In distribution, when it comes to adopting new marketing technologies and practices to remain competitive, how do you keep costs low while attempting to reap top-notch results? The answer is simple, really. It starts with a good digital marketing plan.
As simple as it sounds, this is the one area where I see wholesale distributors consistently struggle, investing time and money in marketing that falls short of their goals.
Understandably, it’s likely because while many distributors understand they can get value and impact from a solid marketing plan, they’re not sure how to build a marketing plan, what to measure, or where to start.
When done correctly, it’s a great thing to be able to tie your marketing plan directly to your bottom line and see exactly where the return on investment is. But how do you know where to start? With marketing, like many things, it’s best to start by identifying your goals.
Following are five of the most common goals a good marketing plan will help you meet:
- Provide Better Information About your Products or Product Lines
- (Save Money on) Acquiring New Customers
- Obtain a Bigger Piece of Customer Spend
- Set Your Company Apart as the True Experts in your Industry
- Educate Existing Customers / Change Customer Behavior
Number one above is the obvious no brainer, right? It’s what all distributors do. But unfortunately, that’s where most distributors end their marketing adventures.
In fact, focusing on number one above won’t put you ahead of the competition at all because the competition is already doing the exact same thing. In order to get ahead, focus on putting campaigns in place that meet the other four goals as well.
Five Goals = Five Plans
Think about the goals in your life. Your plan to hit one goal may be similar but is definitely different than a plan to hit another of your goals. Your marketing works the same way. Sure parts of your marketing plan can be repurposed for multiple goals, but each step in a well-written plan must stand on its own. In other words, for five different marketing goals, you need five different marketing campaigns.
To keep your marketing goals attainable, though, execute on and finish one goal and one campaign at a time so you can stay focused and succeed. This is another area where I see most people fail.
With the right planning and execution, you’ll soon see your company accomplishing much more while using fewer resources because you’ll have more effective strategies in place that better connect with and engage your multiple audiences.
If you want to improve your company’s digital marketing efforts – or even start from scratch – Next Level iMedia can help. Give us a call at your convenience for a complimentary, no cost consultation.
Let’s do this … Together!
Rather than struggle alone with decisions about what to change, where to invest, and what will work, bring in a team to support you. Together, we will discover the answers you need and teach you and your team to do it on your own. Our goal is to work ourselves out of a job so you can be self-sufficient!
Now is the time to take charge of your company’s digital sales and marketing efforts. I can help. Just give me a call, and let’s discuss the best options for moving forward.
We’ll define metrics, set goals, and measure KPIs going forward. You’ll watch your marketing efforts transform into a revenue-generating department that you can tie directly to a positive impact on your bottom line.
