How do you help businesses create effective marketing strategies?

While pragmatically this is the way to go, conceptually it is just more of the same standard marketing language that doesn't tell you why you have to do it. "Target Market" "Buyer personas" "customer segments" this is mostly buzzword for the initiating entrepreneur. Marketing is about understanding needs/problems/pains and providing a solution to CHANNEL those needs to a product or service. Customers in turn, will exchange value (money) for it. Therefore, in order to start doing Marketing properly, you need to find a way to localize the "group of people with a problem" to solve it! Many companies do it backwards, starting from their idea backwards to the audience, which usually makes marketing a bit of a scavenger hunt for signal.

Crafting your Ideal Customer Profile is the key to making your marketing strategy resonate, connect, and ultimately, succeed. ICP will help you become the solution they’ve been searching for. Here is a step-by-step guide for the ICP: - Start by collecting data from your existing customers. - Identify Your Best Customers. Analyze your customer data to pinpoint your most profitable and satisfied customers. Look for common traits among them. These are the customers you want to replicate. - Based on your data and insights, create customer personas. - Not all personas are equal. Prioritize them based on their potential value to your business.

Effective Marketing strategies must address three main points: Emphasizing the need of clients for the product or service in a way that really contributes to their life or business, presenting your product or service as something niche and not run of the mill, and finally ensuring that your product or service is viewed as excellent value given its specific parameters or in how it solves the client's needs compared to others out there. It's true that others may try similar tactics in promoting or marketing their products or services, but it's how well you do this and how believable it becomes in the eyes of your customers that will win the battle in the end. There is no real magic in this, but those companies that do it real well win.

The most important thing in business consulting is the relationship of trust between the founder / promoter/CEO and the consultant.This trust needs to be earned and that requires spending time understanding the stakeholder their business and the people. A consultant is as good as their listening skills, once you have heard everything then apply to develop a unique and bespoke solution. If you remember elementary science the classic substrate enzyme complex , a consultant is like the substrate which binds to the enzyme to help it go through conformational change by moulding itself into the exact shape required to make a molecule. Strategy is recommended keeping in mind the brands lifecycle, teams potential and the competition landscape.

I can give a perspective from having worked with solopreneurs. A practical place to start if you are looking to refine your marketing of a current product is to interview your clients (past and present) and ask them more provoking questions that can directly help adjust your marketing and your copy e.g. What made you choose my company over others? e.g. What was in my offer to you that had you choose me over other people?

In addition to having clear objectives, you also need to be clear on how you will measure success. What [quantitative and qualitative] KPIs will you track, how will you track them (i.e. which reporting tool or tracker will you use) and what will be your benchmark (targets) for success? There's no point having measurable objectives if you're not clear on how you will measure them. You also need to keep in mind that KPIs may (and should) change over time, as your business grows and the immediate focus shifts. Some KPIs that are important at the start may become redundant over time while others may simply require new benchmarks.

Researching about the ideal target audience helps you draw hypothesis, and then create theories of what message and what audience segment will be encouraged to use your product or service. The closer the offer/solution combination is to solve their problem, the higher the chances to acquiring their attention, and getting their buy-in to "See more" or even click "Buy". By defining how you plan to test the different hypothesis you have, you can prepare what kind of systematic approach is best for you in order to achieve this. The end goal is mostly the same. To go from potential intent – a signal that tells you they might need the solution – to a confirmation that indeed, they need this solution (a sale, a click on a website, etc).

At times clients/companies know that there is a problem; however, they are not able to define the problem clearly and this leads to shooting solutions in the dark. Key is correct problem identification and definition and creation of marketing objectives and solutions thereof.

Setting clear marketing objectives is akin to having a compass in the vast sea of business. Without them, efforts can become directionless. By aligning marketing objectives with overarching business goals, companies ensure that every strategy, campaign, and tactic serves a purpose, driving measurable outcomes and ROI.

In my experience with my clients, objective identification is one of the most fundamental steps for them to master. Teaching them to strategically think of SMART goals is integral. For example, the objective of “Increasing Sales” is not as effective an objective as: -increase awareness - increase click thru rates - increase calls closing rates And so forth. The key to effective SMART objective creation is to break the ‘main’ objective into its contributory components and solidify objectives for those. SMART objectives work best when the objectives are tied to the steps in the journey to the ‘BIG OBJECTIVE” like ‘increase sales’

Working with clients who have a pre-existing marketing history and established marketing teams is a common scenario, and it often involves the need for marketing mix modeling. It’s important to distinguish between the terms “marketing mix” and “marketing mix modeling.” Marketing Mix: It typically includes the four Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Marketing Mix Modeling: This is a data-driven analytical approach that helps you understand how each channel or component of your marketing mix is performing and contributing to overall success. It involves analyzing historical data to quantify the impact of various marketing channels (e.g., online ads, TV commercials, social media) on sales, brand awareness, or other key metrics.

Remember to add two more "P's". You need a "people" strategy for more than defining the target customers, but also internal staff dynamics, talent, resources, capacity. Finally, there's the company's current "position" definition with respect to the overall market and competition. That's where the brand definition work comes in. When I lead marketing strategies for clients, I dig into all six "P's".

I would argue against starting with the 4 Ps. Begin instead with the 4 Cs — Customer, Cost, Convenience, and Communication. What's the difference? Shift your POV from you to them. 1. It's not about the Product, but about the Customer need. 2. It's not about Price, but about the Cost to the customer (people will pay a premium for what they truly value) 3. Think not about Placement, but what is most Convenient from the customer POV 4. Promotion is me-centric thinking. Communication is about dialogue — providing a feedback loop. These are all simple but important distinctions in choosing a marketing mix.

Product: What you sell. Make it awesome! 👌 Price: Find that sweet spot – not too high, not too low. 💲 Place: Where your product meets the customer. Online? In-store? Both? 📍 Promotion: Shout it from the rooftops. Let everyone know why they need it! 📣 🔑 Key: Balance these 4 Ps for a killer strategy that wins customers and grows your business.

The marketing mix is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It's a dynamic blend that should evolve with market trends, customer preferences, and business goals. Especially in a post-pandemic world, businesses need to be agile, adapting their mix to changing consumer behaviors and emerging channels.

A marketing plan is the blueprint of success. It's not just about outlining strategies but also about anticipating challenges, allocating resources, and setting benchmarks. In an era where change is the only constant, a well-structured marketing plan serves as a guiding light, ensuring continuity and consistency.

Um plano de marketing é um interessante mapa onde os usuários podem ser orientados quais os rumos seguir, como entender o mercado e como saber como se está posicionado para enfrentar a concorrência!

I find that the marketing plan begins with honesty and self-awareness. We can busy ourselves planning, pricing, spreadsheeting, and being busy checking the boxes. But we must remember why we even care. Use all of yourself to market your product or service. The truth will flow with complete ease and ooze authenticity when we market from who we are, especially if you are marketing your own creations. If you are marketing for someone else, oh boy! You better believe in what you are doing and who you are doing it for.

The biggest mistake I seen many business owners do is thinking that creating a LinkedIn profile on Instagram page that that is a solid marketing plan and that is far from reality. Marketing plan includes what is your target audience what are the channels you gonna use to target them? What are the KPIs for success the social media and sales strategies that you will deploy a weekly and monthly basis as well as email, marketing and all your lunch. Plans are all included inside a marketing plan and you should revise this every three months and optimise it accordingly.

Market plans is the blueprint to business and sales without them it is way out of the league to get sales so creating a perfect and catchy market plans is the key

Execution is where the rubber meets the road. But without continuous monitoring, even the best-laid plans can falter. In our data-driven world, businesses have the advantage of real-time insights. By harnessing this data, they can pivot quickly, optimizing campaigns for maximum impact.

The metrics and the KPIs are extremely important but I think that if your sales teams are bought in and like the campaign then this is invaluable.

Reaching this stage is all about continuous improvement (Plan - Do - Study - Act.) Process and discipline in executing, collecting data, evaluating, and adjusting based on reality will lead to success.

D'après mon expérience, pour aider les entreprises, il faut mettre en place une stratégie de suivi précise, utilisant des indicateurs de performance clés (KPI) pertinents. En collaborant étroitement avec les équipes, il faut s'assurer de la cohérence de l'exécution par rapport aux objectifs définis. L'utilisation d'outils analytiques permettent d'évaluer en temps réels les performances des campagnes, d'identifier les ajustements nécessaires et d'optimiser les stratégies au fur et à mesure. Ce suivi continu garantit une adaptation rapide aux évolutions du marché et maximise l'impact des initiatives marketing, contibuant ainsi à la croissance et à la réussite à long terme des entreprises.

After inputing wherever and whenever we are permitted, just take the ball and run with it. Just execute well, adapt to changes along the way, and report/summarize everything at the end so next time is even better.

The journey of marketing is one of constant learning and iteration. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. By fostering a culture of feedback and innovation, businesses can stay ahead of the curve, refining their strategies to meet the ever-evolving needs of their audience.

Always refine your point of view, listen to your client, your leads, always learn, rethinking the strategy is a constant and effective process. Deliver value to your customers, values that are perceived by them. Think about it.

Marketing Plan needs of "growth hacking mindset": we should adopt the growth hacker mindset because marketing plan as a series of actions to be taken, as a defined and fixed methodology. It's the expression of continuous exploration of new paths, the fusion of innovation and analysis, it's where creativity and marketing meet!

Definitely be marketing pad and measuring it against your goals and optimise it every single month and plan accordingly to see the trends going on working without any measurements. Will never know what you’re doing is working or not actually needs frustration lack of clarity on what to do next

Iteration, innovation and experimentation are key to improve performance of marketing. By having a continuous process for adjusting campaigns and activities, introducing new ideas, and setting aside resources for testing assumptions about performance, you can ensure that marketing teams don't get complacent and keep improving and discovering new ways to deliver for the brand.

Market Mastery: Unearth untapped opps through in-depth research, industry trends & dissecting competitor strategies. Audience Alchemy: Transform target audience into devoted fans by pinpointing their desires & behaviors. Content Magic: Ignite your brand story with compelling content omnichannel Social Sorcery: Craft a tailored social media spectacle: platforms, optimal schedules & engagement wizardry. SEO Wizardry: Conjure up a commanding online presence with SEO expertise, optimizing to reign on search results. Analytics Alchemy: Unleash the power of data, analytics to measure success. Brand Enchantment: Weave a captivating brand identity, positioning strategies & messaging Engagement Elevation: Forge unbreakable bonds with your audience

Keep it simple and stupid. Strategies aren’t supposed to be complex. If you can’t simply define how you’ll get from point A to B, you’ve failed.

While it may be tempting, if you've got the resources, to get a consultant in to develop your marketing strategy and plan, remember that you need to own it, otherwise it won't work. You know your business better than any outsider ever can. I would always recommend working with a marketing strategy coach to guide you through the process and challenge assumptions if necessary so that the resultant strategy resonates with your organisation and is doable within the resources and budget you have.

1. Storytelling that is personal and human. 2. Compelling visuals - what can you do to pause a scroll? 3. Strong brand values that are reflected in every piece of content disseminated 4. A clear, consistent brand voice - that find its community and identity in you 5. The right representation on social media aligned with everything you do and are.

Don't be rigid! A marketing plan & strategy is not the final blueprint, but a framework/playbook to guide you - but note, things happen in the marketing and your industry which might mean changes or present opportunities. Leave room for experimentation - fail fast, learn quickly, optimize and continue. Lastly, data is great, but not everything - leverage qualitative and quantitative data to inform your next moves.