If you have ever tried looking on the internet for help marketing your business, you know how daunting that search can be. Any internet search including terms such as ?social media?, ?email marketing?, ?website?, ?SEO?, ?paid ads?, etc. will likely result in pages upon pages of Google search results with titles like ?Five Things You Need To Know About SEO? or ?Don?t Start A Social Media Strategy Without These Three Things?.

While you can find a LOT of great and useful information, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and not really sure where to start. This can even lead to the ignoring marketing your business because as a business owner you have a lot of other things to worry about.

However, marketing your business is necessary. The thing is, marketing your business does NOT have to be complicated. In fact it can be quite simple when you focus on the basics of marketing.

Five Basics Of Marketing

Advancements in technology have done wonders for human beings and society in general. For marketing specifically, advancements in technology allow us to reach a much larger audience and connect with our current and potential clients in ways we would have never thought possible. However those advancements also tend to muddy the picture and make us forget that marketing yourself and your business has been the same since marketing first became a thing. The goal is to let people outside of your organization know how you can make their lives better.

Once you understand that, then you can begin focusing on the basics and marketing your business becomes less daunting and a little simpler. Here are the basics you should be focusing on:

• Set organizational and marketing goals – If you have read any of our blogs or seen any of our videos, then you know just how important we believe setting a marketing strategy is. Part of developing a marketing strategy is setting marketing goals which are aligned with your organizational goals. When you set organizational goals you are declaring where you would like your business to be in the future. Marketing your business is how you will achieve those goals. Setting S.M.A.R.T. marketing goals provides a framework for how you should promote your business so you can get to where you want to be.  
• Understand who you are and what you stand for – Authenticity is very important for creating a connection with your target audience. People are looking for businesses who truly care about resolving their pain points and being a resource they can trust. The only way you can do this as a marketer is to be true to who you are. Defining who and what your organization is about allows you to better speak from the heart and connect with your most valued customers or clients.
• Know who your best customers are…and speak to them – Speaking of your target audience, take some time to understand who your best current and potential customers are. Whenever you develop and publish content you should do do with the intention of speaking directly to the people you wish to attract. This can only be done if you know who your target audience is and what they value.
• Schedule periodic reviews and make appropriate adjustments – There is no such thing as a fool-proof marketing plan. The history of marketing is filled with a lot of marketing mishaps and unsuccessful campaigns. This is not to discourage you, but rather to illustrate the importance of taking time to understand what is and is not working when it comes to promoting your business. Periodic reviews will allow you to understand what is not working so you can make the appropriate adjustments to get the most from your marketing time, money, and efforts.
• Understand marketing is an ongoing process – Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Your business will go through busy and slow cycles and may experience changes due to changes in the seasons and weather. Whatever the case may be, it is important to remember that as long as you are in business, you need to be promoting who you are, what you do, and who you are serving. Developing a strategy and a process which is right for your organization is vital for long-term success.

By focusing on these basics, you lay the groundwork for a successful marketing strategy and campaign. Looking externally for help is always good if you feel stuck, but it is important to note that many answers can be found inside your business. When you understand who you are, what you are trying to accomplish, and who you are speaking to the idea and process of marketing your business gets a little easier.