Three factors that should influence your marketing in 2017

So after all the time we’ve spent together and all that we have shared, I sincerely hope that you now have a marketing plan in place, or at the very least, have some notes jotted down on how you will approach marketing your startup business.

A very important factor in marketing is influence.  Your business’s ability to influence buyers is critical its success and profitability.  In order to comfortably exhibit this influence your business must be properly positioned to get the very best results from your marketing efforts.   Positioning your business means identifying your target market precisely and choosing the right marketing mix to communicate with that group. 

The following are the three factors that I believe should influence your marketing output in the coming year:

1.       Consumer buying behavior – A customer’s buying behavior is influenced by social, cultural, personal and psychological factors.  In order to communicate with the customer, a business must understand how consumers feel, reason and select products for their use.  The ‘why’ of purchasing is critical when designing or defining your product, in other words the customer must see a need for that product.  Also identify sources that influence consumers such as celebrities and opinion leaders as well as the media.  These three sources play a significant role in how consumers buy.

2.       Creating a great customer experience – The importance of a satisfied customer cannot be overemphasized.  Businesses must see each customer interaction as an opportunity to outdo the previous interaction.  Doing customer service right can increase revenue, reaffirm customer loyalty and secure an ‘evangelist’ for your business who will spread the good word without hesitation.

3.       Social media & online marketing trends – In this digital age, the use of exciting and interactive videos, smart apps and digital displays must form a large part of your marketing in 2017.  If your business is not online, get there! The market is bigger than your locale and there are many bigger markets that your business can reach if you have 24/7 contact for your customers.  Particularly in this world of instant gratification, having an online platform is critical.  Ensure that your website is also optimized for mobile.  Use social media as well; there is still 1 billion and counting per month on Instagram and 100 million per month on Facebook.

One thing you must realize is that the art of marketing does not change but the science changes daily.  To remain in-step with the competition, even in startup mode, it takes constant out-of-the-box thinking and creativity.