I know from experience that starting an online business can be an uphill battle. They don't teach you the stuff you need to learn about running a business in high school and in most cases even university, I remember when I was doing my degree in communications we had one subject based around finding a job and writing a resume - yet there was NOTHING about building your own business or even anything around SALES!
When you start building your business you quickly learn that nailing you marketing is VITAL to your success. If you don't know how to find customers then you have a BIG problem, your first year is often the hardest. I know the marketing struggle is REAL and I most importantly understand the pain that it causes when everything you do just doesn't seem to work. I created this simple list of 5 reasons your marketing is failing and what to do instead so you can overcome your marketing mishaps and stand out online.
Message:
You need to be clear on your message and what you're offering. If you're not clear on your message then neither is your potential customers. Your message includes ad copy, content, social media posts, sales pages and so much more.
Be really clear on what the results are and how you're product or service will impact your potential customers lives. What is their biggest issue and how are you gong to solve it? Be sure to talk their language and speak in terms that they can resonate with.
Targeting:
Are the people you're targeting the people who actually want your product or service? Have you done your market research and found out who needs and benefits from what you're selling? This is CRUCIAL you need to know your ideal client inside and out, where do they hang out? What do they do in their spare time? What is their biggest struggle right now?
You need your ideal client profile written even before you start marketing yourself or your products online.
Branding:
Are you putting your best foot forward and connecting with your ideal clients with colours and imaging?
When it comes to branding I always recommend finding a graphic designer who has experience in your field, you want to have a professional images and not have your website inundated with stock photos - let's face it that's just ugly. Have a look at what you're competitions is doing and put yourself in your ideal clients shoes and have a brain storm around what you're ideal clients love about them.
You must be consistent and have everything match and be in sync with your brand. If you're branding is sloppy and doesn't connect with your ideal clients then they won't take you seriously. Remember the best way to connect with your audience is to be authentically you.
Strategy:
A big mistake is charging like a bull out of the gate and implementing what you think will work - without doing your research first. You need to look around and look at the trends, what are others doing right now, what is working and how can you add your twist on it.
Create strategy and an action plan and avoid sitting and staring at the computer for hours wondering why everything you do doesn't work. The greatest thing I did for my business (and sanity) was to hire a coach who had been where I had been, and who was where I want to be in my business - by doing this you're able to have someone guide you every step of the way.
Your marketing plan doesn't have to be 100 pages long, start with how many social media posts you will do a day, email campaigns, blog posts, videos etc - this way you know what you have to compete each week.
Consistency:
Once you have created your marketing strategy it is important you stay consistent. If you are blogging, creating videos and advertising you need to stick to an actual plan, you can't write a blog then not do another one for 6 months - people won't take any notice of you if you are lacking consistency.
When posting on social media post daily so your audience remembers you - we all follow so many pages on Facebook so if you only post once in a blue moon people will forget who you even are. When it comes to email marketing stick to a plan - email you list weekly or fortnightly, by doing this you stay relevant and when it comes time to sell something people know who you are.
Sign up to Ashleigh's free video eCourse to learn more about marketing your new business online.