Marketing is not only marketing, but should involve more.
Digital marketing is not simply about digital. It is actually more about marketing.
The definition of marketing
Marketing should include all the processes involved in getting a product or service from the manufacturer or supplier to the end consumer.
Marketing should include creating the product or service concept. It should be followed by identifying exactly who would buy the product or use the service.
The next step involves promoting the product/service and moving it through the effective and suitable selling channels.
Now marketing covers a lot more.
But why? Because simply you want to sell your product or service as efficiently as possible, and at the same time you can control your marketing cost really well.
It means you will need a funnel.
Marketing funnel
To make marketing a successful campaign, you need to build a funnel for your end consumer.
In the old days you would follow this marketing funnel with 4 phases: Awareness, interest, desire, and action. This would have applied to online/internet/digital marketing really well.
Nowadays, you should work on the new digital marketing funnel with 8 stages: Awareness, engagement, consideration, purchase, adoption, retention, expansion, and advocacy.
A funnel that is properly designed for your industry or niche would provide the following effects:
- Capture the attention of your target market.
- Facilitate the purchasing decision of your potential customers.
- Provide the prospect with a very specific and easy-to-take action, which is also low-risk.
Unique selling proposition
Let’s align your product/service with marketing. We need to understand through using USP i.e. unique selling proposition for your product/service.
- Can you focus on the uniqueness of your product/service?
- How your customer will benefit from using the products/services?
- What are the features of your product/service?
- How does your product/service compare to the ones that are offering by your major competitors?
- What is the message you want your customers to receive about your product/service that is to form the heart of your marketing campaign?
Now create a unique selling proposition that is short and no more than a sentence. It must be very concise.
An example
The benefits of a product may be tangible or intangible.
You may have invented a product that helps people clean their toilet seats.
The main benefit of this product is tangible, because toilet seats in people’s bathrooms would become cleaner and more hygiene.
The intangible benefit however could be people’s lives would become healthier in long term. This is difficult to evaluate.
Lastly
When you have a solid product/service, start promoting it! You are the person who understands the product/service the best, and you would take the lead through the marketing campaign.