January 2019 is the perfect time to look back on everything that happened in your business in 2018. And it’s also the best time to sit back and plan your marketing efforts for the rest of the year.

In part 1 of this series, we discussed the importance of market segmentation, buyer personas, and brand positioning. If you’ve missed it, you can read the post here. 

Your marketing efforts should not stop on the three marketing components we’ve talked about in Part 1. Those are just starters. Below are three more key areas you should focus on to ramp up your marketing in 2019.

Unique Selling Proposition

Your Unique Selling Proposition, or USP, is what differentiates your business from your competitors. It’s a competitive advantage — meaning, it’s something that your competitors do not have. It’s what makes your business stand out in the crowd. 

Having a solid understanding of your industry, competition, and target market is an important prerequisite in developing or finding your USP. You need to look at trends emerging in your industry, write down one or two things your business excels at, and know the needs, preferences, and buying habits of your potential customers.

Your USP must be communicated well to help customers quickly understand what you are offering and why they should pick you over your competitors. It should be incorporated into your business and marketing strategy — from creating a website or logo to an extensive marketing campaign. 

Below are some steps on how you can create your USP:

  1. Write down everything you know about your target audience.
  2. List down the needs that your products or services answer. These will be your potential selling points.
  3. Compare these selling points with industry trends and the selling points of your competitors. Eliminate selling points that are already well-met by others. Your aim here is to look for a gap in the market which you can address. 
  4. Compare these “gaps” against your own strengths and decide how you want to be seen as a business.
  5. Evaluate your USP. Does it send a strong message? Is it catchy and memorable? Is it clear? Can you deliver? Is it really unique?
  6. Though not often, pivot and make changes to your USP as industry trends change or as new competitors emerge.

Key Messages

Key messages are messages used in all of your marketing communications. They ensure that your brand messaging is consistent and relevant across all the marketing channels that you are using.

In business, messaging matters. It doesn’t matter how superior your products or services are, if you’re messaging can’t relay this to your target market in a clear, concise way. Below are some steps you can follow when drafting your key messages:

  1. Know your target audience. We can’t stress enough the importance of knowing your target audience. It’s almost the first step of every marketing strategy!
  2. Know your company goals. Your marketing messages depend on the goals of your business. Let’s say, for example, you are a startup and your primary goal is brand awareness. Your key messages should convey this. 
  3. What is your primary value and benefits? How are you different from the competition? What’s your expertise?
  4. Study your competitors’ key messages. Know what makes their customers tick. Don’t copy! Instead, create something that counters their claims.
  5. Develop keywords that you want your brand to be known for. For example, when people think of Qantas, the word Australia usually comes to mind. 
  6. Test your key messages. Test out your marketing messages by including them in your internal and external communications. Are they clear? Are they easy to understand? Do they resonate? 

Remember to always keep your key messages clear and concise. Without a solid marketing message, you risk inconsistencies in your marketing efforts which will leave your target audience confused and adamant about your brand. 

Promotions Strategy

So, now that you know your USP and have developed compelling key messages, it’s time to put your business out there! But first things, first. You need to have a promotions strategy. 

Your promotions strategy should be geared towards your target audience and the channels they use. Again, this is why knowing your target audience is VERY important. If your target audience frequent social media sites like Facebook or Instagram, then your promotions strategy should focus on these instead of traditional advertising media.

The primary purpose of a promotions strategy is to help you reach specific goals for your business. Be it brand awareness, lead generation, increased revenue, or something else.

Common promotional strategies in marketing include:

  • Traditional advertising like newspapers, magazines, radio, television, fliers, billboards, etc.
  • Online advertising through social media, Google Adwords, banner ads, etc.
  • Direct mail
  • Public Relations
  • Sponsorships
  • Personal/Word of Mouth

Conclusion

And there you have it! To wrap everything up, remember that marketing is the lifeblood of your business. Without it, sales and customer loyalty will not increase and may even decline — no matter how good your products or services are. This year, make sure to iron out your marketing strategy by focusing on the following key factors:

  • Market Segmentation,
  • Buyer Personas,
  • Brand Positioning,
  • Unique Selling Proposition,
  • Key Messages, and
  • Promotions Strategy

We know that creating a marketing strategy for 2019 might be overwhelming. Feel free to contact us if you need some guidance.