1. Claim your position in the marketplace or someone else will.
If you’re not telling the world what your brand stands for, your competitors will happily put you in the box that is most advantageous to them. That’s why it’s so important to identify what distinguishes your brand from your competitors’ brands. Knowing your key differentiators allows you to establish an ownable positioning that amplifies your competitive advantages, aligns with the experiences your customers will have when they engage with you, and accelerates the growth of your business. For a deep discussion on discerning your unique position in the marketplace, read our article on conducting a competitive brand audit.
2. Market research is the dawning of wisdom.
You don’t know what you don’t know. That’s why research remains a pivotal plank in marketing strategy. Whether creating or updating a brand, defining the competitive landscape, assessing a product, or developing a deeper understanding of client needs, market research is the key to unlocking information that will inform and elevate your decision making. The desire to go to market swiftly (and avoid the cost of conducting research) can be a powerful motivator, but brands that make the commitment to learning what they don’t know are almost always rewarded. Check out our interview with a leading research expert on how to grow your business through market research.
3. Not all content is created equal.
Follower and user behavior is fundamentally shifting with the rise of AI overviews. Clicks on search are down as search engines are transforming into answer engines. Now more than ever, a vague motivational quote slapped on top of a stock photo will elicit a feeling of indifference and not appear in any AI overview. Well-structured content management strategies are the bridge to this messaging indifference. How do you develop a content management strategy that takes advantage of this to keep your firm in the conversation and relevant? Of course, it begins by understanding your audiences’ wants, needs and pain points. Assess your content honestly. Create new approaches that play to AI and spark meaningful engagements to close sales faster. Learn more about how to avoid the pitfalls of messaging indifference.
4. Your messaging has to win hearts.
Emotions play a significant role in the decision-making process. The greater the risk involved, the bigger the role emotions – and particularly trust – play. One of the best ways to build trust and connect with audiences is to show that you understand their pain points. When you take the time to identify your audiences’ specific goals and tailor your messaging to speak just to them, you show your expertise and commitment to solving their challenges. By first highlighting the problem you are solving, rather than the product you are selling, you position your brand to captivate attention, evoke emotion and drive your customers to take action. Read more about pairing the right message with the right audience here.
5. It’s always best to test.
Testing campaigns before launch is a marketing best practice. Even if you’ve built your campaign on a solid understanding of the competition and your target audience, pre-launch testing can be invaluable to the overall success of your marketing initiatives. Real-world feedback from consumers will help you refine the campaign for better performance and avoid potential costly mistakes. You can also test different versions of a campaign to see which is most effective. By analyzing data, setting clear goals and testing strategies, you can craft campaigns that deliver more awareness, engagement and results. For more on how to test your campaigns, check out this article.
