Marketing Strategy 2012: 8 Ways To Beat The Competition
Someone once said that the only difference between the rich and everyone else is that the rich have more money.
Can it be said that the only difference between big companies and all others is that the big companies are larger? (See answer* below, if you can't wait.)
Marketing Strategy for 2012 deals with 8 areas of business discomfort that are opportunities in disguise. Do something about them and you can propel your company beyond its competitors and become a bigger player.
Based on conversations with business owners, trending business topics, and the latest thinking and product introductions by industry influencers, here are 8 strategic pain points that have the potential to significantly impact your business:
8 WAYS TO BEAT THE COMPETITION
Digital Technology: Embrace it, because your business will increasingly use it and depend upon it. Here's how the big boys are embracing digital technology.
Mobile Marketing: Mobile marketing is growing because smartphone penetration among the US cellphone population has grown to 44% in December, 2011, and will account for the bulk of new purchases going forward. Jeanne Hopkins at Hubspot, along with industry heavy hitters, has produced an entire webinar on mobile marketing (including how to use mobile apps) that can set your foundation for the coming year. And don't forget to get your website mobile-optimized.
Software Integration: Do more with less by using integrated software. Integrate blogging, landing pages, email, content, CRM, analytics, and more. Save time, money, and frustration.
Social Media: Less may be more as the options with existing social media expand. Focus on what works rather than doing more work. Amy Porterfield is an expert in this field and highly recommends this approach.
Content: Content is still king, and needs to be in place for your website to attract visitors and for social media conversations to take place. Generating new, relevant content is becoming the new battlefield, and there are some very attractive resources that can help. Start by bookmarking the Content Marketing Institute.
Inbound Marketing: Inbound marketing is the marketing of attraction. It's important to understand that attractive website don't necessarily attract visitors, and that many shopping cart programs don't attract any.
Blue Ocean Strategy: By Kim and Mauborgne, this book asks and answers the question "How to make competition irrelevant?" This is a timeless question to ask, and a good time to ask it is now.
Marketing To The Reptilian Brain: Part of the neuromarketing conversation, marketing to the reptilian brain means shaping and targeting your messages to the part of the consumer's brain that makes decisions. Master this and you'll improve your website, selling presentations and marketing materials. (Watch this take off in 2012.)
*Answer to the question: big companies are different from small companies because their ideas are bigger.
Contact me and let's discuss what big ideas might work for your company in 2012. And ask for any of the resources mentioned, above.
Mission: To help small and mid-size businesses sell more.