Is Marketing a “One and Done” Function for Your Business?

I think we can all agree that marketing is an exciting and creative process for so many businesses, both new and existing. Creating a website, developing a communications strategy, launching a marketing campaign – all activities geared towards building the brand equity of your organization.

But marketing your business isn’t a “one and done” deal as many tend to believe. Just because you’ve updated your Website with amazing new graphics and built-in SEO capabilities, doesn’t mean squat if it’s a static piece of art that doesn’t engage with your customers.

Marketing is about connecting with your customers; bringing them into your world and engaging them in a way that not only piques their interest but keeps them coming back, time and time again. Whether it be through communications, social media content, or a visually-compelling video, using effective marketing through a variety of channels can help to keep the conversation going. And it’s not a close-ended conversation; creating fresh and relevant content, over and over and over, is the best way to keep the conversation going.

So, let’s go back to the excitement you felt when you launched your business and started down the path of gaining a fabulous reputation with your customer base, which in turn helped to build your brand – how people react when they see, or hear your name. Word of mouth might have helped you gain customers, but more likely, it was the marketing that helped build name recognition. And let’s face it, the competition for consumer mind share is insanely competitive in today’s market.

All of us are bombarded with content all day long, from a variety of sources. Without a consistent communication strategy, your brand might be forgotten. It’s not that people have stopped believing in your product, it’s just that without hearing from you on a consistent basis, you just might not be on their radar. Every relationship in life and business needs to be maintained, and marketing helps you stay relevant in the eyes of your customer. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” is well-known for a reason, and it’s not a position in which you can afford to be.

Where’s the balance for marketing then? Successful marketing doesn’t mean inundating your customers with a barrage of poorly-timed emails and messages; that’s neither prudent or profitable. Building an effective strategy for messaging, audience, timing and frequency is key to targeting the right audience and keeping them engaged and enthusiastic about your product. Having customers become “raving fans” should be an aspiration.

If you’re a small business, taking the time to create a marketing plan can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling so many tasks just to keep your business operating. It’s hard to get started with a plan when you may not know where to begin. Knowing that you don’t have to do it all on your own is the first step in finding a trusted marketing professional who can take the job off your hands; someone who will work with you to develop the tools you’ll need to market your business – now and everyday moving forward. Someone who will partner with you to ensure that your marketing stays relevant, long past the initial launch.