Because “marketing” is such a broad term, it’s easy to be unsure about how it applies to your company. After all, the overall marketing umbrella covers advertising, public relations, promotions, and sales. But a lot of the success of a small business depends on an effective marketing strategy.

According to HubSpot, “Marketing is the process of getting people interested in your company’s product or service.” In other words, it’s the way you introduce and promote your offerings to potential customers.  

Without marketing, even your best customers may not see your products or services. This can result in low sales and struggling to cover operating costs—something no small business wants.

Put simply, marketing has many different functions that influence its success. In this blog, we’ll give you seven major concepts that show why marketing is necessary for every business.

Strategy

A strategy will help you understand and connect with clients. Having a solid and well-thought-out marketing plan can assist you in identifying gaps in the marketplace, reaching your target market by creating valuable content, and providing feasible solutions for customers.

Having a well-developed strategy also makes the internal operations of your business run more smoothly. It will help you keep the big picture in mind, set more effective goals, and make changes to improve your business with ease.

Think of a strategy like a roadmap with a destination in mind—and tactics like stops along the way. You have to look at the overall map to see where you’re going before you can make those stops, right? Otherwise, you’ll be all over the place and may take longer to get to your destination. A credible agency will have a strategy for their clients, not just a random collection of tactics. This way, you’ll be able to reach your long-term goal effectively while incorporating short-term methods.

Click below to explore our strategy blog.

Branding & Design

Branding is the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates your product or service from any other. In other words, your brand tells customers what they can expect from your business.

Branding usually includes:

• A business name
• A logo or symbol
• A tagline
• Design
• Brand voice or tone
• And more

A solid brand is a vital asset to your business because it helps customers identify you beyond your products or services—and can even compel them to buy. About 60% of consumers say they buy from brands that are familiar, and 21% say they purchase products when they like a brand.

As we mentioned above, design is a major part of branding. This includes everything from the look and feel of your website to the graphics you share on social media. For 32% of marketers, visual images are the most important type of content for their business.

While everyone can appreciate beautiful design, effective graphic design involves more than just looks. Producing materials based on the strategy you establish can help you get the desired response from your customers, prompt them to take action, and bring your brand to life. For example, 40% of people respond better to information including visuals than text-only content. This means a strategic design is a powerful tool for connecting and engaging with your current and potential customers.

Click below to explore our design blog.

Web Design

Now more than ever, your website is the central hub of all your marketing efforts. 82% of customers conduct research online before making a purchase or choosing a service provider, so having an accessible website is essential for your success.

Whether you’re creating content or posting on social media, the information you share will usually link back to your website so potential clients can learn more. A great website ensures that your business is easy to find, credible, professional, and helpful.

A functional mobile site is especially important for a company’s success. 37% of people say their smartphone is their main way of accessing the internet, and 44.7% of online purchases in 2019 happened on mobile devices. A team of experts can help you design a site that looks great for customers who shop on their computer and smartphone.

Click below to explore our web design blog.

Content Marketing

Having a brand, product, or service pushed on you through aggressive, traditional marketing tactics can be unpleasant and discouraging. Content marketing encourages businesses to focus on creating helpful, meaningful. high-quality content that invites readers and listeners to take the next step (scheduling a consultation, learning more, and so on).

Developing and distributing content that is valuable to potential customers helps to acquire your target audience and gain profitable clients. Worthwhile, shareable types of content include:

• Blogs
• E-books
• Infographics
• Informational videos
• Whitepapers
• Case studies
• Interviews
• And more

Blog content creation is especially common and is the biggest inbound marketing priority for 55% of marketers. Your small business should be blogging about relevant ideas to boost strategy and customer interest!

Click below to explore our content marketing blog.

Social Media

In 2018, 2 million businesses were using Facebook for advertising. In addition, almost one-third of the world uses social media regularly. That means it’s becoming an increasingly important tool for your marketing strategy.

A business’s social media networks serve as channels to share their brand’s voice and content. There’s a certain feeling of transparency and credibility when people are able to interact with their favorite businesses online. In fact, 86% of customers say they prefer an honest and authentic brand on social media.

Promoting and advertising your business on social media can be a great way to draw in new customers and keep current clients engaged. By sharing your created content and linking to your website, you can increase brand awareness and product interest.

Click below to explore our social media blog.

Print & Digital Marketing

While it’s great to draw customers in with quality content online, a combination of print and digital still rules the marketing game. Print materials are valuable and effective ways to bring brand awareness and company information to potential customers. A recent study even found that 82% of internet users in the U.S. trust print ads more than any other medium when making a purchasing decision.

Print materials may include:

• Ads
• Banners
• Billboards
• Brochures
• Business cards
• Logos
• Rack cards
• Signs
• Tradeshow displays
• And more

Digital marketing, on the other hand, combines these elements:

• Audience identification (which includes strategy and branding)
• Web design
• Content marketing
• Promotion (social media)
• SEO (search engine optimization)
• PPC (pay-per-click) ads
• Online reviews and directories
• And more

Click below to explore our digital marketing blog.

There are a lot of moving parts that come with executing a great marketing plan, but learning the basics is a great start!

We know this can be a lot to take in. Need a little help getting started? Experts can assist you by analyzing your business needs, determining what major marketing concepts are best for your company, and developing a plan of action to bring in more customers!

Our proven marketing protocol helps companies make more money, free up time, and plan an effective strategy.

Treefrog Marketing is an agency in Lafayette, Indiana focused on small business. We specialize in strategic marketing and advertising, graphic design, web design, social media, SEO, and more. For more information, please visit our website. You can also connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.