Every business is different. Every organization has a different mission. Even competitors in the same market need unique brands.
But every successful organization – including nonprofits – needs a marketing strategy if they want to stay relevant and continue growing. Louis Foong discusses the 6 fundamental components that must be applied to your specific mission, products, and target market.
As Foong says, “Marketing is an investment in the growth of your company.” It is not an expense. If people don’t know you exist, they aren’t going to buy your products or donate to your cause.
Step 1 is simply this: Develop a successful strategy. “Easier said than done,” obviously, as Foong notes. But you need clear goals, and a plan to measure if you’ve reached them.
Second, you need a website. But not one that sits there collecting pixel dust. It needs to be “easy to navigate,” and must function for desktops and mobile devices. A website that does not get constant attention is a website that loses its purpose.
Third, fourth, and fifth, this website has to draw traffic, and then convert that traffic to prospects and eventually paying customers. This is where some companies separate from the pack. When people find your site, you need “landing pages with attractive offers and calls to action with a form to collect information.” You need email marketing, autoresponders – and many more engagement and sales tools.
Finally, “measure everything.” Know what’s working, and what isn’t.
