I've seen countless businesses struggle with how to market their brand effectively. It's such a fundamental part of success on the web, but my goodness do we love to overcomplicate it.
So today, let's explore a straightforward yet powerful system for establishing a marketing engine that you can adapt to suit your unique goals.
Before we dive deeper, let's step back and look at the big picture. What are we trying to achieve with our marketing efforts? Simply put, we want to share our solutions with those who need them the most. That's it, marketing is all about bridging that gap.
How do we bridge this gap? Glad you asked! We've devised this marketing system to consistently drive results for your business.
Let's go through this graphic step-by-step to understand how it works.
Content is king
First up, we have the yellow square, which is all about content creation. We firmly believe in the transformative power of content marketing. Primarily, we focus on producing blog content for its substantial SEO benefits, but we also explore mediums such as YouTube videos and Spotify podcasts, or any other platform that can amplify your reach.
The key here is to generate content that resonates with your audience and showcases your expertise. For instance, if you're selling design services, discuss the common design issues your customers face and provide solutions—it's as simple as that. You can enhance your content later with keyword optimization techniques, but the crucial first step is to establish a consistent engine of content.
However, one challenge of content platforms such as blogs, YouTube channels, or podcasts is the transient nature of audience attention. That's where newsletters come into play. Newsletters allow you to capture email addresses, facilitating repeat interactions and keeping your brand top-of-mind far more effectively than sporadic exposure.
On our blog and other content channels, we always include newsletter sign-ups and send out a weekly newsletter to maintain engagement, provide additional value, and continue the conversation with our audience.
Location, location, location
Once we have regular content production in place, we focus on distribution — enter the blue cards. We could shout our message into the void of the internet forever, but effective marketing involves putting our content directly in front of our audience.
To that end, we start by identifying the 'watering holes' — places on the internet where our customers already hang out. Platforms like Reddit, full of niche communities discussing specific issues, provide perfect opportunities to engage authentically and share our content.
The other potent distribution channel is social media. While we post on our own channels, we also engage in conversations online with users who our audience likely follows. These interactions feel more authentic and can drive traffic back to our content.
However, it's essential to avoid appearing robotic or spammy in these communities, which is why we've included the green card. Presence posting helps us build awareness and authenticity with our audiences. We keep it real with a 70/30 split — 70% engaging and 30% sharing our own content.
So, that's the blueprint for getting your marketing engine up and running. There's always room for more customization and refinement, but these are the basics.
Like any worthwhile venture, the key lies in consistency and discipline. It's not an overnight miracle, but the rewards for your online business can be off the charts. So, get out there and rev your marketing engine!
