Marketing is always innovating with technology, which is why the most common tip for marketers is to stay up-to-date or even ahead of the trends. With all of this innovation occurring, the definition of marketing is constantly changing—it is both internal and external. Modern marketing uses all forms of media to create value and promote a branded presence to a larger audience. Digital marketing has stormed the marketing industry, allowing content to be more creative and multi-dimensional.
The best way to ensure your digital marketing is keeping up with your competitors is by using the 4 Es of successful marketing: experience, environment, exchange, and education.
When creating marketing content, you need to distinguish your organization from the rest by leaning into your unique expertise. Chick-Fil-A claims to be an expert in fried chicken and customer service. Cisco is an expert in SMB networking tools. You can have many different niches of experience, but the key thing is to identify what makes you stand out.
A tip here is to infuse your marketing with testimonials, employee features, and pictures of your staff or office. This creates personalization and it allows potential customers to feel as though they already know the people behind your brand. This increases trust and their perception of your business as an expert.
Who is your target audience? Do they use Facebook? Do they shop at Target or Walmart? Do they prefer to watch a tutorial or read instructions? Wherever your audience is, your marketing should be there to meet them. The environment in which your marketing lives is critical. If you’re not meeting your audience where they already are, you may be selling swimsuits in Antarctica.
The goal is to have your brand in the target audience's mind when they are thinking about a specific product or service. Keep your brand consistent by implementing brand guidelines. This will ensure that every time a potential customer sees your brand (on LinkedIn, on your website, or while browsing YouTube) they will be met with instantly recognizable designs.
Many businesses get lost in the sale. Many times, sales teams are frustrated with a lack of leads to reach out to. This is where the concept of exchange comes into play—you cannot expect a potential customer to give away personal information for free. In business, there is always an exchange. When asking a potential lead to give you their contact information, ensure you are providing something they need in return. That can be an instructional video, a free demo, a 30-day trial, or a white paper.
Education is where exchange and experience combine. Marketing materials shouldn’t be a sales pitch. They should be educational—they should teach potential customers how to solve their problems. (Or teach them about problems they didn’t know they had.)
Educational content will allow you to be viewed as a master in the industry. The goal is to have your current customers spread positive words about the company. Never forget that word-of-mouth marketing is still important!
Incorporating the 4 Es into your marketing mix will help tremendously with successful marketing. Take the time to stay up to date on the trends and get ahead of them before anyone else, be an educator in the industry, and most importantly stick to your brand both in design and voice.