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How To Plan Your Marketing For 2023 Now!

2023 Marketing Strategy
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If you’ve been avoiding taking the time to plan your marketing for 2023, then this is your sign. It’s time to take the plunge.

Studies have shown that businesses that plan their marketing strategies in advance are more likely to achieve greater success than those that do not. By taking the time to plan your marketing strategy for 2023 now, you can set yourself up for success in the coming years.

1: Identify Your Goals

As you begin planning your business’s marketing strategy for 2023, it is important to first identify your organization’s goals. Think about what you want to achieve in the upcoming year and how successful marketing can help you get there. Consider both long-term and short-term goals, and make sure they are realistic yet inspiring. Knowing the direction you want to take your business in will help you create an effective marketing plan that sets you up for success in 2023.

marketing target
Don't Forget to Identify Your Target Market

Once you have identified your business’s goals, the next step is to figure out who you are targeting. This involves understanding your customer base and understanding their needs. Most small business owners feel like they don’t know how to do this, but it’s easy.

Write a list of your top 10 favourite AND most profitable existing clients. Then list what makes each one the most profitable… (their buying patterns) and what makes them your favourite. When you’re done, compile all of the traits, characteristics, and behaviours into one list and there you have it… Your “perfect client” profile and your target market!

Once you have this information, it is easier to create a marketing strategy that speaks directly to them.

2: Create a marketing strategy

Creating an effective marketing strategy for the year 2023 is essential for any business. A successful plan will involve a thorough understanding of your target audience, the market landscape, and the most effective methods of reaching your customers. It’s important to research relevant trends and technologies to ensure your strategy remains up-to-date with the times. Additionally, setting SMART goals (goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) will help you measure progress and stay organized. Finally, regularly evaluating and adjusting your plan as needed is key for achieving desired results. With a well-thought-out marketing strategy in place, businesses can set themselves up for success in 2023.

Not Sure Where to Start Planning Your Marketing for 2023?

Building the strategy is easier than you think, but it can often feel a little overwhelming. To help you get started, we’ve included an outline and included short descriptions of what should be included in each section of your strategy. 

Remember, keep it simple. All you have to do is pull what you know, out of your head and into the strategy. What’s more, what you don’t know, you can Google… you’ll find another great blog like this one to help you along the way!

By taking the time to plan out these critical elements, you can ensure that you can communicate your marketing strategy and share the work with your team to make 2023 your most successful year yet.

Marketing strategies
Marketing Strategy Outline

I. Executive Summary: A brief overview of the purpose of the strategy, target audience, and expected goals.
II. Market Analysis: A comprehensive analysis of the target market and competitors, including demographics, needs and wants, and purchasing behavior.
III. Target Audience: A detailed description of the target audience, including age, gender, income, interests, and buying habits.
IV. Objectives: Clear and measurable goals of the strategy, such as increased sales or brand awareness.
V. Strategies and Tactics: A list of strategies and tactics to be used to reach the desired objectives.
VI. Budget and Timeline: A detailed budget and timeline for implementation of the strategy.
VII. Evaluation and Adjustment: A plan for monitoring and evaluating the strategy, and adjusting tactics as needed.

3: Choose the Right Business and Marketing Tools when Planning Your Marketing for 2023

When planning your marketing for 2023, it is important to choose the right business and marketing tools that will help you reach your goals. To do this, you should research and understand the various types of tools available, such as social media platforms, email marketing, SEO optimization and more. You should also consider the budget you have for these tools and what type of return on investment you expect. Taking the time to select the right tools for your business can make a big difference in your results.

4: Plan Your Marketing Activities

To ensure your marketing plan for 2023 is successful, it is important to assign tasks to yourself and your team with specific deadlines. By doing this, it will help keep you, and your team on track and motivated to reach the goals outlined in the plan.

Additionally, assigning tasks with deadlines will help hold yourself and your team accountable, as each task can be measured and tracked to determine progress. It’s essential that you set realistic timelines for each task so that you and your team can work within those parameters to reach your goals.

5: Analyze Results

Analyzing your current marketing results is an important step when planning for the future. It’s essential to review your successes, failures, and opportunities for improvement if you want to create a better plan for 2023. Examining your data from previous years can help you identify trends in customer behavior and preferences, which can inform your decisions as you move forward. Additionally, reviewing the effectiveness of different strategies, platforms, and campaigns can provide valuable insights into what works best for your organization. Don’t forget to Google it!

Ultimately, taking the time to analyze your current results can help you create a successful marketing plan for the upcoming year.

6: Adjust Strategies as Needed

Be flexible and adjust your approach as needed. Be sure to assess your goals regularly, and make adjustments if they are not being met. Additionally, you should consider any external factors that could influence your strategies, such as changes in the economy or the emergence of new technologies. By regularly assessing and adjusting your strategies, you can ensure that your 2023 marketing efforts are maximized for success.

7: Track Progress and Evaluate Results

Tracking progress and evaluating results is an important part of any successful marketing plan. Keeping track of the results of your marketing initiatives can help you to identify areas for improvement and make any necessary adjustments to ensure you are achieving the desired outcomes. Evaluating the success of your marketing campaigns can also provide valuable insights into what is working and what isn’t, allowing you to make more informed decisions as you plan your marketing for 2023. By tracking progress and evaluating results, you can ensure that your marketing strategy is on track for success.

team strategy
8: Stay Focused on Long-Term Goals while Planning Your Marketing for 2023

When planning your marketing strategy for 2023, it is important to focus on the long-term goals that you have set out for your business. Long-term goals give you an idea of where you want to be in the future and allow you to plan for the necessary steps to get there. This can help you create a comprehensive marketing plan that will help your business grow and succeed in the future. By taking a long-term approach to marketing, you will be able to stay focused on achieving your goals and ensure that your business remains successful in the years to come.

Conclusion

When planning your marketing strategy for 2023, it is important to focus on the long-term goals that you have set out for your business. Long-term goals give you an idea of where you want to be in the future and allow you to plan for the necessary steps to get there. This can help you create a comprehensive marketing plan that will help your business grow and succeed in the future. By taking a long-term approach to marketing, you will be able to stay focused on achieving your goals and ensure that your business remains successful in the years to come.

Planning your marketing for 2023 will help you reach your goals and grow your business. By following these steps, you can ensure that you are making the most of your time and resources.

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Content Marketing Digital Marketing Lead Generation Marketing Strategy Social Media

Holiday Greetings Posts: Why They’re Important For Social Media Marketing

Reasons why holiday posts are important in social media marketing

Holiday greetings just feel different, it’s not just New Year’s or Valentine’s Day anymore, each holiday has its own significance in the calendar. The holiday season is a time of great celebration for family and friends. But it’s also the time to remember those who have helped us in our lives and to show our appreciation with social media posts.

Creating holiday posts has become a necessity for almost every business. With the increasing popularity of social media marketing, including personalized messages in your holiday postings will help you take advantage of the holiday spirit and increase  your brand exposure and boost engagement on those fun personalized holiday posts.

If you have been thinking about why your business should post messages on social media, you’re in luck.

Here are the 3 Reasons Why Holiday Posts Are Important In Social Media Marketing:

activities for holiday

1.) Opportunity to Connect with Clients Online

Social media is a great way to connect with your audience, and it’s no secret that many businesses have started using social media as a primary marketing strategy. For example, if you sell products online, use your social media channels to promote sales during the holidays by sharing discounts and offers. If you have a blog or newsletter, publish content around important dates like Thanksgiving and Christmas that lets readers know when they can expect new content from you.

It’s important for businesses to stay connected with their clients during this time of year.

2.) Holiday Social Media Posts that are Shareable can Increase Engagement and Brand Awareness

When it comes to marketing on social media, people love sharing and connecting with others. Social media posts are easy to share and like, which means that they can be shared by people who don’t follow your business page. This is a great way to increase exposure and reach new people who may not know about you yet. You’re not only letting them know about your brand and what you do, but you’re also creating content that will stick with them long after the holiday season has passed.

Businesses can engage more with their users, grow their followers and likes and encourage online conversations about their products or services using social media. 

One way to engage and interact with your audience is by using Holiday-themed polls, questions, engaging stories, and pictures. For example, you may ask them which gift is better or ask about their holiday traditions or do holiday trivia. You can also post your question as an image and use the caption to ask your followers to comment below. 

While keeping it interesting and entertaining, this is a great opportunity to learn more about your target audience’s habits, needs, and pain points.

3.) Expressing Gratitude to your clients or viewers

mobile tech christmas tree background

The holidays are a time for friends and family, so express your gratitude with some holiday-themed posts. By creating posts around these holidays, you can show gratitude for their business or encourage them to use your products or services in some way.

It’s your opportunity to thank clients, partners, and others. For example: “We wanted to let everyone know how thankful we are for all the support throughout the year. Thank you for helping us grow our business”.

Most people post holiday greetings on social media in order to express their best wishes, gratitude, and love to their followers from all around the world. Regular posts will help you spread the voice of your company even wider. It’s not just about a good-looking text, it’s about the visual appearance of your posts as well – choose only images that inspire positive emotions in people!

Social Media is a powerful and effective marketing medium. When people see that their views matter to you, they’ll keep coming back for more.

So, don’t run out of time at the end of the year. Remember to post a Christmas greeting for your clients and viewers this holiday season. Not only can it be effective for your social media marketing, but it will also help you connect with your perfect client.

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Marketing Strategy Uncategorized

Is Marketing for Your MSP a Waste of Time?

If you’re reading this now, chances are you’re asking yourself this same question, is marketing for my Managed Service Provider a waste of time? The answer is yes AND no. Confused yet? Don’t worry, by the end of all of this, you will understand what I mean. 

With remote work here to stay, MSPs are facing one of the biggest opportunities for growth in the history of the industry. So how can you be a part of this growth? Well first, it’s important that you not forget that growing your MSP takes time and effort, it’s not just going to happen overnight. 

No matter what industry you’re in, growth requires strategy, and a big part of that strategy is in how you interact with prospective clients. How you interact with your prospective clients all comes down to your marketing strategy. So going back to our question, the answer is no, marketing for your MSP is not a waste of time, but also yes, because it is a waste of time if not executed properly. 

If you’re feeling like you’re wasting your time marketing for your MSP, here are some of the most common marketing issues that our MSPs run into below – and some solutions. 

1. You don’t know who you’re marketing to. 

Something that we’ve noticed a lot of MSPs doing is market to the wrong person. If this is you, you may be thinking, “But marketing is marketing right? If I’m getting the word out, I’ll at least get some leads.” The truth is that if you put content out, not everyone is going to like it. We’re all different, and your prospective clients have different likes, needs, and ways of communicating. 

That is why, marketing must be personalized to your ideal client. So, who is your ideal client? Do they hang out on Instagram, do they like listening to the radio, etc.? What do they like to do? What do they need you to help them with? How would they ask you for help? 

Once you’ve done a bit of research and answered these questions, start building a marketing strategy that caters to each “persona” of your ideal client and watch the leads roll in.  

 

2. You’re not building brand awareness. 

Brand awareness can sometimes feel like a waste of time because awareness is not the same as having a client actually purchase your services. Although it is not likely that brand awareness will give you a direct ROI, it IS a key aspect to building trust with your ideal client. 

People will not purchase what they don’t trust. Your ideal client needs to first be aware of who you are. Without building awareness and letting your potential clients get to know who you are, it is not very likely that you will have many clients. 

Imagine your ideal client is doing a Google search for a new MSP and your name pops up, along with many others. Your ideal client will choose the MSP that they know and trust. Every. Single. Time. That is why it’s so important that you build brand awareness, even if a potential client is not thinking of attaining a new MSP at the moment. If the first time that your ideal client sees your name is the same moment that they do a Google search, you have already lost them.  

Brand awareness campaigns are a fundamental part of an overall marketing strategy. If no one has heard of you or seen your logo before, the chances of having them engage with you when you do end up using a direct marketing approach are slim to none. Even if your ideal client is not interacting with you right away, by building brand awareness, you will subconsciously grab their attention so that when they do look for an MSP, it will be more likely that they choose yours. 

 

3. Your message is confusing.  

Donald Miller says, “if you confuse, you’ll lose.” You only have a limited amount of time to captivate your audience, and if your content is full of jargon, you’re going to lose them.  

Likely, you spend so much time on your business that you end up eating, sleeping, breathing, and talking MSP. But those looking for you to solve their problems won’t have the same knowledge and familiarity with your MSP that you have. That’s why it’s important to market your MSP content without jargon, so that the people who are looking for help, will know that they are looking for YOUR help. 

Answering your potential clients’ questions with complex explanations will confuse and intimidate them. It’s important to simplify and translate your content so that anyone who sees it will be able to understand it. And keep in mind that even though you understand what you are saying, your ideal client may not. 

Before you send your next marketing piece, or your sales team rhymes off an answer to a problem your prospective client has, ask yourselves, “How much does this client know about my MSP?” Then review your materials with that question in mind. 

You might find you have to rewrite some things, but it will be well worth the time.

So, what’s next? 

If you’re not gaining leads, you’re wasting your time marketing your MSP and it’s time to start building a strategic marketing plan. Fixing your marketing is easier than you think, and you don’t have to do it alone.  

Don’t waste your time. Contact us if you need help building a strategy for marketing your MSP. 

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Digital Marketing Marketing Strategy Uncategorized

Connect to Your Perfect Client

connect to your perfect client

More than just a LinkedIn request or a potential client you met during a networking event, connecting to your perfect client is a nuanced process. This relationship is high-trust and one that takes time and effort.

The Perfect Client

When we say, “perfect client” we don’t mean a customer who is actually perfect. Perfect implies complete and whole. You don’t need a client whose problems have already been solved.  

Your perfect client is looking for a business, service, or product like yours to solve an existing problem. They may fall within your target audience (or maybe not), but you’ll know they’re a good fit when your solutions fit their problems.  

Discovering Connection

connect to your perfect client

The process for discovering this connection is two-fold. It requires understanding the needs of your client and then providing the right product for right scenario at the right time. 

So, this connection is first and foremost relational. A huge part of being relational is understanding the other party’s needs. When you understand the needs of your client and how you can meet them, that’s where the perfection starts to show up: when you find solutions by smoothly fitting your problems and solutions together.   

By understanding your client’s marketing needs, you show your ability to see the bigger picture. Demonstrate how your outsider’s opinion  — while perhaps distant from the dynamics of their daily operations — is no stranger to their objectives. In fact, that distance may even provide the insight or perspective they’ve been missing.  

When you demonstrate the ability to meet a need, provide a service, or fix a problem with your client, your interaction with them becomes something more than just supply and demand. It becomes a connection. 

Our Approach

When it comes to marketing, not every possible service will be required or will work at the same time. There are different needs at different times. Some areas might already be working well—some less so. The more clearly you understand your client and your relationship with them, the better attuned you become to their immediate needs in certain areas.  

connect to your perfect client

At Stone City Digital, we perform a marketing audit to understand these areas of need in order to apply the right service at the right time to create the right solution. We strive to understand our clients in a way that serves them best.  

By connecting to and with your perfect client, you can achieve a relationship that goes beyond pressing need to brand loyalty. And this connection ranges outside the world of marketing to apply in any market. 

Comment below about a time you connected with your perfect client! We’d love to hear your story. 

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Digital Marketing Marketing Strategy SEO

What Is SEO and Why Is It So Important?

why is SEO important

Search Engine Optimization—or SEO—refers to maximizing the traffic to your website from search engines like Google or Bing. It is a multi-faceted digital marketing tool that can boost your website’s overall visibility. SEO strategies are important for leveraging your website’s online presence effectively in today’s digital world.

That’s why we’re sharing how SEO works and why it’s important. Firstly though, there are some key elements that help us understand where and how we can utilize SEO effectively.

Keywords 

Simply put, keywords are the phrases people type into search engines. The keywords you choose for the backend of your website, your content, or any other written material must be picked with care and thoroughly researched.  

Unlike the past, keyword optimization is not the only SEO factor prioritized these days. That’s not to say that it’s not still important! Your keywords still need to have contextual significance and relevance to be effective. This is critical as they are instrumental in bringing the right visitors to your website. 

Content 

Content is one of the most significant resources for optimizing your SEO. It’s the primary way to inform your target audience and draw them to your website. Content includea anything from images to videos to blogs to the very copy on your webpages.  

Your content should be meaningful, relevant, and informative. All of your content has the same goal: to give your target audience a clear picture of why your brand, products, or services will meet their needs or solve their problem. That’s why the visitor is there in the first place! 

There are many other important areas where you can leverage SEO but keywords and content are a great starting point.

5 Reasons You Want Good SEO 

Now, you might be wondering why SEO is crucial for your brand. In today’s digital age, brands and companies need to take their businesses online. With that shift in service and product delivery, brands and companies need to be found. Good SEO is one of the main ways businesses can achieve that necessary traffic. Here are some of the primary reasons why SEO is important for your business today. 

1. Authority

Authority refers to the credibility and reputation of your brand and business. The higher your website is ranked in the search results, the more authority your website will have and the more credible and trustworthy your business will be considered by your target audience.  

2. Rankings and Visibility

The primary goal of SEO is to boost and improve your brand’s visibility to potential customers. SEO makes your brand more accessible to the broader audiences, which increases website traffic and the possibility of sales. 

3. Relevance

Using the correct SEO increases the relevance of your website for your users. Relevance is an important ingredient for user experience. By using the right keyphrases and tactics, SEO can boost the relevance of your website and get the right info to the right people—namely your target audience!  

A user–friendly website makes the consumer experience much more smooth and enjoyable when they can find relevant information at the right time. This establishes your brand’s credibility in the minds of your target audience. 

4. Web Traffic

Another important purpose of SEO is to, of course, increase your website traffic. This can only happen when your brand’s search rankings (and consequently its visibility) improve. Drawing in more potential customers provides the opportunity to increase brand awareness, sales, and good connections with prospective customers.  

5. Growth

Last but not least, the simple fact of the matter is that good SEO can help you achieve your business goals and your vision for your brand’s success. Yes, SEO can help boost traffic to your website and improve your brand’s visibility. But it can also help establish your brand’s credibility and build trust. That’s the type of growth that is beyond value!  

At the end of the day, it is this trust and faith that people have in your brand that will ensure the success of your business and take it to greater heights! 

 What now?

After understanding the elements and importance of SEO, we’re sure you’re excited to get started on improving your website’s SEO. We can help! 

At Stone City Digital, we work with our clients to help them improve their SEO and digital marketing strategies and then help them execute them in an achievable way. Reach out to us and let us help your business grow! 

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Digital Marketing Marketing Strategy

Marketing Your Business in the Days of Remote Work

Marketing Your Business in the Days of Remote Work

It’s been a wild ride for the entire world these days. While it remains to be proven, I believe that humanity has never before experienced such major global shifts so quickly. It’s 2021 and it seems like EVERYTHING has changed. The way our economy works, the way we do business, the way we work, the way we see our families, the way we entertain ourselves, and the way we live our lives day to day. That means the way we do marketing in these days of remote work has shifted too.

If you’re like most business owners, you’ve been doing your best to pivot your business as gracefully as possible while juggling your usual priorities like maintaining a high level of customer service, keeping and acquiring new clients, and delivering what your business promises every day. And I’m certain that it hasn’t all been pretty or perfect for you. We know because we’re living it too.

That’s why the best gift we have to offer you is a little advice on small changes you can make to your marketing for 2021 without adding too many extra tasks to your plate.

1. Make your presence known on the internet with regular blogging.

If you haven’t started blogging, either for yourself or your business, now is the time! Your customers and potential customers are spending a lot of their time online. Your virtual presence and activity have never mattered, and probably never will matter, as much as they do now.

Overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be. Simply start by answering the most common questions you and your team encounter from your customers every day. Then get it out there using your website, social media, and emails. This will give you the opportunity to put your business, services, and products in front of people in new ways.

2. Ensure that your brand’s messaging is accessible, clear, and positive.

Brand image, reputation, and perception are extremely important to any business. That’s why you must clearly communicate what you do, what problems you solve, how you do it, and why you do it to your customers online. You should be sincere and positive. Nothing will turn away customers faster than an obvious attempt to take advantage of their negative circumstances. They’ve got problems and you have solutions; it’s a win-win for everyone!

3. Your everyday content doesn’t have to ask for the sale.

No one likes to be “sold” something, but we all need to buy products and services every day. So, how do we balance that? Your social media platforms and blogs can communicate a whole lot about you and your product or service. Your content can demonstrate to customers how they can use your products or services to solve a problem they might be encountering or to address a need they might have. Get creative. Your prospective clients will connect with your personality and attitude just as much as with the solutions you offer.

4. Invest in the best digital tools.

Part of marketing your business effectively is making sure your team has exactly what they need to do their jobs well. Online collaboration and workflows can become overwhelming without the proper planning and resources in place. Make sure you have the right project management and communication tools to manage your remote work. This way, everyone on your team will have access to the data and resources they need to market your business online.

Part of equipping your team is also ensuring they have the proper tools for communication. Good communication with your customers is key to your marketing efforts. It’s best to invest in online communication tools that make your marketing clear and your customer service easier to manage. Clients expect fast responses even when you’re remote, so this is certainly something you need to take seriously.

5. Consider working with a professional marketing team to pull your brand and your marketing together.

Of course, there is no need to struggle with your marketing on your own.

Stone City Digital works with businesses to help them make the best use of digital media. We can help you market your business online and increase your digital visibility using the latest tools and strategies.

Get in touch with us today to get started!

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Content Marketing Marketing Strategy SEO Website Design and Development

Your Website: The Key to Recruiting Top Talent?

Website recruiting hiring
When it comes to recruiting top talent, is your website working for you? Is it doing all it can? 

By now most companies know their website is key to attracting and connecting with their perfect clients. 

But this is 2021. 

Your website has the potential to proactively attract, create and keep clients, communicate your corporate culture, AND attract and recruit talent to your business. That’s right. In today’s global digital economy, qualified and enthusiastic talent are screening you through your website. 

So, how are you ranking in that area? Is your website attracting those brilliant minds of the future, or do they pass you over and keep looking?

Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. The best time to make a change is now and we’ve provided a few key steps you can take to start leveraging your website to attract the best talent and the best employees now!

Mobile-Friendly Website vs. Unique Mobile Experience

If your website is mobile-friendly, you’re on the right track. But the mobile experience is a different story. Your website must be optimized for the mobile experience to measure up and work for you in attracting great talent as well as great clients.

According to Google, there are 27.8 billion more search queries performed on mobile than on desktop. No, this isn’t an SEO-focused blog, but this one stat alone suggests that you as a business should be thinking about mobile-first.

When a visitor makes their way to your website on their mobile, think about these elements of the user experience: Does it load quickly? Are they able to find what they need quickly? If you’re inviting them to take some action, is it simple and fast enough to warrant their follow through?

If you’re thinking that your website should be more about your potential clients, sure, it could be. But in 2019 Glassdoor reported that 58% of job seekers use their mobile devices to search for jobs.  Convinced yet?

Your Careers Webpage and Hiring Process

If you have one, great! Now get that button onto the front page of your website in an easy to find location, and create a small primer section that will attract a click to learn more on your careers page.

This is where you make the case that working for your company is the right career move for them.  Like a perfect client, prospective employees are screening you for a sense of what it would be like to work with you and your team.

In addition to the basics (benefits, executive bios, corporate values and mission, company history), offer links to your blog and social media pages, and consider adding video. This could be anything from a virtual tour of the office, or interviews with existing employees about their experience working for the company to really give people a feel for your company culture.

Be as real and open as possible. You want to attract the right employees. Presenting a façade will only disappoint you and the candidates when they get to their interviews, wasting valuable time and energy for everyone.

Your Online Application

Don’t forget mobile friendly and mobile experience are key to this process. Your online application form should be simple, fast loading, and easy to fill out. There’s no need to sacrifice function for simplicity. Use a form that will allow your candidates to upload a cover letter and full resume. So many companies don’t and that’s a missed opportunity.

A cover letter invites your applicant to demonstrate who they are and their unique value to you, their prospective employer.

Not to mention, an online form can give valuable clues about their attention to detail, communication skills, and their overall passion for your industry, business, and product or service.

The Rest of Your Website and Digital Visibility

Your website provides a great first opportunity to gather interesting information from your candidates. But it also tells your candidates a lot about what you do, how you do it, and what separates you from other potential employers.

As you carefully craft your messaging throughout your website, newsletters, blogs, and social media profiles, be sure to include subscribe buttons and social links that bring candidates and your perfect clients to your content. Then, create thoughtful and relevant content regularly across every digital channel you can.

The message you’re sending should drive home the idea that you and your company will provide the most attractive and relevant career opportunity for your candidate. Even when the content you’re putting out on each channel is not directly aimed at your candidates, they will convey these messages when they are relevant to your perfect clients.

Just think about what motivates employees to seek a career change: negative work environments, need for growth, and an opportunity to realize one’s career aspirations. When your website and digital spaces are answering the true questions and needs of prospective clients and employees, you will undoubtedly attract more of the perfect applicants when you post your jobs on social media and job boards.

Of course, we’d love to help you get the most out of your website and digital spaces! It starts with a conversation. Call us today at 613.331.3252.

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Content Marketing Digital Marketing Lead Generation Marketing Strategy SEO

5 Things I’ve Learned While Marketing for Startups

marketing for startups

I have been a part of many startups including a production company, a real estate website, and a tech company innovating a new type of battery. In that time, I have seen patterns emerge that lead to success and I have seen the red flags of failure over and over again. I want to share the top 5 things that I’ve learned while marketing for startups so that you can see the success you can achieve, as well as some dangerous potholes in an already bumpy road. 

1. Build, then market.

Before you even start to think about marketing your brand, you need to build it. The excitement of your new startup might motivate you to start running for new connections, but it is so much harder to run before you’ve even put your shoes on. Some key infrastructures that need to be in place are: 

  • Logo/brand image: Can people tell who you are at a glance? 
  • Uniform social media platforms: Will people feel the same way when visiting your Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and website? 
  • One message: Is there a strong “why” behind your startup that people can grab onto? 
2. Become or Hire a Generalist. 

SEO, social media, lead generation, content creation, data analysis. There are so many factors to marketing in today’s world. Big firms will tell you that you need to get a SEO specialist to ensure that your website gets the right exposure, or that a social media expert is needed to make sure that you connect with your consumer base.  

All aspects of marketing are equally as important to startups in their early stages. Hiring a specialist or only learning how to do one thing well may bring you success for that one aspect of your business, but this will hurt you in the long run because have neglected everything else.  

Give your business a strong foundation by generalizing. Doing everything well is important to make sure that when you grow you will be ready to bring on specialists.

3. You Will (Probably) Need to Spend Money.

A lot of marketing can be done for free; SEO, content building, developing a social media presence. But you should not be afraid to spend money on it. If people don’t know about your new product or service, who’s going to be your client?  

Designating some of your budget for ad spend is just as important as hiring that new part-time developer because if you don’t have a client base, you won’t have a startup for much longer. 

4. Don’t Sell, Engage.

If what you are doing is completely new, people probably won’t even know why they need your product or service. At such an early stage, you have the ability to engage your consumer base and share your central “why” behind what you do.  

Help them understand why they need your product or service by explaining the future you are creating. You can do this with: 

  • a promotional video; 
  • blog posts; or
  • responsive communications on social media.
5. Do Not Underestimate the Importance of Your Community.

Being a part of your local community or the community of your peers makes a big difference to your startup. If you scratch their back, they will do the same for you. 

Sponsoring a community event can be a great way to gain exposure and to network with people you may need to know further on in your development. When you are involved in the community of your industry peers who are more established than you, you may be able to learn from their mistakes and seek help or advice from them. Don’t forget that networking is an essential part of marketing. 

Categories
Content Marketing Digital Marketing Lead Generation Marketing Strategy

Digital Marketing Tactics vs. Strategy

Digital Marketing that works

Wishing your phone would ring?

As a business owner myself, I am often (almost daily) informed about some new way to advertise my business or some new online tool that is going to revolutionize my business. These tools could be super useful, and the advertising method may attract attention and maybe even clients. 

However, the reality is often that the new advertising method or tool doesn’t result in new clients, and business owners like us are left feeling like we threw our money away.  

Here are a few questions every business owner should be asking themselves when it comes to their advertising and marketing opportunities: 

  1. If I’m attracting attention, what do I have in place to make sure it’s the right kind of attention? 
  2. Do I have tools working for me that ensure I achieve the maximum benefit of the attention I get? 
  3. The buying cycle is about the client’s decision-making process, so how am I helping the clients inform their process and move them closer towards trusting my business? 
  4. If I’m getting attention, and maybe even phone calls and opportunities to create clients from the attention, am I properly positioned to do so? Can I handle the work? 

This is where the advertisers and marketers calling you with a new way to market run into trouble. They tell you about all the reach you are going to get because you bought into the advertising opportunity. What they don’t do is help you make sure you are set up to create and receive clients from your advertising and marketing efforts. 

Back to Basics 

Before developing a marketing strategy complete with tactics, a business must consider some basic business and marketing plan essentials. Think about these elements of your business: 

  • Who or what is my business? 
  • What do we do? Why or how are we better than the competition? 
  • Who are my clients? 
  • What problem do we solve for clients? 
  • Where do my clients come from? How do I find them?
  • Who is my favourite client? Where did I find them?
  • Who are my competitors? Who do my favourite clients think are my competitors? Who does google say my competitors are?
  • If I receive more phone calls or sell more products, can I handle that? Do I have a growth strategy?
  • What’s the true lifetime value of a client? How do I know if my marketing dollars made a return?
  • Does my pricing structure support the cost of growth? 

It’s only after we back up a little and ensure that these essentials have been considered that we can write a marketing plan that includes a social media and digital marketing strategy for your business. 

The Magic Potion of Digital Marketing 

Anyone can post an ad on Google or Facebook; the tools are relatively easy to use. You can push out the message easily, just like running a radio ad. Yes, people will hear about you for sure. They may even mention the ad if they become a client. But what they don’t share is the journey they took to decide to become your client and that it wasn’t the ad itself that led them to their decision.  Just like the radio.

An ad without a strategy does not create a client. It may help people know your business name. But that’s about all it does.

Your digital strategy itself must include a plan for nurturing your perfect client along through the buying cycle of your business, whether the buying cycle is a 15 minute, an 8 week, or even a 1-year cycle. This part of the strategy is the magic potion of a digital marketing and simply running an ad or putting up a website will not help you with this. 

At Stone City Digital Inc., this magic potion is our differentiator. Our unique 4 stage marketing process, takes our clients back to the essentials, creates clarity around your brand and your product and builds a wholistic strategy to connect you with your perfect clients at every stage of the buying decision.  This magic potion recipe is different for every business, and we are committed to discovering yours with you. 

The Client Journey 

When you’ve got the ingredients right, a great nurture sequence, and you are reaching people who are exactly like your perfect clients, the client journey goes a little like this:

Stage 1: Initial contact 

The potential client heard the radio ad, received a piece of direct mail, saw an ad online while reading their morning news, or even saw a billboard ad they pass by every day.  Soon after, they looked up your business on Google, by name. Maybe they even went to your website to check out your brand and your pricing. Perhaps they noticed your Google reviews. Two were 5–star reviews but there was a 2-star review there too. Finally, they also checked out your competitors, by searching for your keywords on google and decided to hold off a bit, they couldn’t decide on following through. 

Stage 2: Reminder but no need and no follow through 

A few weeks later an ad popped up on Facebook and caught their attention. They took no action, it wasn’t the right time. A few days later, while on YouTube, a quick 6 second commercial popped up while they were watching a funny video AND their favourite vlog. They hit “skip ad” and kept watching their video. Still no action. 

Stage 3: The need arises 

The need for your product or service truly arises, and the potential client realizes they shouldn’t delay the purchase anymore, so they return to your website either searching your business name or typing in your keyword. You’re #3 on a list of 10 or 11, but they know your brand so they click yours first.  

When they land on your website they notice an article titled “10 Questions you don’t know you should ask us before you buy from us.”  They have to add their email address to read the whole thing but you’ve peaked their interest, they give you their email address and go ahead and read. They visit your competitors sites too, but they don’t have an article and your prospective client is out of time today… they’ll finish this later.

In the meanwhile they get an email thanking them for being well informed customers and provides a few details that weren’t in the article or listed on the website. The email also asks them a few questions about what they might be most interested in or if they have any more questions… From here they are treated to a scheduled group of emails based on their answers to the questions in their first e-mail Every contact with them being meaningful and helpful, never pushy. From time to time a coupon for extreme savings is included but mostly it’s great information.

Stage 4: It’s time to buy

Finally, the time has come.  The prospective client awakes in the morning and knows they must finally buy your product or service and they remember that they have a coupon in their e-mail in box, they didn’t delete it. They decide they’ll reach out to you to complete the purchase with you today.  Your phone rings and your sales team does everything right.  When your team asks “how did you find out about us?” they answer, “from Google”.  

Stage 5: After the sale

The sale is finalized and in true professional form, your new client gets a welcome message and enters into an email sequence written to ensure that your client feels welcome and confident in the quality of their purchase.  What’s more, your post sale e-mails confirm that once they buy they are still important to you. So, when they need to buy again, they’ll buy with you.

Connecting with your perfect client 

Great marketing is more than running an ad or posting on social media. It’s a process of meeting your perfect client before they need you and then being available to them at every stage of the journey. The results are indisputable. You know your marketing works, when your perfect clients are coming to you first because they already trust you before they’re ready to buy.  

There’s no silver bullet to any marketing. Yes, we use tactics and some commonly used tools that anyone else can use. However, Stone City Digital Inc. critically addresses the essential questions listed above by ensuring that you have a marketing and digital marketing strategy that includes a plan for nurturing your perfect client through the entire buying cycle of your business.  

The next time you consider an advertising opportunity, ask yourself, “Is this tactic going to bring me my perfect client and get them into my buying cycle so I can nurture my relationship with them? “

If your answer is “no” or even “I don’t know,” call us. We can help.

Categories
Digital Marketing Marketing Strategy

Know Your Business, Know Your Value

business writing unique value proposition
team meeting with computers and notebooks

Your Business, Your Value

You’re an expert in your business.  

You know your business or product better than anyone and you know the value you bring to your clients. 

But have you written that information down and used it consistently? Have you clearly stated your value proposition in digital spaces such as your website and your Facebook page?  

Why Should They Choose You?

Your value proposition is ultimately a brief explanation to clients and customers as to why they should purchase from you or hire you instead of someone else. Essentially, your value proposition is an outline of what makes you unique. 

For example, our unique value proposition at Stone City Digital Inc. is that, “We build and implement digital marketing strategies while educating, engaging and empowering our clients to participate fully in their digital marketing strategy through their entire business lifecycle.” Our purpose at Stone City Digital Inc. is to teach businesses to fish rather than to sell them fish.  

Analyze Yourself

Now, consider your own business and ask yourself these questions: 

  • What is it that your business does? 
  • How does it make your clients’ lives better? 
  • How do you do it? 
  • How does your competition do it? 
  • Why are you the best choice above all other competitors? 

Spend a little time with these questions if you haven’t already, and write down your answers. Writing this information down is key to focusing your business’ purpose and offerings. Attempt to combine your answers into a nice and tidy little statement in one or two sentences (or even less).   

Need help?

If you’re finding that you are having a little trouble composing your unique value proposition, check out Strategyzer’s explanation here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=D254suPMpwY&feature=emb_logo 

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Stone City Digital Inc.
623 Fortune Cres.
Kingston, Ontario
K7P 0L5
Ph: 613.331.3252

 

Stone City Digital Inc.
623 Fortune Crescent
Kingston, Ontario
K7P 0L5

613.331.3252
team@stonecitydigital.com

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