCommerceMarketingEverythingyouneedtoknowabouteCommercemarketingWhatiseCommerceHistory&trendsintheworldofeCommerceeCommerceGrowthStoriesCasestudiesfromtheworld'stopeCommercebrandseCommerceMarketingRefineyourmarketingroadmapWhatiseCommerceHistory&trendsintheworldofeCommerceeCommerceGrowthStoriesCasestudiesfromtheworld'stopeCommercebrandsTopicsThefutureofworkMarketingTopexpertsFutureofWorkRefineMarketingRefineTopExpertsRefineEcommerceRefineWatchOurHosttheProShowGetmarketingstrategiesfromthemostinfluentialmarketersintheworldLogInGetStartedGetStartedHome  /  Blog  /  Marketing  /  TheUltimateGuidetoMarketingStrategy:Howto10XYourROITableofcontents:Youcan’tuseanoldmaptoexploreanewworld.AlbertEinsteinMarketingisadynamicandever-changingfield.Thetopdigitalmarketingstrategieschangewiththeconsumerandtechnologytrendsoftheday. Thisiswhyeverycompanyneedsagoodmarketingstrategythat'swellplannedandhaswelldefinedmilestonesandobjectives.Onceyouhavetherightmap,thechancesyou’llreachthegoalsyou’vesettoyourbusiness,aremuchhigher.Thatmeans,thatwhilemostofusareeagertostartlaunchingourmarketingeffortstheminuteafterwedecidetostartabusiness,weactuallyneedtoinvestinplanningsowewon’twasteourlimitedbudgetandenergiesonthewrongthings.Ifyou'reacompany/startupownerormarketeryouneedagooddigitalmarketingstrategytohityourgoals.Inthisguide,we'veputtogetherthe10mainstepsthatyouneedtofollowtobuildtheultimatemarketingstrategyforyourbusiness.Wewilltakeyoustep-by-stepthroughtheprocess,soyouwon’tmissathingandgetyourdigitalmarketingstrategyallfiguredout.Wehavesomeveryusefultipsandexamplesthatwillmakeiteasiertounderstand.Ifyouwantaquicksummaryofourpost,checkoutthisvideobyAdamErhart,wherehegoesoverthe4basicprinciplesofmarketingstrategy. Andifyouwanttoreaduponmarketingstrategycheckoutourlistofthebestmarketingstrategybooks.Now,let'sdefinesomeofthebasicterms.Whatismarketingstrategy? Marketingstrategyisalong-term,forward-lookingapproachandanoverallgameplanofanyorganizationoranybusinesswiththefundamentalgoalofachievingasustainablecompetitiveadvantagebyunderstandingtheneedsandwantsofcustomers.Amarketingstrategyisabroadstrategythatencompasseseverythingfromhowacompanypositionsitself,tothecreative,thestrategicpartners,themediarelations,themarketingmix,andthechannelsandtactics.Amarketingstrategyreferstoafirm'soverallgameplanforreachingprospectiveconsumersandturningthemintocustomersoftheirproductsorservices.Italsocontainsthecompany'svalueproposition,keybrandmessaging,dataontargetaudienceandcustomerdemographics,andotherhigh-levelelements.Thebroadmarketingstrategyiswhatusedtofallundertheterm"branding"backinthemoreambiguousdaysofmarketing.It'sapracticalsummaryofthekeydetailsofthestrategyandsomeofthebroadgoalsandmethodsusedtoachievethem.Whatisthedifferencebetweenamarketingstrategyandatactic? Marketingstrategiesarebroaderthanspecifictactics.Forexample,abusinesscouldhaveacontentstrategyfortheirsocialmediachannelsorforsearchengineoptimization,andthentheycouldhavespecifictacticstheyexecuteforeachchannel.Here'sthecorrectordertofollow:Overallmarketingstrategy-> Digitalmarketingstrategy-> SpecifictacticsForexample,here'sagreatvideothatintroducesspecificmarketingtactics.Thesearen'tstrategies,theseareveryspecificwaysyoucouldgrowyoursales,whichwouldallbeincludedaspartofalargersetofmarketingstrategiesinsideofyourmarketingplan. Ifyou'relookingforspecifictacticsheadovertoourUltimateGuideonDigitalMarketing.Whatistheimportanceofmarketingstrategy? SometimesmarketersandeCommerceownersgetlostintheweeds,inthebitsandbytes.Theylosetrackoftheoverallvisionofthebusinessandthelargegoals.Theylosetrackofthetargetaudienceandthemainpainpointsthattheirproductsolvesforthecustomer.Whenthathappens,thespecifictacticsthatthebusinessemployscanlosttheireffectiveness.So,amarketingstrategyisnotsomedustyolddocumentthatyouputonthetopshelfandforgetaboutit.It'savitalprocessofdiscoveringyourcompany'stopgoalsandobjectives,andwaystoachievethem.Thatbecomesablueprintforeverythingyoudotobettermarketyourproductorservice.Excited? Let'sjumpintoit.1.DefineyourbrandvalueandofferingYourbrandstrategyisaboutdefiningthecorevaluesofyourbrandtomakesurethattheyalignwithwhatyourprospectandexistingcustomerfindimportant,thattheyaligntoyourindustrytrendsandcompetitiveenvironment,andtowhatyouactuallyofferieyourproduct.That’snotaneasytask,butwithoutit,alltheothermarketingtasksbecomemuchmoredifficult.Herearesomegoodmarketingstrategyexamplesfromdata-drivenbrandsthatsucceededindoingitright:AllBirds-Sustainable,transparent,comfortableAllBirdsbeganasadarlingbrandinSilicon Valleyin2014andquicklygrewtoa$1.4Bvaluationin2018.Theshoecompanysetouttocreatetheworld'smostcomfortable,andtheyovershottheirgoal.Theirproductsarefullysustainable,andmadeoutofwoolandbamboo,andtheirbrandingisimpeccable.Theirmissionstatementreads-"Allbirdsisonamissiontoprovethatcomfort,gooddesign,andsustainabilitydon'thavetobemutuallyexclusive".Injustfouryearstheybecamethemarketpioneersofsustainablefootwear.ItallstartedwithalaunchonKickstarter,infact,here'stheirKickstartervideo: Thebrandhasareallyquirkybrandvoice,anditsvaluesaretransparency,sustainabilityandcomfort.Here'sanemailwithanorderconfirmation:Youcanseethesamequirkyhumorousbrandvoiceintheirsocialmediaposts.Besidesthehumorandthespunkybrandpersonality,thebrandhasreallytakenadvantageofthisconceptoftransparency.Theydisplaythematerialstheyuseinacreativewayandgetdowntothefinedetails.Andthattiesreallynicelywiththeiroverallmissionandtheirthirdbrandvalue-sustainability.Ultimately,thequirkybrandvoiceandtheincrediblebrandvaluesofsustainabilityandtransparencyleadAllbirdstobuildasuperengagedaudienceonlinethathascontributedthemosttothebrand'sgrowth.Yes,itisareallycomfortableproduct(theNY Timescalledit"themostcomfortableshoeintheworld"),butwithoutastrongbrandandafocusontheuserexperience,Allbirdswouldnothavebeenthegiantthatitistoday.Casper-"heretoawakenthepotentialofawell-restedworld"Casperisamattresscompanythathascompletelyrevolutionizedtheindustry.Theywerethefirstdirect-to-consumermattresscompanyandquicklygrewtoa$1.1Bvaluationin2019.Casper'sbrandvaluesareallaboutdreamingbig,innovation,andbringingjoytoatiredindustry.Lookhowtheymergethe"dreamingbig"brandvaluewithapunaboutsleeping,intheirpurchasereceiptemail.Andhere'sanothergreatemailaskingforareview.Casper'sstrongbrandhelpeditlaunchothersuccessfulproducts,liketheCasperGlow,whichisaninnovativebedtimelightthatchangesitslighttemperatureandbrightnessautomaticallyandcanberemotelycontrolledthroughanapp.Therearealotofbigandabstractwordsthrownaroundwhentalkingaboutbrandvaluecreation,sohere'sasimplewaytothinkaboutit.Asimpleformulatofindtherightvaluesthatdefineyourbrandisthis:Thinkaboutthemainpainpoints/needs/frictionsyourbrandissolvingTranslateitintoavalue-basedlanguageMakesureitfitsyourbeliefsandmotivations2.Identifycustomerpainpointsandexpectations"Peopledon'twanttobuyaquarter-inchdrill.Theywantaquarter-inchhole!" -TheodoreLevitt,HarvardBusinessSchoolProfessorOneofthetopreasonswhyproductsorservicesfailiswhentheirmakersfailtoidentifythecustomers'painpoints.Inotherwords,theydon'tmeetthecustomer'sneedortheydon'tsolveavitalproblemintheirlives.Also,thoseneedsmaychangeovertimesoit'simportanttocontinueexaminingthecustomerjourneyandsolveyourcurrentcustomerchallenges.OneoftheclassicexamplesistheSegway.Itwasadevicethatwassaidtoeliminatewalking.Itcouldgoupto12.5milesperhour,hadalithiumbattery,andmadeyoulooklikeadork.Itwashailedasthedevicethatwillmakewalkingobsoleteanditfailedmiserably.It'sasadstorybutthecreatorofthedeviceactuallydroveitoffacliffanddied.TheproblemwiththeSegwayisthatnoonewantedtostopwalking,peoplelovewalking,peoplelovedrunning,soitfailedtomeetthecustomer'sneedandtoidentifyapainpoint.Whatarethedifferenttypesofcustomerpainpoints? Financialthemostbasicpainpointisfinancial.Doesyourproducthelpyourcustomerssavemoney? Isitmorecost-effectivethanthealternatives? Arethesavingsshort-termorlong-term? Andifyourproductischeaperthanthealternatives,doesthatpricedifferencecreateenoughvalueforthecustomer? Thesearesomeoftheimportantquestionsyoushouldaskyourself.AnexampleofthisisTarget'slaunchofthebrandSmartlywithhygiene/cleaningproductsallunder$2(approximately70%lessthansimilarproductsbyotherbrands).ConvenienceAnotherreallyimportantpainpointisconvenience.Doesyourproductmakeyourpeoples'lifemoreconvenient? TheclassicexampleofthisisNetflix,abrandthatbecameahouseholdnamebecauseitwasincrediblymoreconvenientthanitcompetitorBlockbuster.InsteadofhavingtoshleptoBlockbuster,forexample,andpayallofthoselatefeescustomerscouldnowgetDVD'sstraighttotheirdoorstep.Fastforwardto2020,Netflixisworth$203billionandBlockbusterisisoutofbusiness.Thecompanythatmadememoreconvenientforpeoplewon.ServiceServiceisanothermajorfactorinsolvingacustomer'spainpoint.Servicereferstotheentirecustomerexperienceandincludesthingslike-warranty,maintenance,replacements,customerservice,andeaseofuse.AreallygoodexampleofthisisthesolarcompanySolarCity,whichwasacquiredbyTeslain2016.SolarCity'ssolarpanelsweren'tcheaperthanthecompetitorstheysimplyhadabetterwarrantyandmaintenanceonthemandthat'swhycustomerspreferredthem.ThisisoneofthemajordriversthathelpedSolarCitybecomethenation'slargestresidentialsolarprovider.5easystepstoidentifyyourcustomer'spainpointOk,sowe'vetalkedaboutthetypeofcustomerpainpointsthatthereare,buthowdoyouidentifyitforyourowncompanyandproduct? Herearesomehelpfulsuggestionsthatwillgetyouontherightpath.CreateacustomerjourneymapIdentifywhatmakesyourcustomersbuyyourproductandhowtheyarrivedtoyourphysicaloronlinestore.Thisshouldincludethechannelsthattheyvisited-asearchresult,aFacebookad,asocialmediapost,anemail,andotheronlineandphysicalmedia.Ateachstageidentifypossiblepainpointsanduncoverthecustomer'smotivationofusingyourproduct.Thiswillalsohelpyouevaluateyourmarketingmixandseeifthereareanychannelsthatyouneedtoadd.SurveyyourcustomersAnothergoodwaytofindthecustomerpainpointisbysurveyingyourcustomers.Askyourcustomerswhattheylikeanddon'tlikeaboutyourproductandwhataresomeofthefactorsthatledtotheirchoice.ThereareatonofsurveytoolsyoucoulduselikeTypeformorSurveyMonkey.LookatcustomerreviewsIfyouarethinkingoflaunchinganewproductyoushouldlookatthecustomerreviewsofyourexistingproducts.Thesewilltellyoualotaboutyourcustomers'preferences,expectationsandpainpoints.What'sparticularlypowerfulforeCommercesitesarevisualreviews-photosorvideosthatcustomerspostalongsidethetextoftheirreviews.YoucanusetoolslikePixlee,Yotpo,orLooxtocollectanddisplayvisualreviews.AskyoursalesteamAnothergoodwaytofindyourcustomer'spainpointsistoaskyoursalesteam.Afterall,yoursalespeoplearetheonesthathearandhavetorespondtotheobjectionsofyourprospectsandcustomers,hencetheyarethemostawareofwhatpeoplearelookingforinyourproductsorservices.Sitdownandhaveadiscussionwithyoursalesteam.Trytofindoutwhatyourcustomerslike/dislikeaboutyourproduct,whataretheissuesthattheybringupthemost,andwhatmakesthemturndowntheproduct.Ifyourmarketingteaminterfacesdirectlywithyourcustomersyoucouldalsoaskthemforfeedback.StudyyourcompetitorsIt'ssuperimportanttoconductacompetitoranalysistoanalyzethecompetitorlandscape,inanyindustry.That'showNetflixandApplebegan,whentheystrovetomakeaproductthat'sbetterandmoreinnovativethanthestatusquo.Identifywhereyouare,whatyourmarketpositionis.Lookatallyourcompetitorproducts,theirmarketingmix,thetypeofpromotionandmediatheypublish,andtheirstrategies.Identifythepainpointsthattheyaresolvingandonesthatarestillunresolved.Onestrategyistotrytosolvethesamepainpointsjustbetter.Anotherstrategyistogoafterpainpointstheremainunresolved,tocreatesomethingthatpeoplehaven'tseenbefore.UsetheSTP frameworkAnothereffectivemarketingtechniqueistousetheSTP framework.STP standsforsegmenting,targeting,andpositioning.Segmentingiswhereyoudividethemarketintodistinctgroups(ortargetmarketsegments).Targetingiswhereyoudeterminewhichcustomersegmentyouwanttofocusyourmarketingeffortson.Andpositioningisthecreationofthebrandposition,themarketingmix,andothervariousmarketingstrategiesinordertoappealtoyourpotentialcustomersinyourtargetmarketandtrytoinfluencethemtomakeapurchasedecision.TheSTP frameworkhelpsbrandsidentifythetypesofmarketingchannelsandstrategiesthatwillberequiredtosuccessfullymarkettheirproductorservicetotheircustomers.3.IdentifymarkettrendsandcompetitionThatbringsustoournexttopic-creatingacompetitiveanalysis.Thisisacrucialstepinthemarketingstrategyplancreationbecausethisiswhereyouwillidentifywhatdifferentiatesyourproductorservicefromthecompetition.YoucandothisthroughasimpleSWOTanalysistodetermineyourbrand'sstrengths,weaknesses,opportunitiesandthreats.Withoutthisstepit'sgoingtobeverydifficulttocreateaproductthatprovidesuniquevaluetotheconsumerandstayscompetitivewiththemarkettrendsoftheday.Sothisanalysisiscrucialandthisishowyougoaboutit:IdentifyyourcompetitorsThefirststepofanycompetitiveanalysisistofindoutwhoyourcompetitorsare.Findoutallthedifferentcompaniesthathavesimilarproductsandservices.Lookattheirsocialmediacontent,searchinrelatedornicheonlinecommunities,newsmentionsandproductreviews.CategorizeyourcompetitorsNowthatyouhaveadetailedlistofallofyourcompetitorsit'stimetocategorizethem.Putthemintodifferentgroups-primary,secondary,andtertiarycompetitors.Thiswillhelpyougetclarityonwhichofyourcompetitorsaredirectlycompetingwithyouandwhichonesyoushouldfocusoninyouranalysis.TakealookattheirsocialmediaandbrandingThenextstepofthecompetitiveanalysisistofindoutallyoucanabouteachcompetitor.Lookatallthevarioussocialmediapages,thecontentandthebrandingthattheyuseontheirsiteandemailcampaigns.Thiswillgiveyouavisualunderstandingoftheirbrandpositioningandhowyourproductorservicediffersfromtheirs.Besuretocheckouttheirinfluencermarketingcampaignstoseethekindofbrandedimagethattheytrytoportrayonline.Lookattheirdisplayads(ownedmedia)andUGC(earnedmedia).ConductasiteaudittolookattrafficsourcesandpositioningThispartisthemoretechnicalsideofthebrandingaudit.UseatoollikeAhrefs,SimilarWeb,orAlexatocheckthekeywordsthateachcompetitorranksforandtheirvarioustrafficchannels.Thiswillgiveyoutheprecisesearchtermsthattheusersearchesforandthespecificneedsthatyourcompetitorsmeet.Forexample,youmightdiscoverthatacompetitorisusingatypeofmediaorcontentthatyou'renotusingyet,oratrafficchannelthatyouhaven'texpandedinto.Thisissupervaluableinformationtohaveforyouronlinemarketingstrategy.4.CreateyourvaluepropositionNowthatyouhaveyourstoryright,it’stimetobuildtherightstrategyforyourmarketing.Thatmeansmakingbusinessdecisionsaboutwhatareyoudeliveringandtowhom.Yourproductorservicetellsthemostaboutyourbrand.Thisistheactualhands-onexperienceprospectsandcustomershavewithyourbrand,anditcanaffecttheirperceptionaboutitthemost.Useyourvaluestomakesureyouwalkthetalkandimplementwhatyousaidaboutyourselfinyouroffering.Herearesomeexamplestohelpyougetthehangofit:Walmart-translatingbrandvaluestoservicelanguage‍IKEA-Brandvalues&designMostpeoplewillknowrightawaythisisIKEA’sproducts-humble,simpleandfunctional.5.IdentifyyourtargetaudienceDecidingonyourtargetaudiencecouldchangethewayyoupresentyourbrandandeventhelanguageyouusetodoit.Welovetousesimplemodelsforcomplexdecisions.Wefounditismuchmoreeffectiveandfun.Usethismodeltomapthedifferenttargetaudiencegroupsthatyouhave,andprioritizethemaccordinglyinyouraudienceanalysis.(Thisisactuallyoneofthemodelsweusedtodetermineourtargetaudiences)Youwouldwantyourfirsttiertargetaudiencetohavegoodmarketpotentialforbusinessgrowthandthatitwouldn’tbeaViaDelarosatoconvincethemtobuywhatyouhavetooffer.Thisisnottheonlytoolyouneedtocharacterizethepeopleyouaregoingtoinvestmostofyourmarketingspendtoreachoutto.Thesecondtoolwerecommendforyoutouseisdefiningyourpersonas-orinotherwords,askingwhoisyouridealcustomer,yourtargetcustomer,tothesmallestdetails.Todefineyourmainpersonayoucanusethisquestionlist:Whoismypersona?Isheamaleorissheafemale?Whatageisheorshe?Nameyourpersonaandattachaphotosoitwillbeeasierforyoutoplanyourmessagingaccurately.Whatismypersonainitialstateofmind?-hisorheremotionsandthoughtbeforestartingthedecision-makingprocess?Whatarethedifferentstagesofhisorherdecision-makingprocessuntilpurchase?Ifyou’reabouttolaunchanewserviceorproductthatprospectsorcustomersarenotusedtousingorbuying,youmightconsiderapplyingthispsychologyofchangemodel.Afterall,you’retryingtochangepeopleperceptionhere.Eachstagerepresentsapsychologicalstateofmindofpeopleuntiltheyreachadecisiontotakeaction.Youcanusetheneedsthatarelistedbelowtocreateyourmarketingcreativetoolsthatwilleffectivelymoveyourpersonatotakeaction.Identifythefollowingforeachstageofthebuyer'sjourney:Whatareyourpersona’sexpectations?Whatarehisgoals?Whatprocessdoesshegothroughinthisstage?Wheredoesshelookforinformation?Whodotheyspeakwith?Howwouldyoudescribethecustomer'sexperienceateachpointofthecustomerjourney?Whatisyourobjectiveforeachoftheirdecision-makingstages?Whatactionscanhelpyouachievetheseobjectives?Nowthatyou'veidentifiedyouridealcustomers,howareyougoingtoreachthem?Thatbringsustothenextstep.6.IdentifypartnersandpotentialcollaboratorsIdentifyingyourpotentialpartnersorcollaborationsisacriticalstepofreachingyouridealcustomer.Itmaybethatthereareonlinecommunitiesthatalreadyexistwhereyourcustomershangout.Itcouldbethatyouneedtoworkwithadistributororgetamarketingpartnertohelpyoureachthem.Thisisacriticalpointtoconsiderbeforeyouexecuteyourinboundmarketingstrategy.Sometimesfindingandworkingwiththerightpartnercouldgiveyouaccessandhelpyouachieve10Xtheresults.Thiscouldbethroughrevenuesharingoranaffiliateprogram.Itcouldalsobedonebysocialnetworkingatindustryeventsoronlineconferences.We’reonthedigitalmarketingportionofourguideanditcontains3parts-decidingonyourcreative&messaging,selectingthemarketingchannelsthatyou’llbeusing,anddecidingonastrategyandamarketingbudgetforeachchannel. Let’sdivein.7.DecideonthemessagingandcreativeofyourbrandMostbusinesses(andespeciallystartups)can’taffordtohireadigitalmarketingspecialistin-housesotheyusetheservicesoffreelancersordigitalagencies.Fromnowon,youhaveacriticaljobofguardingyourbrand’svaluesandstrategyinthemessagingandcreativeyou’llcreateandthedifferenttacticsyou’lluse.That’swhatstorytellingisabout.Makesurethattheserviceprovideryouhiredisalignedwithyourbrandandthevariousmarketingstrategiesthatyouwanttoemploy,sotheycanapplyyourstrategytotheactualmarketingcommunicationyou’llhavewithyourpotentialcustomers.Herearetwobrilliantbrandsthatkeeptotheirauthenticbrandstrategythroughouttheirmessaging:NationalGeographic-howtocreatethe“wow”and“wonder”visuallyNationalGeographicknowhowtopresentstunningphotographyandhelpusdiscoverthewondersofourworld.Theyconstantlykeepthelanguagetheyuseontheirads(paidandearnedmedia)tobealignedwiththesebrandvalues.Source: Vox8.DefineyourmarketingchannelsNowthatyouhavedefinedyourvalueproposition,yourpartners,andyourcreativeassetsandmessagingit'stimetoselecttherightmarketingchannelsforyourmarketingmix.Thisisoneofthemostcrucialstepsoftheprocessofcreatingyourmarketingstrategy.Eachdigitalmarketingcampaignwillvarygreatlybasedonthemarketingchannelsthatyou'llpick.Youneedtoselectthosemarketingchannelsthatfityourbrandandyourproduct.Let'scoverafewofthemainmarketingchannelsandtheirbestpractices.SocialmediaSocialmediamarketingisavitalpartofanydigitalinboundmarketingstrategyandtherearecertainlyalotofthingsthatyoucoulddo.Alsokeepinmindthatsuccessfulsocialmediacampaignscanhelpyougetmoretrafficfromsearch.Organicsocialmediaisusedfortheawarenessstage,ortheleadgenerationstage,ofthemarketingfunnelwhileaFacebookadisusedforthelaststage,ortheconversionstage.Therearealotofvariousplatformsandstrategiesyoucoulduseandit'simportanttopicktherightchannelforyourproduct. Here’sabreakdownofthesomeofthebestandmosteffectivesocialmediachannelstousefordifferenttypeofcompanies: ForvisualeCommerceproducts-useInstagramandPinterest,TikTok,Facebook,SnapchatandTwitterForB2Bcompanies-useLinkedIn,Instagram,ProductHunt,andAngellistForB2Ccompanies-useFacebook,Twitter,Instagram,PinterestForwrittencontent-heavycompanies-useMedium,Quora,andRedditForGenZ-focusedcompanies-focusonInstagram,Snapchat,andTikTokRedBullisagreatexampleofabrandthathasabrilliantsocialmediamarketingstrategy.Earlyontheyrealizedthatiftheywantedtoconnecttotheirtargetconsumertheycouldn’tjustusethetraditionalmarketingandsalescampaignsthatalltheotherbeveragecompanieswereusing.Theydecidedtocreatevideosofathletesbreakingworldrecordsanddoingunthinkablethingslikejumpingoffairplanesandfalling23milesandskiingdowntheHimalayas.Todate,theRedBullYouTubechannelhasgarneredmorethan10millionsubscribersandmorethan2.5trillionviews. Thisisobviouslyaveryexpensivestrategyandwon’tmakesenseformostbrandmarketingbudgets,butit’sagoodexampleofabrandsharingsuccessstoriesandtargetingtheirconsumerstherightwayonsocialmedia.Socialadvertising Adsarebecomingmoreandmorepopularonsocialmediaplatformsbecausetherecentalgorithmchangescontinuetofavorthemanddecreaseorganicreach.Afterall,that’showthesocialplatformsmaketheirmoneysoyouhavetousepaidmediatogetanywherethesedays. Pinterest,FacebookandInstagramarethemostpopularplatformsforadvertising.ForB2ByoucanuseQuora,RedditorLinkedIn. TopAdvertisingTips:Createalookalikeaudienceoneachplatformandforeachtypeofcampaignthatyou'rerunningOrganizeyourcampaignsbasedonthemarketingfunnel(top,middle,andbottom)MatchyourcopyanddesignstoyourtargetaudienceRetargetyouraudienceandsitevisitorsonFacebook,Pinterest,andGoogle.PaidAdvertisingSocialmediaadvertisingisjustasubsetofonlineadvertising.Otherdigitaladvertisingcanincludenativeadvertising,Googleads,Googleshopping,bannerads,andmuchmore.Eachadrequiresthoroughstrategicplanningtomakesurethatthemessagingandcreativesmatchyourmarketsegmentstohelpattractnewleadsandretaincurrentcustomers.Ifyouwanttostartusingadsandarejustnotsurewheretostart,wehaveover1,500+topexpertshereatMayplesodefinitelyreachout!PS: that'sourexpertise,sodon'tbeshy.Clickheretogetstarted.InfluencermarketingWorkingwithinfluencersisoneofthemostlucrativemarketingchannelsyoucouldgointo.Studiesshowthatbusinessesmake$5.20forevery$1thattheyspendoninfluencermarketing.And49%ofconsumersdependoninfluencerrecommendationsfortheirpurchasedecisions.That’shuge. Thatmeansthatonaverageabouthalfofyourcustomersaregoingtobesearchingforinfluencerpostssoitisessentialthatthesepeoplearerecommendingyouandyourproductonline. Now,influencermarketingisdifferentthanwhenyouruserspostimageofyourproduct.Influencershotsarecalledpaidmedia(justlikeadcampaigns)whileuser-generatedcontent(UGC)iscalledearnedmedia.TopInfluencerMarketingTips:Pickinfluencersbasedonthetypeofaudiencetheyhave,andtheirlevelofengagement(notthesizeoftheirfollowing)RungiveawaycampaignswithgroupsofinfluencersRunstoriesonInstagrambecausetheyareclickableConductcompetitorresearchtoseewhichinfluencerstheyareusingonalltherelevantplatformsUseYouTubeinfluencerstocreatevideosaboutyourproductorserviceUserealdatatodeterminewhichinfluencersareyourbestperformersEmailmarketing Source: KlaviyoThisisgoingtosurpriseyoubuttheROIofemailsstillremainsamongthehighestinallofthedifferentdigitalmarketingchannelsandplatforms.Studiesshowthatemailmarketingprovidesa$42returnonevery$1youspend,whichisterrific. TopEmailMarketingTips: UseUGC orearnedmediainyourcampaignsSetupemailcampaignsandemailflows(cartabandonmentflow,welcomeflow,sunsetflow)Createcampaignswitheducationalcontent,don'tjustsendconstantproductpromotionA/BtestdifferentcopyandformatsbasedyourdatatobettermatchyourcampaignswithyouraudienceThatisnottosaythattheotherchannelsdon’thelporassistthesale,it’slikethefunctionsofthevariousteammembersinasoccermatch.Therecouldhavebeen5-6playersthattouchedtheballbeforeitreachedthegoalpost.Samethinghappensinmarketing.Ausercouldinteractwithabrandonnumerouschannelsbeforetheybuytheirproductsorservices.Whichiswhyit’sreallyimportanttohaveaneffective“omnichannel”strategy,astrategythatincludesmanymarketingchannels. Hereareafewexamplesofchannelsthatworkreallywellwhencombinedwithemailmarketing: Pushnotifications Pushnotificationsarethosemessagesyougetonyourbrowseronadesktopdeviceoronyourmobilescreen.Theyworkreallywellwhencombinedwithemails.Youcouldsendofftheemailinthemorningforexample,andthenfollowitwithapushnotification30-60minuteslater,toremindtheusertocheckoutyourdealoftheday. Pushnotificationshaveaclickthroughratethat’s7timeshigherthanemails,sowhensentaftertheemailtheyincreaseyourchancesofgettingasalethatmuchmore. Source: TaplyticsChatbotsandmessagingOneofthequickestandmosteffectivewaystocommunicatewithcustomersisthroughtextmessagesandthishasbecomeitsownmarketingchannel.Youcansetupautomatedmessagesandflowsthatgetssenttoacustomerorevenachatbotthatisabletobringthemfromproductdiscoveryallthewaytopurchase,withoutanyhumaninvolvement. Youcanalsousethischanneltosendpeopleaproductpromotion,acartabandonmentflow,oracontentpromotion.Source: ManychatTextmessagesaremuchmorepersonalandthat’swhatmakesthemsopowerfulforbrands.AccordingtoSocialMediaToday,chatbotmessagesgetopenratesofover80%andclickthroughratesofover50%sothesemessagesprovideanadditionalandveryeffectivewaytoaugmentandboostyouremailmarketingperformance. SearchEngineOptimizationOneofthemostoverlookedstrategiesisSearchEngineOptimization,especiallyforeCommerce.Itinvolvesoptimizingasite'scontenttomakeiteasierforsearchenginestofinditanddisplayit.Therearenumerousnewwaystogetdisplayedonsearchenginesthaneverbefore-intheimagessection,asvideos,quotes,products,how-to's,Q&A,andmuchmore.SEOisasupereffectivemarketingchannelandcanbringalotoftargetedandhigh-qualitytraffictoanysite.TopSEO tips:UseGoogleSearchConsoledatatofindthekeywordsandsearchesthatyougetthemosttrafficfromOptimizeyouron-pagecontentwithatoollikeAhrefsorMozBuildacomprehensivebacklinkstrategybasedoncompetitordataandbestpracticesNowremember,notallSEObestpracticeswillfityourneedsormakesense.It'sadelicatebalancebetweenSEOandtheuserexperience(UX)andthatrequiressometoughdecisionssometimes.Soalwayslearnfromyourdataandkeepyouraudienceasfirstpriorityandyouwillwin.ContentMarketingLastbutnotleast,let'stalkaboutyourcontentmarketingstrategy.Contentprovidesawayforuserstofindyourproductorserviceonline.Usecontenttotargetyouridealbuyerpersona,acquirenewcustomers,anddelightandretainyourexistingcustomerbase.Inordertousecontentmarketingsuccessfully,brandshavetocreatedifferentcontentforeachpartoftheirmarketingorsalesfunnel.Forexample,acompanymightputouteducationalcontentforthetopofthefunnel,forfirst-timevisitors,andmorepromotionalcontentforthoseshoppersthatarereadytobuy.TopContentMarketingTips: Writelong-formblogpostsfororganicsearchtrafficPublishcomparisonandshoppingguidesforthemiddleofthefunnelvisitorsUseUGC,videocontent,andlongerdescriptionsonyoursocialmediapoststotellyourstoryPublicRelations(PR)Lastbutnotleast,there'sPR.Publicrelationsisoneofthemosteffectivegrowthstrategiesthatcanhelpsolidifyyourbrandimagesandexpandyourdigitalpresence.Nowthatwe’vecoveredthevariousmarketingchannelsthatyoushouldconsidertogrowyourbusiness,let’stalkstrategy.9.SelectastrategyandbudgetforeachchannelIt’snowtimetoselectaspecificstrategyandabudgetforeachofthemarketingchannelsthatyou’vechosenforyourbrand.Hereareafewhelpfulsteps: IdentifyyourbusinessgoalsWhatareyourgoals?PickafewstrategicbusinessgoalsorKPIstofocusonintheshort-term.Areallyhelpfulrubricforthisiswhat’scalledSMARTgoals.Smartstandsfor: Specific-describeclearlywhatyouwanttoaccomplishMeasurable-setgoalsthatyoucouldmeasureAchievable-thesegoalshavetobeachievableandnotwayoutofreachRelevant-setgoalsthatimprovethespecificaspectsofyourmarketing,sonovanitymetrics.Time-bound-pickobjectivesthatyoucanachievewithinacertaintimeframe. Nowthatyou’vesetupyourgoalsit’stimetolookatyourmarket.Here'safantasticvideofromHubspottowatchaboutsettingtherightmarketinggoalsforyourbusiness:  ConductmarketresearchGatherinformationaboutyourmarket-thesize,growth,socialtrends,searchtrendsanddemographicsofyourtargetmarket.Findoutwhatispossibleandfeasibletoaccomplishandwhichchannels,contenttypesandmedia,areusedtoreachyourtargetcustomer,andwhichyoushouldaddtoyourmarketingmix. YoucanuseaPESTanalysisoraSWOTanalysistohelpyouwithyourresearch.APESTELanalysisisamarketingframeworkormanagementmethodthathelpsbusinessesassessmajorexternalfactorsthatinfluenceitsoperation,inordertobecomemorecompetitiveinthemarket.PESTEL standsforpolitical,economic,social,technological,environmental,andlegal.Forexample,legalfactorscouldincludeanewregulationthatsignificantlylimitsabrand'sabilitytoselltheirproductinaparticularregion.Politicalfactorscouldincludenewtraderestrictions,tarrifs,oranewtaxpolicy.Environmentalfactorscouldincludeweatherconditions,seasonality,anevennaturaldisasters.AlignyourstrategywithyouridealcustomerGobacktothecustomerpersonasthatyou’vecreatedinthebeginningofthisprocessandmakesurethatyourstrategyalignswithyourpersonas.Lookatthetrends,atthetypeofcustomersthatyouaregoingtobeabletoreachandtweakaccordingly.It’sperformancetime!Atthispoint,youhaveyourbrandstoryandvalues,yourgotomarketstrategyandaprofessionaltorunyourmarketingefforts.Fromthispointforward,youshouldfocusonamuchmoretacticalmanagement.Thatmeansiterativetestingofyourcontentandcreatives,ofyourtargetaudiencesegmentsandevenofthewordsyouuseonyouradsCTAs(call-to-actionbuttons).Whichbringsustothelaststepoftheprocess: 10.AnalyzeyourresultsThisisoneofthemostcrucialstepsinanythingyoudoinmarketing.Onceyoutestsomethingyouhavetoanalyzetheresultsandcontinuetesting.Dataiscrucialineveryaspectofmarketingandthebusinessdatayougetfromtestingmarketingstrategiesisthebestkindofdatatohave.Smartmarketingmanagersusedatatocontinueiteratingandoptimizingtheirgrowthstrategies.OnceyouhavetheresultsofyourstrategyyoucanthenmakethechangesyouneedtomakeandA/Btestvariousaspectstogetevenbetterresults.BONUS : ExamplesofMarketingStrategiesTemplatesThere’snoonesizefitsallmarketingstrategy,andifyou’vereadthisentireguidetothispoint-you’reprobablyeagertoimplementsomeofthevariousstrategieswetalkedabout.Andyou’veprobablydiscoveredalotoftopicsthatyoushouldlearnmoreabouttoreallyperfectyourmarketingstrategy. Herearesomeofourfavoriteresources+marketingstrategyexamples+templates.Thesearereallyeffectiveandcomprehensive.Theycoverareallybroadrangeofchannelsandusecasessoyoucanfindsomevalueregardlessofwhichbusinessyou’rein. Choosingtherightmarketingstrategytemplateisthesecretbehindcreatinganeffectivemarketingstrategy.Let’sdivein.HowtoPlanYourMarketingStrategiesin12Steps(CoSchedule)Thisbeautifulstrategyguidehaseverythingyouneedtoknowtocreatetheperfectstrategy.Thebestpartisthatitshowseverythingvisuallyineachsection,andhasareallysimplemarketingstrategytemplatetofollowtocreateyourownstrategy.Plus,CoSchedulestartedoffasacontentmarketingtoolforinboundmarketingteams(theyarenowmuchmorethanthat),sotheygointoabriefhistoryofcontentmarketing,inboundmarketing,andhowitallstarted.ThebestpartaboutCoScheduleisthattheyhaveafeaturewherethatallowsyoutodividethetasksamongyourteammembers.Forexample,ifyou'reacontentteammanageryoucanusethistovisuallydisplaywhowriteseachpieceofcontent,whoeditsit,andwhopublishesthatpieceofcontentontheteam.Thisisacrucialandsupereffectivestepthatgetsmissedprettyoften.Onceabrandmakestheirstrategy,it’simportanttodelegatetheworkandgetstartedontheexecution. 10MarketingStrategiestoFuelYourBusinessGrowth(Entrepreneur)ThisisanoldonebutwhenwereaditwethoughtithastheperfectsequenceofsomeofthemosteffectivemarketingstrategiesforaneCommercebusiness.Ithasliterallyeverythingyouneedtomarketsuccessfully.We’retalkinginfluencers,emailmarketingautomation,contentmarketing,videocontent,Facebookretargetingandsearchengineoptimization.ThispostisanexcellentbroadoverviewofeCommercemarketingatitsfinest. TheEssentialGuidetoMarketingStrategies(Hurree)Hurreeisoneofthebestmarketingblogsever.Thispostinparticulargivesareallygooddetailedoverviewofeachstepofcreatingamarketingstrategy.Italsohasavarietyofvideossprinkledthroughoutthepostthatexplainconceptsdeeper,andthebestpart-theyhaveawholesectionofmarketingautomation.Hurreeisamarketingautomationplatformsoyouknowtoexpectsometalkofautomationineverysingleoneoftheirposts.Thisisasegwayfromtraditionalmarketingprinciplestopresent-dayautomationandbeyond. The11BestMarketingStrategiesWeTriedThisYear(WordStream)Thispostisforthemoreadvancedmarketerthatwantstoreallyhoneinonthetopstrategiesthatworkin2022.It’swrittenbySujanPatel,theoneandonly,andhegoesoverthingslikewebinars,reachingouttoothertoolsintheindustry,brandpartnerships,searchmarketing,evergreencontent,SMS,andnon-traditionalsocialmediachannels.Checkoutthispost,eventhoughitwaswrittenin2018,itremainsoneofthebestlistsofmarketingstrategiesontheweb.TheUltimateDigitalMarketingStrategiesGuide(HubSpot)ThisisaclassicresourcefromHubSpotandwelikeaboutitishowclearlytheydefineeveryterm,everytypeofcontentandmarketingtacticsthatyoushoulddevelop.Theyalsoinclude5examplesofmarketingadsanddissecteachone.It’sagreatreadandyouwillgetalotofvalueoutofit.Here'sagreatvideotheyincludeinthepost. That’sitfolks. Nowthatyouhaveabetterideaofhowtocrafttheultimatemarketingstrategyforyourbusinessorstartupit’stimetogooutthereandabsolutelysmashit. PS: we'rehereforyouifyouareaneCommercebrandandyouwanttogrowyourbusiness.Justclickheretogetyourfreemarketingaudit.HireTOPVettedMarketersGetStartedAuthorOmerFarkashCOO@MaypleViewallpostsSharethisarticle:FAQsWhatarethe5marketingstrategies?The5P'sofMarketingare-Product,Price,Promotion,Place,andPeople.Thesearekeymarketingstrategiesthatareusedtopositionanybusinessstrategically.Whatismarketingstrategy?Marketingstrategyisalong-term,forward-lookingapproachandanoverallgameplanofanyorganizationoranybusinesswiththefundamentalgoalofachievingasustainablecompetitiveadvantagebyunderstandingtheneedsandwantsofcustomers. Amarketingstrategyisabroadstrategythatencompasseseverythingfromhowabusinesspositionsitself,tothecreative,thestrategicpartners,themediarelations,andthechannelsandtactics.Whatarethe5C'sofmarketing?The5C'sisatechniqueusedtohelpmarketersbetterpositiontheirbusinessandmakemoreinformedbusinessdecisions.The"5C's"standforCompany,Customers,Competitors,Collaborators,andClimate.It'satypeofanalysisthathelpsmarketerslookatthewholepictureasanecosysteminwhichthebusinesslivesin.Whatisthedifferencebetweenamarketingstrategyandatactic?Marketingstrategiesarebroaderthanspecifictactics.Forexample,abusinesscouldhaveastrategyfortheirsocialmediachannels,andthentheycouldhavespecifictacticstheyexecuteforeachchannel.Here'sthecorrectordertofollow:Marketingstrategy->Digitalmarketingstrategy->SpecifictacticsFeaturedHowtoHirethePerfectConversionRateOptimization(CRO)Agency16 minreadHowtoGrowtheUltimateMarketingTeamfromScratch14 minreadHowtoOutsmarttheiOS14.5Changes&ImproveyourFacebookAdsTracking18 minreadTheUltimateBeginner'sGuidetoGoogleAnalytics[2022]17 minreadBlogCategoriesEcommerceTopexpertsMarketingFutureOfWorkMaypleNewsSharethisarticle:TheUltimateMarketingPlanTemplateFor2022[FREE]GetaFreeStrategyTemplateTheUltimateGuidetoMarketingStrategy:Howto10XYourROIItismoreimportantthanevertocreateandmaintainapowerfulmarketingstrategy.Herearethe10mainstepstohelpyoucreatetheultimatemarketingstrategy.HilaryS.HilaryS.HilaryS.Noitemsfound.MoreArticlesFromMaypleMarketingBreakthedigitalmarketingglassceilingMarketingTheUltimateMarketingPlanTemplateFor2022[FREE]MarketingTheUltimateGuidetoDigitalMarketingMarketing7QuestionsYouMustAsktoHirethePerfectSocialMediaConsultantAllpostsFindthePerfectMarketerGetstarted GetaFreeStrategyTemplateYourPrivacyisImportanttoUs.Maypleusestheinformationyouprovidetoustocontactyouaboutourrelevantservices.Youcanoptoutofreceivingthesecommunicationsatanytime.Formoreinformation,checkoutourPrivacyPolicy.Noitemsfound.BoostYoureCommerceBusinessMayple'sinyourcornertohelpyoumaketherightchoicesandensureyou'rereachingthebestresultsforyourbrand.‍HiretopvettedmarketersTalktoanexpertTakes3minutes.Noobligation