10 signs you need new marketing

In this day and age, with so much content available (on so many platforms), it is imperative that you keep your brand strong and visible.

With so many options available, it is harder than ever to reach your target market – particularly if you are not branding on platforms where they are.

You need to be aware that if you become stagnant with your local marketing or branding you are in danger of falling behind and being overtaken by an opposition business.

Technology is rapidly advancing and trends constantly change, but are you keeping up with your current market needs? 

Here are 10 signs that indicate you may need new marketing strategies or a fresh approach to your marketing efforts:

Declining or stagnant sales: 

If your sales are consistently declining or remaining flat despite your marketing efforts, it may be a sign that your current strategies are not resonating with your target audience. Firstly, you need to make sure you know and understand your target market. It is easy to get complacent (or even arrogant) about knowing your audience after many years in business, but the sales figures don’t lie and it is always important to reassess and review your marketing strategies in order to ensure you are following your target customers and their trends. If you are noticing more and more advertising from your opposition this is a sign that you need to review and combat their efforts by strengthening your brand and increasing your visibility.

Low website traffic:

If your website is not receiving a significant amount of traffic, it could indicate that your marketing efforts are not effectively driving visitors to your site.

There are a number of points that could (and should!) be reviewed and updated regularly.

• Is your website user-friendly? Does it efficiently show your brand and offerings? Is the site easy for a customer to navigate and find what they need? Are you getting what you need from the website? (Sales? Calls? Traffic?)
• Is the content relevant and optimised? Are the photos the correct size for fast load times? Are meta-tags implemented for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) purposes? Are your keywords optimised for SEO?
• Is it easy for customers to make contact with you? This may sound like a stupid question, but you would be surprised to see how many sites make it difficult to find any contact links.
• Do you have all of your social media links on your website?
• Do you update your content regularly? Google (& other search engines) look favourably on websites who add relevant content on a regular basis. This is great for organic SEO.
  
  
  

   

High bounce rates:

If visitors are leaving your website shortly after arriving (high bounce rates), it suggests that your marketing messaging or user experience may not be engaging enough to keep them interested. IE: People are clicking on a page, but quickly going back or clicking out of it – which obviously shows that they did not find what they wanted there.

Make sure that you review your website pages regularly and ensure that the content (including text, imagery and videos) is relevant and clear. The point is to make each page engaging and offering content that the customers/audience wants to see.

You can access data from pages on your website to show which ones are getting traffic and which ones are not. If you have dead pages, you are better to remove them and/or replace them with pages that are important to your target market.

Lack of brand awareness: 

If your target audience is not familiar with your brand or products/services, it may be a sign that your current marketing efforts are not effectively reaching and engaging potential customers.

Do you have a strong logo? Do you have a strong brand character (visibly recognisable, including logo, colour schemes and themes)? Is your branding consistent wherever it is seen (from business cards, vehicles, building signage, to social media pages, print media, etc). Your brand should be consistent and fresh wherever a customer sees it. If you have poor signage on your vehicles or faded signs on your building this represents your brand and affects your customer’s perception of your business.

Strong branding is created by consistency and perseverance.

Poor customer engagement: 

If your customers are not actively engaging with your marketing campaigns, such as opening emails, clicking on links, or interacting on social media, it could indicate that your messaging is not resonating with them.

Contact points (adverts, emails, social media, etc) should be engaging, relevant and include a ‘hook’ or a reason for someone to react or respond to that contact point.

Negative customer feedback: 

If you consistently receive negative feedback from customers regarding your marketing materials, advertisements, or campaigns, it suggests that your current strategies are not effectively communicating your value proposition or meeting customer expectations. Listen to any feedback (good or bad!) and never be complacent. Marketing needs to be malleable, and you should be open to adjusting your approach to make improvements.

Unfortunately, there will always be negative feedback, but if you are getting multiple complaints there must be a reason for it.

Don’t forget to always ask your happy customers to leave you positive feedback. It is always easy for people to send a negative review when they are unhappy, but it takes an effort (by you, the business) to ask happy customers for positive ones. If you make the effort, you will soon have a multitude of positive reviews that will dwarf any negative ones.

Inability to reach new markets:

If you are struggling to penetrate new markets or expand your customer base, it may be an indication that your current marketing approach is not effective in reaching and engaging those audiences.

Markets change. Trends change. Products and needs evolve. Do you make sure that you and your company are keeping up with what your target market needs? Constantly investigate and review your target market and adapt your marketing approach accordingly.

Outdated marketing channels:

If you rely solely on traditional marketing channels but fail to leverage digital marketing platforms, it could indicate that you need to adapt and explore new channels to reach your target audience effectively.

Are there social media platforms (frequented by your target market) where you do not have a business presence? Do you keep your social media platforms up to date with frequent, relevant content? Remember, you are only as good as your last post, so plan ahead, be consistent and ensure that your posts are relevant and well-branded.

Lack of measurable results:

If you are unable to measure the success or impact of your marketing efforts, it suggests that you may need to revamp your marketing strategies to establish clear objectives and track key performance indicators (KPIs).

Review statistics regularly and take action where required.

Competitors outperforming you:

If your competitors consistently outperform you in terms of market share, customer acquisition, or brand recognition, it may be a sign that you need to reassess your marketing strategies to gain a competitive edge.

You would be surprised how many businesses complain about how much advertising their opposition are doing, when they are doing nothing to combat their efforts. If you note that your competitors are growing in market share, you should also note that they are obviously making an impact with their marketing strategies. Always seek ways to improve your target market reach by strengthening your overall branding, product offers, customer service experience and value.

These signs should prompt you to evaluate your current marketing approach and consider implementing new strategies, such as redefining your target audience, refreshing your brand messaging, exploring new marketing channels, or seeking professional help from marketing experts.

If you would like a FREE MARKETING HEALTH CHECK and an obligation-free chat about your Marketing options contact Unikorn Marketing today!