Pro Tips for First-Time Marketers

I’ve never done marketing before but I know our business needs it to support growth. Where should I start? This is the number one question I get from new clients. Well, this and ‘how much money should I spend on marketing?’ My response to each of these questions is a bit to unpack – hang with me on this.

While we want the answer to be easy (and believe me, I wish it were), it’s a bit more complicated. Our journey to find a suitable solution always starts with – what are you trying to achieve? That answer helps us craft and determine the initial steps for your marketing strategy. Starting with goals and objectives and then building a strategic plan sets the stage for a more calculated approach and ultimately smarter spending.

For example, if your answer is “I want more sales,” well – that’s a big ask. What specific types of sales do you want? Which products and services determine your best margin? What is the most straightforward sales pathway to open the door for a new prospect? What term is most searched through Google related to your offerings? All of these factors play into our approach.

Or maybe you want more awareness because you believe that will lead to more sales – if you can get people to you, you can sell it, right? This factor begs a more calculated and precise approach to ensure we spend wisely. Let’s break down your audience starting with your ideal customer. Where do they interact with you most? Is it LinkedIn? Do they read industry publications – whether print or online – to stay up to speed on the industry? What particular keywords or phrases do you think they search for online to find products and services like yours?

You see where this is going – regardless of your real reason for doing more marketing, a documented strategy will ensure you head down the correct path. It doesn’t need to be lengthy or too complicated – start with a single page. Write down your goals and objectives, your target audiences, and craft your approach from there.

If you feel you need help determining the best ways to reach your target audiences, that is where you reach out for more expertise. You can also do some initial research to determine this – outside help isn’t always needed. You can perform phone or online surveys to ask specific, pointed questions to learn more about existing customers and prospects. Alternatively, you can reach out to advertising reps where you see your competitors marketing and build relationships to learn more about what trends those reps are seeing. Note: ad reps are a great source of intelligence that is often overlooked. Those relationships can be mutually beneficial in many ways.

Last but not least – since you have never done marketing before, forming a baseline budget can be difficult to determine. As someone who is asked a lot about marketing budgets, my advice is to figure out a range you are comfortable spending. If you seek outside help, be prepared as numbers can be a bit overwhelming when you first see them on paper. To avoid sticker shock, get some feelers out there. Here are some ways to determine this:

• Ask colleagues in the industry that may be willing to share this information.
• Check industry advertising media kits – this alone can give you a gauge just for placements. While you may not necessarily end up advertising, this helps you understand what people are currently spending on advertising.
• Inquire with reputable marketing agencies or partners, without getting into too much depth. See if they are willing to share ballpark numbers.
• Put thought behind what you are willing to spend to acquire a new prospect.

Armed with this information you can start a plan for how you will achieve success – whether you do it yourself or enlist additional outside help.