Have you ever wondered what marketing is and what it can do for your business?
In simple terms, marketing is promoting your organisation to get customers to buy from you. This will lead to generating more revenue. On top of having the ability to promote your organisation with marketing, you can use it to reach potential customers through channels like social media, blogs, email and more.
There are lots of different marketing methods that you can use. However, the popular method at the moment is ‘digital marketing’ whether that be on social media, or through SEO, which affects where your website comes up on search results.
We’re going to explain why you need to put time into marketing your business and the steps you can take to get started.
4 reasons you need to be investing in marketing
1. Brand awareness
It can be difficult to cut through the noise when there are others offering the same as you. Additionally, people usually want to buy from someone they’re familiar with, which means they need to be more than just aware of you, they need to feel like they know you well.
That’s why brand awareness marketing is so vital. Not only does it help you attract new customers, but it also helps with building a positive reputation. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some activities to look into:
- Research ways to position your brand (what do you want to be known for?)
- Create a brand identity (visual and messaging)
- Use social media to extend your brand reach
Not sure what any of these mean? Enrol free in our School of Marketing, where you can learn how to do all these things and more!
2. Get ideal customers
If you’re not clearly marketing who you are and what you offer, your perfect customer won’t know you’re there. You could also get people contacting you who are looking for something you don’t offer, wasting your time and theirs.
These days developing a target audience, understanding that audience and then marketing to them is easier than ever.
With lots of data available online, plus a bit of simple workshopping you can get all the information you need to build an accurate audience profile.
Tip: Listen to this 10 minute podcast on ‘Getting to know your target audience’ for quick ways to achieve this
3. Customer engagement
It’s all very well and good attracting customers but if you don’t keep them, you’ll be constantly spending time trying to catch up and never able to grow.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make sure this doesn’t happen. In our recent study, 87% of parents said that being kept in the know was very important. So, by regularly engaging with them through email, social media or SMS, you will make them feel in the loop. Regular comms like this also builds relationships with parents, which can lead to them becoming advocates for your organisation.
If you’d like ideas of what to send, you can start with notifications of purchases, reminders about upcoming classes and info about events. You could even do progress reports for students.
Need some inspiration? In our School of Marketing, you get access comms templates that make creating the perfect for your customers simple.
New term reminders example
Hey [first name],
We noticed you haven’t booked [child name]’s spot yet for [class name]!
Classes for the next term are filling up fast, so be sure to secure your spot soon to avoid disappointment.
[Book now]
See you soon!
Find the full lesson and templates here.
4. Getting ahead of the competition
Competition can be great as it brings more awareness to the types of activities or memberships that you offer, but standing out from the competition can also be difficult. That’s where creating targeted marketing campaigns comes in. It shows current customers that you’re at the forefront of your sector, particularly if you’re communicating with them about exciting events or developments.
Okay, I am in! What’s next?
Marketing is a very broad area. This can be positive and negative. It means there’s something for everyone, and you can pick the parts that apply to you. On the other hand, without any guidance, there’s a possibility of getting overwhelmed with the amount of info out there.
This is why educating yourself is so important. We offer a CPD accredited marketing course that breaks down marketing into 3 easy to digest courses. Each course builds on the last, starting with the fundamentals, so you can build a strong foundation of knowledge.
And guess what! The course is completely free, with the ability for you to choose how long you take to complete it, so you can learn at your own pace. Places are limited, so if you’d like to learn more and enrol, click here.
