Introduction
Carla Gail Tibbo, Founder and President of Incisive Marketing, is a Certified Marketing Research Professional and Certified Management Consultant whose professional focus is on market intelligence, marketing research and business strategy for small and medium B2B firms. Gail is also an author, accomplished educator and an active participant in several professional organizations and the business community in the Greater Vancouver Region.
While many companies have a great product or a great service, most do not fully grasp how to turn those great products or services into a great business. Having helped hundreds of companies over the years do just that. Gail sat down this week with Greg and Jason on The Hive Nation Podcast and shared 6 expert marketing tips for small to medium-sized businesses to turn their great products or services into a great business.
1. Develop a Global Perspective
Exposure to different cultures and people can help you develop a global perspective, which is essential for marketing across different locales. To illustrate, while speaking at a conference in Mexico, Gail sat in another session where the speaker was showing the “I am Canadian” Ad for Molson Beer on the difference between Canadians and Americans, which is a great Ad if you’re Canadian, but because of its focus on the differences between two specific cultures, it cannot be used in other markets.
By developing an understanding different cultures and people, Tibbo says you can tailor your marketing efforts to be more effective.
2. Create a Positive Corporate Culture
Positive corporate culture is essential for creating a positive and creative work environment, attracting and retaining talented employees, and building strong relationships with customers. Tibbo emphasizes that it is like the soul of the company. By creating a positive corporate culture, you can build a strong brand presence and attract the best talent. Just as importantly, people are attracted to companies they believe have the sames values and beliefs they do, and while marketing is where that can be introduced, it is customer interactions make it real, and that is what creates brand loyalty.
3. Know your Target Market and their Drivers
Understanding your target market is crucial in deciding where to focus your marketing efforts. With so many different possible channels such as Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Vimeo, etc. you need to know which of your target markets occupy which channel(s) and when they are most likely to be there.
You then need to discover the drivers of each different target audience, including segmenting, and adjusting the message accordingly for each channel you plan to use. Tibbo says you also to consider how to adjust your targeted marketing messages across different cultures if they are part of your customer base.
Different social media platforms have different audiences, and your message should reflect that. Tibbo emphasizes the importance of understanding the drivers of different target audiences and adjusting the message accordingly. By doing this, you can ensure that your message resonates with each one.
4. Re-purpose your Content
Blogs, videos, podcasts, case studies, customer testimonials, etc. are all potential sources of marketing content. Many companies re-purposing their content across different channels as an effective way to reach a wider audience.
By way of example, this blog post is repurposed content from our podcast with Gail, as is this video short, and the simple Infographic above which could also be used on its own and posted on Pinterest or elsewhere — that’s four pieces of different content from a single podcast episode.
You most likely already have a ton of content that can be refreshed and presented in different ways. Not only is it more efficient than creating new content from scratch for each channel or campaign, it also helps with message consistency across different channels, and can take advantage of the differences in each channels target audience by presenting the same core content in ways that appeal to each.
Another suggestion could to be to refresh older posts with newer statistics or insights to create a new post.
5. Focus on 3 to 5 Channels
With the plethora of possible marketing channels available, it can be overwhelming for businesses to decide where to invest their limited time and resources.
Tibbo advises focusing on no more than three to five channels to ensure that you have a presence across different platforms. By doing this, you can develop a strong brand presence while still being able to optimize your budget. Understanding your target audience and which channels they hang out on can help you decide which channels are right for your business.
6. Leverage Data Analytics to make better Marketing Spend Decisions
Each marketing channel generates different types of data that needs to be identified, collected, and analyzed to determine whether a marketing effort is working, needs to be adjusted, or needs to scrapped in favour of some other approach. To make the most of your marketing spend, Tibbo says identifying and monitoring the relevant metrics for each channel is essential to tweaking your marketing strategy and optimizing your budget.
She also recommends focusing on data consistency and accuracy, as they are foundational to developing effective marketing strategies. She also notes that your data, like your content, can be reused for different purposes, and not just the data you collect directly, but also form other industry sources.
Conclusion
By following the Gail’s 6 expert tips, small to medium-sized businesses can develop effective marketing strategies, optimize their marketing budgets, and build a strong brand presence. Ultimately, her advice emphasizes the need for businesses to be adaptable, data-driven, and customer-focused in their approach to marketing. In a rapidly changing world, marketing like all other aspects of your business, need to stay current to be relevant and contributing to your success.
You will be able to connect with Gail in our Marketing Hive.
Find your Hive
Are you a Coach? Join The Hive and get set to take your coaching business to a whole new level in 2023 and beyond.
Are you looking for a Coach? Join The Hive to find a Coach to help you reach personal and professional objectives.
Blog Summary
Larry Cooper is the Chief Strategy Officer and A/CTO at The Hive Professional Network.
Hive Blog 
Leave a Reply