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Marketing is an essential ingredient to any successful business, but knowing where to start can be overwhelming. How do you know if your marketing worked? What are the best marketing channels to focus on? Where should you spend your marketing budget first? If you’re starting out with marketing, the answers to these questions can be daunting and confusing at first glance, but this introductory guide from Fantastic Edge Marketing to marketing for beginners will help you get started on the right foot.

What Are Channels?

There are several ways to get your message out, and each has its pros and cons. Channels go into two categories: online and offline marketing. But within those categories, you can narrow them down even further. For example, you could divide offline marketing into print media or radio advertising; online channels include email or social media.

Figure Out Your Channel Focus

What’s your message? Who are your customers, where can they be found, and what’s their preferred channel of communication (email, phone, SMS, Facebook)? Once you know who you’re trying to reach and where they can be found, it becomes clear which channels need more of your attention. Consider both B2B channels (like trade shows or e-learning) and consumer channels (like online advertising or Facebook). It’s up to you how many you work with at once, but try to keep things simple until you understand your audience better.

Crafting Your Message

Many companies make their first mistake by developing a messaging strategy not tailored to any particular group of people; they create something generic and hope it somehow resonates with everyone. It rarely does. A good starting point is to think about your buyer’s journey. What are people thinking and feeling as they go through their day-to-day lives that lead them to become interested in what you’re selling? What questions do they have? How does your product or service answer these questions and concerns? Once you understand how a buyer makes decisions, choose which message is right for your business.

Understanding ROI

When it comes to marketing and sales, one of the most important metrics is the return on investment. The ROI tells you how much money is made from every dollar spent on a particular initiative. In other words, it’s a way to measure whether your marketing and sales strategies are producing results. That’s why understanding how to calculate ROI — and when — is critical.

Marketing Channels You Can Use

There are many different marketing channels you can use to market your business. If you’re just starting out, consider going with email marketing, as it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to engage customers. Start by gathering emails from your audience that have opted in to receive communications from you. Email is an effective way to begin communicating with your customers and inform them about discounts, promotions, or new products — and also allow you to follow up with them later on.

Getting a Good Start

You have to be diligent about identifying your target market, creating your messaging, and getting it out there in front of your potential clients. By now, you should have an idea of where you want to start, whether that’s with a digital campaign or offline strategy.

Visit Fantastic Edge Marketing for help with your online marketing.

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