[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]HE WORLD IS in need of good marketing. That’s been true for over a hundred years and is still just as true today. Now, there’s a lot more opportunity to make marketing your entire business. Online, on television, in print and person. There are people who see marketing opportunities everywhere. They might seek the skills and expertise of someone whose whole life is marketing. Are you the kind of person that can help them? Do you know a great campaign when you spot one and are you able to create your very own? If yes is the answer, you may be wanting to start your own marketing company. Hopefully, the tips below can help you do just that.
The plan
No matter what kind of business you go into, it’s always a good idea to have a plan. A business plan, specifically. The business plan has all kinds of use. You might have your mission statement and aims set out, but the plan can break them down into steps. You don’t necessarily have to stick to this blueprint but at least you always have something to do. Build on your plan as your business builds. Being adaptable is a great talent but having groundwork to rely on can help you in times of particularly hard decisions.
Hiring the right staff
Marketing is very time and effort consuming. You might have all the right stuff to come up with the ideas and know how to implement them, but that might not be enough. You need to have the right staff to help you, from communications and admin to copywriters and other creatives. As you expand, you’ll find yourself taking on more staff, still. Learn the best practices for hiring the right people. A reliable team will be able to follow whatever example you lead by and give your business a much better start.
Deciding what services you can provide
There’s a lot of marketing companies out there that cater to a lot of niches. It’s most likely not feasible you will be able to provide the full package, at least not at the very beginning. So the key to success and growth is by deciding what services you can provide. Writing copy is something most organisations will want from a marketing company. But can you also handle their social media? Can you provide the right distribution networks for the copy you’ve written? Find your niche and fill it. Once you’ve started to grow, you can add more to the package you already offer.
Master your own marketing
This shouldn’t be a surprise, but you will need to lead by example when it comes to the power of marketing. Make sure your strategy uses all the best and latest techniques. If you’re unable to succeed at excellent marketing for your own business, then why should others trust you? As we’ve said, marketing is a competitive business. There’s room for you in there, you just have to make sure you carve it out for yourself.
Know how to do your research
Providing marketing solutions isn’t just about producing great copy and social media. A lot of it comes into know what strategies to employ and when. You will need to develop, if you don’t already have them, great skills for market research. You need to be able to spot the voids that your customers can fit so your solutions are tailored to them. A great marketing plan is no longer so great when you launch it into a market where it won’t fit or make any impact. Keep up to date with all the greatest market research techniques.
Keep up-to-date
A theme running through the tips so far has been keeping up to date. No matter how creative or great your strategies are, they can’t flourish in a vacuum. Make sure you’re keeping up with all the industry trends and the newest innovations. You don’t have to follow them as gospel, but the advice and techniques of more experienced organisations can be a tremendous help. After all, you can’t expect your clients to follow them. There are lots of blogs that share techniques and wisdom from all kinds of outfits. See what you can implement and what you can learn from others.
Learn more than the average marketer
Your learning doesn’t just stop at blogs and online tips, however. You need to get involved in the industry side of things. Attend conferences when you can. Join communities on LinkedIn and other sites and get involved in the conversation. Start putting some money aside to subscribe to the publications that will give you the info you won’t find for free. You can find just some of those great publications at napkinmarketing.com. If you want to provide a service that will put you beyond the competitors, a lot of it is doing the research that your competitors aren’t doing.
Do you write good copy?
As we have already said, it isn’t all about good copy. For a marketing company, the implementation of a great idea does involve good copy. You have to make sure you can provide a better standard of written and broadcast word or else you won’t keep track of your clients for very long. Regardless of how creative the idea is, make sure your copy is eye-catching and engaging. Get to know clients and the market inside out and find the sweet spots to target with every piece you write. Quality is what keeps customers at the end of the day.
Know the right distribution channels
Is it within your plan to handle distribution for your clients, or to expand to it at some point? Then you need to know the ins-and-outs of the channels you’ll need to use. Remarkable content isn’t enough by itself for a lot of marketing companies. For that reason, it’s advisable you get this particular skill in your arsenal as quick as possible. There are a lot of different channels you can use. Take the time to do research on them and find which ones fit your work style the best.
Get on top of SEO
Search engine optimisation is an important part of marketing today. It’s not marketing in the traditional sense, but It is part of the distribution that more and more clients are looking to have done for them. Providing them with SEO solutions could be the difference between you and your competitor. Learning the basics of SEO is a great start to recognising how you can make their content more widespread. However, it’s a time-consuming process and a separate skill all its own. One solution is outsourcing the SEO part of your business. Whitelabelseoreview.com are one of those offering just that kind of service.
Finding your first jobs
Eventually, you should be at the point where finding the jobs isn’t quite as active a part of your business. You should be able to rely on your reputation and marketing leading right to you. Of course, turning leads into customers will always be an aspect of any business, but it’s finding your first jobs that is key. Freelance websites and listings can be the place for you. They’re competitive, but good work leads to good reviews and a portfolio that can be used for exponential growth.
Be able to answer the important questions
There are certain questions you should be able to answer to any potential client that comes knocking. This is true regardless of what services you offer. Smallbiztrends.com has a list for those questions. It comes from the perspective of those looking to hire marketing companies. It’s a good idea to get acquainted with questions like these yourself. You don’t want to be caught off guard by a perspective you haven’t considered yet. Can you assure clients you’re flexible and willing to work off their ideas? Are you okay with working with other professional marketers? The answers to these questions are up to you, it’s more about the preparedness to answer them.
Don’t miss deadlines
Your reputation matters immensely. One of the key things that will always determine that reputation is punctuality. We all run on tight schedules, or alongside those on tight schedules. Don’t let your process interfere with your clients’ expectations. If you agree to a deadline, do everything in your power to keep it. It may result in long days and sleepless nights now and then but it will be worth it. If you have trouble in this area, there are management tools that could provide the answer.
Take testimonials
Along those lines of reputation, make sure to take great testimonials along the way. Right from the early jobs you find in listings and freelance sights, these are as important as your portfolio. People want to know more than just the quality of your work. To get an idea of how good your services can be, as well as how you can update them, customer feedback is key. It’s also a great way of ingratiating yourself with your clients. People like to have their opinions heard, so value them.
