Nine marketing tips that will help get your business noticed

1. Start with strategy

A solid marketing strategy is a crucial element of any business’s overall strategy. Think of it as your guide for differentiating yourself from competitors, knowing who to target and how to talk about your business.

Some key components of a marketing strategy include determining your target audience through buyer personas, completing competitor analysis, setting your goals and objectives, creating intentional content and measuring your results.

Once your marketing strategy has been implemented, you can use Virgin Money’s M-Track Link opens in a new window insights dashboard to give you a real time view of your social media and marketing analytics, all in one place.

2. Bold branding

Stand out in the sea of same and ensure your business remains at the forefront of your audience’s mind with bold branding.

Think about the entertainment powerhouse Netflix. You’re thinking of the colour red and their tongue-in-cheek humour, aren’t you? This springs to mind thanks to their instantly recognisable logo and branding.

Your brand should favour authenticity over likeability. You won’t please everyone, and that’s okay. By remaining true to your brand values and goals, you will attract a loyal and aligned audience. To help take yours to the next level, check out Virgin StartUp's digital guide on building a knockout brand Link opens in a new window .

3. Content that converts

Converting content will speak to your target audience, drawing on emotions including belonging, gratification, and empathy.

It’s been found that decision-making is emotional Link opens in a new window rather than logical, which is why psychology is important when marketing your business and creating content. Researching your audience through the likes of surveys and polls will make your marketing efforts more human-centred so you can leverage the power of emotions.

Content that grabs attention and converts is typically that thumb-stopping type that interrupts your scroll on social media.

The kind that encourages people to look back over their shoulders at a mesmerising bus shelter advertisement.

It’s that out of home billboard that inspires someone to stop in their tracks, snap a quick photo and praise the brand’s creativity on their own social platforms. (Check out Specsavers billboard campaigns).

4. Build your community

The benefits of a loyal and engaged online community are unrivalled when it comes to marketing. Building – and nurturing – your community will help you connect deeper with your audience, so you understand their dreams, needs and desires.

The more open and authentic you are as a brand, especially on social media, the easier it is to build a passionate online community.

A couple of marketing hacks to form better relationships with your audience include engaging with them in comments and DM’s and showing gratitude via giveaways.

5. Listen and learn

Getting to know your customers by conducting customer research will help you improve your overall user experience from every touchpoint.

Once you know your customers and target audience inside out, you can create purpose-driven content and campaigns that they will resonate with and enjoy.

That said, it’s important to stay on top of marketing trends and only create campaigns that align with your brand and business goals. For those struggling to stay in the loop with the latest goings-on in the marketing world, check out ‘Because of Marketing Link opens in a new window,’ an online community that shares the latest marketing campaigns worldwide.

6. Get your emails opened

It’s crucial that your emails are written with your customer in mind. Inboxes are overflowing nowadays, so you have to stand out.

Ask yourself: ‘what problem am I solving for my subscribers?’, ‘what value am I providing them with?’ and ‘why should they take action?’

The average email length is approximately 500 words Link opens in a new window (3.5 minute read time), but you can A/B split test between long and short form emails to see which gets the best open and read rate.

7. Write copy that sells

At the heart of all good sales copy, there’s a story. If you want to write compelling copy, aim to trigger an emotional response in your reader. Copywriting lets you paint the picture and set the scene of a problem your target audience might face, allowing you to sweep in and show how your product or service is the solution.

The launch of Apple’s first-generation iPod is a great example here. Instead of using descriptive jargon to understand the ‘what,’ the slogan described the ‘why’: “1,000 songs in your pocket. Link opens in a new window ” The audiences value and desires are placed over product features here.

Copy that converts is both easy to understand and easy to visualise. Bear that in mind if you want to write copy that grabs attention and persuades the reader to take action from the get-go.

8. Influence with influencers

Partnering strategically with influencers that are aligned with your brand can be hugely beneficial; an example of which is targeting a specific market by tapping into an influencers existing audience and community.

If you decide to go down the influencer marketing route, the content created by the influencer will have a higher chance of converting if posted by the influencer themselves. This is especially the case if the influencer is credible and already shows affinity to the products and brands they are promoting.

9. Build your online presence

Your website is your business’s digital home. Along with increasing authenticity and showcasing your brand personality, it’s an opportunity to leave a lasting impression.

Think of your website as your 24/7 salesperson. You want to directly tell the consumer what problem you are solving so they take action and convert. Here are some of my favourite examples of landing pages Link opens in a new window .

To track website traffic and develop a more comprehensive understanding of customer behaviours, software such as Adobe Customer Journey Analytics and Google Analytics are effective.

Don’t feel under pressure to nail all nine of these marketing tips. Whether you need help with creating beautiful brand visuals, managing your community on socials or developing an influencer marketing strategy, there are so many fantastic agencies and freelancers available to support you and/or take control of your business marketing efforts. LinkedIn is always my go-to platform for finding incredibly talented agency owners!

Follow Karla on LinkedIn Link opens in a new window & Instagram Link opens in a new window for more marketing hacks.