4 Ways to Boost Your Marketing in 2020

In the hyper-competitive world of today, a solid marketing strategy is the backbone of any business.

This is especially true for the 5.9 million small businesses that operate within South Africa. As is often the case, at the start of a new year many people take a closer look at the results of the year that has passed and reevaluate their business plans.

A vital part of any business plan worth its salt is a marketing strategy. That’s why today we’ll be taking a look at four ways to boost your 2020 marketing strategy so that you can reap the rewards.

Are you looking to revamp your marketing plan for 2020 or start one from scratch for your new business? If so, keep reading.

Before We Get Started

Before diving headfirst into these easy ways to boost your marketing efforts, it’s best to determine what your goals are. This will show which method (or methods) will better your business.

Consider WHY you’re looking to improve your existing marketing. Is it to:

• Expand your customer base?
• Increase your sales or profit margin?
• Build brand awareness?
• Create an impressive digital presence?
• Generate leads?
• Promote a new product or service?
• Drive traffic to your website?

When your goals are predetermined it’s a lot easier to verify whether they’ve been accomplished or not. Use S.M.A.R.T principles when formulating your goals and make sure that the marketing strategy you use aligns with this methodology.

4 Ways to Boost Your Marketing in 2020

1. Let’s Get Social

These days an online presence is a must-have for any business. For a business to not have a website puts them at a serious disadvantage. And that’s putting it lightly. But it’s about more than simply owning a small corner of the internet. Brands are expected to do much more these days in order to up their engagement and drive those all-important sales—which is where social media comes in.

On top of increasing your brand’s online presence, being active on a social media platform such as Facebook allows you to keep tabs on what your competitors are getting up to. For example, do a summer camp facebook marketing campaign if you want to attract visitors to your summer camp event. A LinkedIn profile can also help you make connections for important business deals.

A social media account is yet another way for your customers to reach you so include your handle, username or page name on your business cards (if you’re still using them) and on your online contact page.

Social media holds a massive amount of potential in reaching and engaging your audience and building a stronger relationship with them in the process. Your social media accounts are more than just channels for questions and concerns. They can be a venue to grow your business and your loyal following. There are many ways you can do that. One top of the list are giving out product giveaways in branded packaging, organizing hashtag events, and publishing engaging content.

2. Get Down, Digitally

If you’re not already on the digital marketing train, you should hop aboard as soon as possible. In a nutshell, digital marketing is all the marketing that is delivered through digital platforms and channels.

Other than the social media marketing we’ve covered and the content marketing we’re getting to, there’s also:

• email marketing
• PPC advertising
• Affiliate marketing
• Electronic billboards
• Digital signage

Digital signage solutions are fast overtaking traditional marketing methods in terms of their popularity while email marketing is quickly replacing telemarketing.

3. Create Some Content

Content marketing is an incredible way to boost engagement, build brand awareness and loyalty & expand your reach. Features like blogs, articles, newsletters, audiobooks, e-books, podcasts, videos, slideshows and infographics are all classed as content marketing.

If you’re sole focus is on generating sales, content marketing shouldn’t be your first choice. But if you want to build rapport, trust and loyalty with your customers—which indirectly results in sales—make content marketing a priority like so many others do. A whopping 60% of all B2C marketers are dedicated to content marketing.

4. Kick it Old School

The world of marketing is constantly evolving, and solutions driven by research findings give brands the upper hand. But this doesn’t mean that traditional marketing channels shouldn’t still have a valid place in your marketing strategy.

There’s no doubt that channels such as cold-calling, telemarketing, broadcasting, billboards and flyers or pamphlets can still get you results. But bear in mind that the traditional route can be an expensive one to take and the results can be difficult to measure. Make sure that you’re getting bang for your rand by putting measurable goals in place.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it folks: four easy ways to boost your marketing in 2020. Do you want to generate new leads, expand your customer base, up your level of customer engagement or raise brand awareness? The perfect marketing strategy is out there, just waiting to transform your business.

Which of these marketing methods will you be using to take your business to new levels in 2020? Let us know in the comments section below.

Feature Image Source Campaign Creators: Unsplash