I feel your pain. When you’re incredible, it’s harder to focus your message. After all, you offer multiple services or products, and your business provides customers with multiple benefits. So, you wonder how you can focus these for a value-based marketing approach.

Or maybe you’re thinking, “What exactly is value-based marketing anyway?” The good news is that you may already be using your digital marketing platform to do this kind of marketing without calling it by name. 

But you could, and probably should, do more with your value proposition. How? All you need are a few distinctions, a handful of examples, a little confidence, and a dash of the initiative. So, let’s get started.

What is value proposition in marketing?

Value proposition in marketing is a focused summary of the value you provide your customers — the advantages that convince them to give you their business. 

Try to finish this sentence with six words or less:

• We’re the best option for our customers because ________.

That’s your value proposition. In marketing value proposition, you put that message front and center. You use it to woo new customers and remind old ones why they should stick with you. 

What is meant by value in marketing?

Value in marketing means customer-perceived value. It’s the element that makes people feel like they’ve won the cost-benefit tradeoff — the idea that they’re getting beyond their money’s worth.

At the heart of your business model, there’s a fundamental priority: a commitment to delivering goods or services that your customers view as high-value in a particular way. Maybe you sell high-status brands or inexpensive but lasting products. Maybe you’re dedicated to your brand community or to making necessary purchases more convenient for your customers.

There are different ways to add value, which leads to different types of value propositions. 

How is value-based marketing different from values-based marketing?

Value-based marketing focuses on proving your brand can deliver to customers what it says it can.

However, “values-based” marketing focuses on ethics and morals the brand possesses for the common good.  

For some companies, the two overlap. Take the clothing label prAna, an activewear line dedicated to social and environmental responsibility. They sell simple designs at a higher price point than some of their competitors. However, fans value the brand’s labor practices, sustainable manufacturing, and charity partnerships. ​

How is a value proposition different than a unique selling proposition?

Your value proposition is intimately related to your unique selling proposition(s) (USP), but they’re not the same thing.

Your USP sets you apart from your competitors when it comes to a particular market or product. It’s a way of positioning yourself. Your value proposition runs deeper and is part of your fundamental business model.

You likely have multiple USPs, framed for different targets or offerings. They draw on your core value and tell a certain market why they should come to you instead of one of your competitors.

On the other hand, your value proposition is most effective when it’s clear and singular. You might market it in various ways, but those ways share the same root.

Why you need to start value proposition marketing

Customer value marketing gives your campaigns better structure and results. Use it to:

• Focus content strategy. Provide materials that support your claim. Allow prospects to calculate their own potential benefits or show them an experience they’ll want to claim for themselves.
• Get and give better data. Value convinces people to buy. If a value-driven marketing initiative doesn’t pay off, then you need to reexamine how you communicate your message. Depending on your industry, you might also use data to quantify your value proposition for a target audience.
• Develop better leads. Who benefits most from the value you offer? What do they search for online? Create better customer personas and use these to build your pay-per-click ad campaigns on Facebook or Google. 
• Inspire value advocates. People love to pass on hot tips that others will appreciate. When you save someone money, feed them the best meal of their lives, or make annoying tasks easier, you create a brand representative eager to spread the good news.

With value-based marketing, you gain clarity. You’ve distilled your pitch into something people can understand, evaluate, and repeat.

What customers look for in value-based marketing

Customers want that clear assertion: “result B will benefit you by doing action A.” They look for products that provide value and back up the claim with convincing evidence. 

What do customers value? 

Your customers aren’t robots. They’re complex people with dynamic needs and desires. This makes for a variety of values that can be difficult to navigate until you classify each value into one of four categories:
​

• Functional (Savings, quality, organization, variety) 
• Emotional (Wellness, attractiveness, entertainment, nostalgia)
• Life-changing (Motivation, hope, affiliation)
• Social impact (Self-transcendence) 

Your business probably navigates multiple customer desires, but ask yourself which one is most likely to drive sales. A competitive price? Amusing teasers? Access to an exclusive community?

What do customers find persuasive?

Then, you need to back up your claims. Any of these forms of proof show a customer that you indeed offer the promised value:

• Numbers
• Scientific studies
• Explanations on how you follow through
• Portfolio/demonstrations
• Guarantees/warranties
• Social proof
• Case studies/testimonials/personal stories
• Industry awards
• Celebrity/Influencer endorsements

Different forms of proof lend themselves to different channels and USPs but prioritize those that best fit your business’s value proposition. 

For example, imagine two fitness apps. One is a diet and exercise management tool that consolidates your health information to tell you exactly how to meet a certain weight-loss goal. It also offers a functional solution to help you satisfy an emotional need. If I were considering it, I’d want to see numbers, clear explanations, and before-and-after pictures.

Now imagine the other app offers daily motivation and challenges from athletes and other fitness enthusiasts. It promises to change your life, integrating you into an exciting and supportive community. I’d want social proof, freebie content, and inspiring stories.  

Types of value-based marketing

Customer values are complex, but your value proposition should be simple. What do you promise to do for your customers? Put that value at the heart of your marketing. 

Immediate value: Solve their problem

You’ve identified a pain point and created a service or product to fix it. In value-based marketing, you would highlight the type of solution you offer.

Quality: The best solution

Maybe you’re just plain better. You use better materials, emphasize craftsmanship, or offer a more comprehensive service. It’s OK to toot your own horn! Claim your advantage with a single phrase or sentence customers can remember. 

Then, back up this claim with supporting materials that emphasize the superiority of your offering. Detail differences between yours and your competition. Display credentials and awards. Demonstrate your skills in action. Put together a portfolio website of your favorite past projects.

Usability or convenience: The easiest solution

Do you make the lives of other people easier? Is your software incredibly intuitive, or are your hours unusually flexible? Does your kitchen gadget cut prep time in half?

Tell people how you can provide no-fuss relief. Showcase a large variety of people using your tools or detail the features your customers most enjoy. Set up an email campaign dedicated to stories of amateurs doing amazing things you’ve made easier.

Compatibility or customization: The precise solution

Maybe your service offers à la carte options that are usually bundled together, or you can accommodate a lot of unusual requests. Maybe your product plays well with others, and you can underscore available integrations.

An event planner might show particularly challenging past events. Or a web designer might highlight personalized designs for niche industries.

Newness: At last, a solution

Does your service use proprietary, novel technology or address an emerging need? Or maybe you’ve created a clever, new solution to an old problem.

Take a page from RingHero’s playbook. RingHero is a small business started by three active women who didn’t know what to do with their wedding rings while exercising. They created a wristband with a little pouch. Their marketing emphasizes the originality and elegant simplicity of their product.

Secure value: Give them peace of mind

Unlike shoppers looking for immediate value, customers who want secure value are invested in minimized risk, future performance, and assurances of support.

Trust: Your reputation

Some industries rely heavily on brand trust. For example, a financial advisor’s value proposition should provide hard facts demonstrating their ability. But above all, people need to believe that their money and information are safe in the advisor’s hands. 

Flexibility: Their ability to change their minds

People shouldn’t feel loyal to a service simply because it’s a hassle to cancel. Promise your clients that they can change their minds. Maybe your business distinguishes itself with a generous return policy or risk-free trials.

In a world of multiple streaming options, Netflix advertises itself as the ultimate in convenience. The ease of cancellation is one of their most prominent claims.

Support: A shared future

You’re here for them today, but what about tomorrow? Do you have an impressive library of supplementary material or stellar reviews for customer support? Can you offer some sort of guarantee or warranty? 

Give them confidence in a future relationship with your business.

Economic value: Help them save or earn money

Like everyone else, your clients want more for less. How can you make their dollars or time stretch further?

Price: Fewer bucks

Some companies offer customers bargain rates and direct all their messaging to that end. Think of Spirit Airlines, one of the first “ultra-low-cost airlines.” Their marketing team never veers off in a different direction. All promotional material focuses on the low fares the airline offers.

Efficiency or longevity: More bang for their buck 

Maybe the price advantage isn’t immediately evident. If you offer something expensive that allows customers to save in the long run, fight numbers with numbers. Make their gains as concrete as the price they’ll have to pay.

Productivity: More bucks for their bang

If you’re offering investment opportunities with incredibly high yields, highlight your results. Enlist client testimonials for your website, and invite people to share their own stories on your social accounts.

A lot of B2B value marketing also focuses on outcomes. Successful brands tell businesses how their product or service can help them do more. 

Social value: Increase their community or status

Some businesses’ value-based marketing taps into customers’ desires for community or status changes. They promise access, appeal to egos, or play into a certain identity.

Brand identity: Appeal to their self-image or aspirations

Luxury brands rely on aspirational marketing. They promote a lifestyle in which brand names play a major role, and people want to own those names. Their value proposition has less to do with quality than with status.

Other brands align themselves with a subculture. They turn their products into statements of identity and affiliation.

Personal or brand community: Appeal to their desire to connect

Do you make it easier for people to connect with their loved ones in a special way? Maybe you offer old-fashioned snail-mail products or make tee-shirts and other products from personal effects. Perhaps your gym has built up a community of exercise enthusiasts that regularly interact online and in person. 

Your value may lie less in access to your facilities than in access to a supportive group of people.

Personal appearance: Appeal to their vanity

There’s nothing wrong with a little vanity. A high-end salon isn’t just promising to take care of your split ends. Instead, they’re promising to make you look and feel beautiful. Show off your handiwork, and tell prospective customers you can help them turn heads, too.

Personal or brand values: Appeal to their conscience

prAna isn’t the only fashion brand capitalizing on the priorities of a younger, more eco-conscious market. People want to feel good about themselves and their impact on the world. If values are at the heart of your brand, integrate them into your message across channels.

Personal value: Spark joy or foster wellness 

Sometimes we want to be part of the group. Sometimes we need a little time or territory to ourselves. 

Singularity: Make them feel special 

A person drops $4,000 on a handbag to make a statement. When they pay that much for a small, one-of-a-kind painting to hang in their bedroom, they do it because it’s special — and makes them feel special. It brings them pleasure that they don’t need to share with anyone else.

Experience: Make them hungry

Do you make the best barbacoa in the state of Wyoming? Or offer local-led tours of a popular city? There’s a reason customers will come to you instead of Taco Bell or a Big Bus Tour. They want a unique experience.

Health: Make them feel nurtured

Health and wellness branding can be powerful. These days more than ever, we all want to feel like someone’s taking care of us. Promise spa clients that they can leave the world behind for an hour or direct health-store customers to packages designed to target common complaints.

Examples of value proposition marketing

In addition to providing examples of value propositions and on-page marketing, today’s successful businesses extend customer value marketing into other digital channels. Get inspired by three companies that do it well.

Tortuga

Tortuga travel backpacks are a novel solution — a backpack that isn’t made for school or camping. Instead, they were designed as carry-on luggage that adventurous travelers could easily carry from one location to the next. Their small business storytelling focuses on the two founders’ one-time struggle to find the product they later invented.

The company populates their Instagram account with pictures that convey their value proposition. Almost every shot shows someone young wearing a Tortuga backpack while they explore a fabulous destination. 

Strava

Strava is another brand killing it by marketing value proposition through social media. The fitness app provides athletes with training tools and connects them to a global community of users — mostly runners and cyclists.
​
While the company’s social accounts are popular  — their Instagram has over 1 million followers — it also excels at the dedicated-hashtag game. #Strava has more than 7.5 million posts on Instagram, and their top three more specific hashtags have over a million posts apiece. 

Uber

Uber wasn’t always the corporate giant it is today, and clear value marketing helped it grow. Uber recognized that their primary offering (to both drivers and riders) is convenience. An easy-to-use app allows you to schedule a lift without the hassle of calling for a cab or restricting yourself to certain pickup and dropoff points.

One recent email newsletter shapes this promise for a particular market — families. They offer an Uber Family profile that allows busy parents an easy way to ensure their kids are getting from points A to B.

How to implement value-based marketing

So, how can you put value at the heart of your own marketing? Start by imagining your customer and refining your value proposition. Then, carry the message into your usual digital marketing channels. 

Your journey should look something like this:

1. Create detailed customer avatars. Flesh out all of your target markets into complete customer personas. You might complete this step alongside the next.
2. Frame your value proposition accordingly. How can you communicate your fundamental value proposition based on what they need or want? What is most likely to convince them to buy?
3. Prominently incorporate the proposition on your homepage. Make it big and bold so that visitors can’t help but see it. You might also edit social media profiles to reflect this value better.
4. Shape your message for different targets. Without losing the common core, find the right angle or USP for all of your customer avatars. Be prepared to revise these as your business and customer base evolve.
5. Craft value-based content. Choose the best channels for different targets, and create dedicated content that proves your claims. This is the perfect opportunity to put your email segmentation to work. Instead of flooding inboxes, be selective about what you send to whom.
6. Evaluate respective conversion rates. Where is your most profitable traffic coming from? How can you use this information to refine your messaging and customer avatars?
7. Stay the course. Your exact messages will change, but — short of a major business rebranding — your core value proposition shouldn’t. Keep content fresh as you’re able, but don’t be afraid of repetition. If you can’t get a certain mantra out of your head, chances are your market will remember it too.

Take your time with the initial steps. Strong, detailed customer personas will help you at every stage of your marketing. And it may take you a few tries to find the right words to distill the value you offer.

Use value-based marketing to present your customer-centric brand

There you have it. Value-based marketing boils down to telling customers what they’ll gain from doing business with you. And by focusing your message, you’ll give it strength and clarity.

As you create or revisit your customer avatars, pay particular attention to their desires and motivations. Ask yourself: Which type of value is most likely to influence them in your favor? Once you have the right category, you’ll find it easier to articulate a specific value proposition. 

Then, it’s just a matter of getting the message out. You could shout it from the rooftops, but you’ll probably find it more effective to use top-notch digital marketing tools, like Google ads, social media, SMS text messaging, and email marketing.



Source: https://www.constantcontact.com/
​

These strategies will help you win and position yourself and your company in the best way this year.

A marketing strategy is the "plan identifying what marketing goals and objectives will be pursued to sell a particular product or product line and how these objectives will be achieved in the time available." Keep in mind that you need to consider the following three pillars in your marketing strategy plan before execution:

1. Core audience demographics
2. Pricing and marketing budget
3. Business goals

The following seven marketing strategies are vital for connecting with your target audience, achieving your marketing goals by promoting products and services, increasing brand awareness and engaging with your target audience through various channels.

1. Email marketing

Email marketing is an old concept that will be very relevant in 2023. Having lists of targeted audiences with a differentiated email structure for each can provide you with a great and "cheap" way to showcase the developments in your company and sell your products.

Here are three examples that you can implement in your email marketing. The first one is to increase your email interactivity. People are used to social media and the engagement they can give when reading or viewing content. Add videos, sliders, games and carousels of images that people can swipe.

The second one is the use of storytelling in your email copy. People are looking to connect to a brand's values, and one of the best ways to do that is to tell your brand's story. Tell them your origin story, show your personality, the company's culture and team. Use videos, quotes and memes to build a relationship with your subscribers.

The last one is personalization. Personalization in the email body can improve your open rate by 13% and can increase the clickthrough rate by 28% while reducing the bounce rate by 18%.

Email is still thriving as you control how you approach your audience based on your marketing objectives without the need to comply with rules imposed by the platform you use.

2. Social media marketing

Social media marketing is here to stay, and we need to find the right platform for us to create content, connect with our audience and show our expertise or products. This will be dictated by your target demographics and where they spend the most time at.

It is also important to note that Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) companies will have specific platforms that can be used for their business model. For example, LinkedIn for B2B and TikTok for B2C. Remember that your audience can move to a different platform down the line.

One thing that you can integrate into your social media marketing strategy is to think of ways to incorporate user-generated content. This can be in the form of reviews, unboxing, tutorials, and product reviews. According to Stackla, 88% of consumers specify authenticity and relatability as crucial decision drivers to complete in-app purchases and increase their brand engagement.

The most important thing is to use your authentic voice and showcase the people in your company and their expertise, values and personalities.

3. Public relations (PR)

Another old-fashioned concept that still has a place in your marketing toolbox, especially in 2023. PR is relevant and can help you increase awareness around a milestone you've achieved or a product/ initiative you are launching. Media mentions will also help you with the SEO of your website/ brand name and how you rank in searches as you get authoritative websites mentioning your company.

According to Statista, the PR industry is expected to be worth $129 billion by 2025 or an increase of 68% from 2020, worth $88 billion.

4. SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a must-do strategy in 2023. SEO aims to increase the searchability of your brand name and specific keywords relating to your offers while helping you grow traffic and sales.

Organic SEO can help you rank your content for specific keywords. I recommend learning how to do the basics of SEO in your content and focusing initially on long-tail keywords, as it will be easier for you to rank.

The main pillar in your SEO strategy should be creating high-quality content and targeting your customers' needs and questions engagingly while targeting keyword phrases. Create evergreen content that will help customers understand your company and products better.

SEO can be integrated with paid ads so your articles can show on top of the search results.

5. Influencer marketing

Collaboration with influencers can help you scale your business in a short period by increasing your brand awareness and reputation. The key here is to research and get numerous quotes from different influencers so you can decide on the best deal.

I'd say that it's not always beneficial to go for the biggest names in a particular niche, as your business might not be prepared for that growth. A better strategy will be to find smaller accounts with a more engaged audience so both parties can grow simultaneously and be more sustainable.

One growing trend in influencer marketing is live stream shopping, which means that potential customers can buy products through a live video. Influencers can showcase products, give opinions and answer questions from their followers about the product they are presenting. Instagram introduced Live Shopping in September 2022, which allows users to purchase products from Instagram Live directly, so expect this to be prioritized on the platform in 2023.

6. Virtual events

Virtual events are here to stay, especially after the last couple of years when travel was almost non-existent. Showing your expertise and value through online events can help you increase your brand awareness and reach. The list of attendees can be reused and segmented in your email communication, which will benefit your company in the long run.

Another strategy is to attract experts in the industry you are operating in and create an event where they talk about various subjects related to your company. The event videos can also be reused on social media in long and short-form videos.

7. Video marketing

The most important strategy in the last few years is video marketing. Closely related to hosting virtual events, video marketing can help you present your company from various perspectives.

People from your company can have topics they are working on and record video presentations for the world to see. Behind-the-scenes and company events can showcase the human side of your team, and the sky is the limit regarding creative ways to create video content.

Authenticity here is key as your willingness to open up in front of the camera so people can connect with who you are and what your company stands for.

Short vertical video content will be one of the biggest trends in video marketing in 2023. According to Zippia, 85% of U.S. adults own a smartphone as of 2022, and on average, Americans spend 5 hours and 24 minutes on their mobile devices daily. As vertical video content can take more real estate on a device and people are using TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, you need to focus your time and creativity to investigate that type of video content.

The world is moving towards personal branding, and video is one, if not the best, way to open up to your audience.

Win with marketing in 2023
To summarize, test and see what works for you and your company. Do not focus and do all the strategies mentioned here simultaneously — experiment with what resonates with you as a personality and your business niche. Adapt and develop the best marketing mix for your desired outcome that will help you win in 2023.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com

I've said it before, and I'll never stop saying it, marketing is a collaborative effort between the agency and the client.

When something doesn't go exactly the way we want it to, it's easy to point fingers at external factors. We are not usually inclined to admit that we ourselves may be responsible for the undesirable outcome. Business owners — like myself and the dentists I work with — can have a lot of pride and don't always like to think that they may be the reason opportunities are not turning into customers (or patients in our case), and so they typically only focus on the source (i.e., the leads or opportunities) rather than reflect on their own internal processes.

I know this because I have witnessed it and have done it myself in the past. As a marketing agency, my company's entire purpose is to generate opportunities for the dental practices we serve to capture new business, and to a large extent, we are responsible for the types of opportunities that the practices receive. However, are we to blame when those opportunities don't convert into new patients? Maybe, but also, maybe not.

Collaboration is key

Marketing agencies get blamed often for producing low-quality leads, and the same is true with a highly specialized agency like mine that works only with dental practices. In theory, however, the quality of the leads we produce for a practice mostly depends on how specific the parameters are for those leads, and that is information we get from the practice itself. Naturally, the more precisely we can define the types of leads they want to attract, the higher our chances of being able to target that demographic within the area. That doesn't mean that every single lead generated will be perfect, but many of them will be, or close to it.

I've said it before, and I'll never stop saying it: Marketing is a collaborative effort between the agency and the client. The more you can work together and develop a synergy, the better the outcome will be. Dr. David Pearce, a highly respected New York dentist who has worked with my agency and now works consulting with practices on this very topic, agrees with me. In a recent article, he wrote, "The better the dentist is at understanding the marketing company, and vice versa, the more they can help each other." He knows that to get the leads the practice wants, they need to work with the marketing agency to help them understand the practice's needs.

Now, of course, some businesses might find it difficult to define their ideal customer or lead, and that is perfectly understandable, especially if you've never taken the time to really break it down. But that is also where a marketing agency can be a great asset. Marketing professionals are experts at drilling down to get answers. The more a business owner is willing to participate in that process, the better leads they will receive and the less "weeding out" they will have to do to get bad ones out of the mix.

Put your process to the test

What about when you're getting a good number of leads, but those leads are not turning into customers? Is the marketing agency to blame then? If those leads don't meet the quality parameters that you established with the agency, then the agency bears some responsibility. However, if those leads are consistently good quality, meaning that they check most if not all of the boxes, then you may need to look internally to understand the disconnect.

Let's take an example from my experience marketing to dental practices. Say a dentist has gotten 100 good leads from a marketing agency, but only 15 of those leads converted (i.e., became patients that followed through with treatment). That is decidedly a low number. But is it because the leads are not good enough, or is it because there is some sort of breakdown in the practice's sales process? Again, this is where the marketing agency can be an excellent partner. If the dentist is willing to let the marketing agency scrutinize the sales process from start to finish, it can identify any weaknesses that could be keeping leads from turning into patients.

Dr. Pearce explained this in his article as well, adding, "While the marketing company cannot make the necessary changes, the best marketing companies have internal mechanisms to help each of their clients improve this process." So, while the marketing agency may not be to blame for the low conversion rate, they can still help increase that rate to a more acceptable number, as long as the dentist is willing to work with them.

That said, in my experience, quality leads do not always turn into quality patients right away. You can contact them and get them to book their first appointment, but that is not where the work should end. As Dr. Pearce says, "Quality patients don't just walk into the office saying, 'Doctor, where have you been all my life?' The best dentists have a system that meets each new patient where they are in their journey to saying yes to optimal dentistry. From this starting point, the team will nurture and grow the patient's understanding and value of optimal dental care." The same holds true for any type of business. Luckily, if a business owner is not used to thinking about leads and customers in this way, they have help. The marketing agency can work with them to identify areas of opportunity and convert more leads into long-term, quality customers.

Rely on your partner, but also do your part

If sales and marketing don't come naturally to you or your team, then finding a good agency to partner with will make a big difference. However, for such a partnership to work, you must be open to the possibilities and ready to change how you approach and handle leads. Be sure to ask your marketing partner if they offer sales training or resources to improve your sales approach. Sometimes, they will at least have some materials you can use and distribute to your staff with some tips on how to handle incoming leads.

My company offers resources on how to properly handle new, interested leads to teach the office staff how to properly handle phone calls and form submissions from all digital marketing efforts. You can also ask your marketing company to record phone calls to further give you insight into how your incoming calls are being handled. This is a good way to provide concrete examples of what is going well and where your sales process may need improvement. In short, the more you make yourself and your staff available, the more productive your partnership will be.

It is also imperative that you be honest with your marketing partner. It's not enough to just express your satisfaction or displeasure with the service. If you want to really capitalize on the partnership, give details. Take notes, and tell your marketing agency what exactly you are not pleased with and why. Provide real examples of what you see is not working to your expectations, especially when the relationship is new. When you give detailed feedback, your marketing partner is better able to fine-tune and target campaigns to suit your specific needs, and you will generate more quality leads together.

Once things are humming along and you have found the "sweet spot," be careful not to get complacent. It is easy to fall back into old habits when things are going well, and then your results start to nosedive. To avoid this, request that your marketing partner check in periodically (if they do not do that already) for a status report. These periodic calls will help you and your partner keep your marketing strategies top of mind, plus they are a good time to talk about what is working and what is not. Meeting regularly keeps your marketing partner informed and keeps you and your staff accountable.

So, who is to blame when leads don't work out? The business or the marketing agency? In my experience, it's never entirely anyone's fault, and also playing the blame game just doesn't get you anywhere. Pointing the finger at the marketing agency for not generating quality leads or the business for dropping the ball with its sales process does not resolve anything. Real progress happens when the marketing agency and the business come together as partners to get better results.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com

Even though it seems like everyone is doing it, you don’t have to use social media to grow your business. This fast-paced, notification and newsfeed-centred way of distributing and consuming information might not be for you. It might not suit your business; it might just not be your jam. Plenty of businesses have flourished in the internet age without participating in social media.

If you don’t fancy creating content and interacting on social media platforms, here are 21 other ways of growing your business.

1. Go networking

Research networking events happening online, in your area or for your industry and go along. Be ready to meet a lot of people and follow up with those where you see synergy. Find an excuse to get in touch with them after the event, for deeper, real-life conversations that bring introductions and new clients. Don’t be shy; the networking gains go to people who put themselves out there and work the room. Remember other people and be memorable yourself.

2. Create collaborations

Collaborate with organizations and individuals with whom you share a target audience. Perhaps they pass you work as an associate of theirs, with or without a commission. Maybe you collaborate on programs or the delivery of your work or your service is included in their proposals. Collaborations with big players in your industry can keep business coming your way with no tweeting required.

3. Take rifle shots

One step up from networking, research people who will make perfect customers, collaborators and connectors and get in touch from scratch. Aim to meet them at an event, ask them to book a call or take them for a fancy lunch. Have a compelling reason to book their time and don’t waste it when you have it. Then, play the long game. Keep a personal CRM to remember what you talked about and follow up regularly.

4. Improve your SEO

Ranking well on Google is no mean feat. If you can appear at the top for terms your audience is searching, you will win traffic and customers ahead of your competitors. For this to work, go in depth. Increase your SEO knowledge; learn about keywords, meta descriptions and link building. Arm yourself with the tools for search volumes and domain authority and be ready to create a lot of content.

5. Run ads online

Google Ads and YouTube ads can be a solid way of growing a business. Rather than building your own house, you are simply renting the land. Create incredible ads in the format required, collect tonnes of data, then analyze and edit. Keep going until you have a winning combination of headlines, images and calls to action that keep your potential customers clicking through to your site.

6. Join communities

There are more communities around than ever, so find the one that works for you. This could be for people in your industry, location or simply other entrepreneurs. Join and aim to add value. Share what you know, help other members, give everything you have before you ask to take. By the time you do, you’ll be trusted and well-known and members will be ready to introduce you or sign up as your customers. Cherry pick some of the members to create a mastermind for a personal development bonus.

7. Grow an email list

Rather than hitting publish and hoping you appear on enough newsfeeds, as with social media, with email marketing you can hit publish and know you are landing directly in the inbox of your subscribers. Grow an email list through all the ways mentioned so far, and offer a lead magnet to incentivize people to sign up. Once you have them, communicate regularly and consistently add value.

8. Make use of podcasts

Podcast usage is growing like crazy and it’s only going to increase. Your podcast strategy could be to start and grow your own, to guest on other people’s or to advertise on popular shows within your niche. Each requires careful research and planning to make sure you’re not wasting your time. Practice telling your story, build your network of podcast hosts and create goals for the number of shows you want to record or appear on.

9. Start a newsletter

One way to build your email list is starting a regular newsletter that they can’t wait to read. You could share a roundup of what’s been happening in your industry or offer a new video, article or insight with every issue. Plan your newsletter series, decide a launch date, then go out to people you know to collect your first hundred subscribers. Publish consistently. In every issue, encourage readers to share with their networks to grow your subscribers.

10. Exhibit at trade shows

Many industries still run trade shows and it’s a great way to build up a buzz and meet a bunch of people. Exhibiting means investing in a plot, a stand and a way of standing out. Attending means working the room like you would any other event. Exhibit with a game plan; know who you’re looking to meet and what you will say once you meet them. Automate your follow ups to exhibit with ease.

11. Work on public relations

Rather than schmoozing your followers, take a narrower approach and schmooze journalists by email. Get on their radar, catch their attention and follow up with ideas for how they could include you in their publication. Successful public relations require an advanced strategy of staying up to date, bugging them just the right amount and adding commentary in a way that other people want to publish what you say. Or, be so newsworthy that journalists come to you.

12. Run workshops

Whether online or in person, run workshops to share your message and teach your methods to groups. Advertise on websites such as Eventbrite, Meetup and Airbnb experiences to bring people in from their traffic, notify your email list or tell local business owners and pin flyers up in the community. Run them regularly so your attendees create the habit, then ask them to tell a friend and grow your workshop numbers by referral.

13. Run print ads

Online advertising is sexy but print ads can still be a solid bet. Magazines and newspapers are still read on paper, same as event programs, billboards and sponsor displays for sports teams. Design a stunning ad complete with a tried-and-tested call to action. Testing print ads also requires including a code or specific URL so you know when they have been a success, but it might work perfectly for your business.

14. Host events

Networking events, awards dos, fireside chats, panel discussions, contests, dinner parties. There is no shortage of events you could run for people who make great customers or connectors. Design and plan the event then tell everyone you know, incorporating the other methods in this list to get the word out there and get people along. One successful event means you can make it annual, to bring fresh customers to your door year on year.

15. Become a blogger

Instead of waiting to be printed by the journalists you schmooze, start your own blog for your own target audience. Decide on your topics, decide on your cadence, then begin turning writing and publishing into a habit. Engage within blogger communities to share your link, make it easy for readers to turn to subscribers, and cover every topic that you know is relevant to your dream customer base. Write with a specific person in mind and test out formats as you go along.

16. Work with influencers

Instead of building your social media following to promote your own company, make use of the effort influencers have already spent building trust within a specific niche. Find them online and ask if they work with brands, then define an influencer budget and try a few out. Metrics can lie, so keep track yourself. Experiment with different types of placements and different types of people until you hit on perfect alignment and the sales start to flow.

17. Do speaking gigs

If you’re an entrepreneur with a story, other people want to hear it. Set yourself up as a speaker to be booked for events that others are hosting. Get good at educating and inspiring to add the most value possible. Approach big brands and event organizers and set up profiles on speaker directories. Include a way of people hearing more within your presentation and nurture them through to enquiries and sales.

18. Build and they will come

Set up on a busy street to make use of location in getting new customers. New bars, restaurants and coffee shops in high footfall areas benefit from potential customers walking by every single minute. For an online alternative, build something cool and post it on Product Hunt or Reddit. Ask your friends to upvote and share with your list. Post when you’re ready for potentially thousands of hits.

19. Guest blogging

Other business owners run websites that are hungry for content. Provide the content to be published on their turf. Not only may a valuable article be read by their audience and start flocking your way, but you can also ask for a backlink to build the ranking power of your site. Build relationships with the webmasters and editors of collaborator sites and mind map article titles to offer to them. If they accept, write in their style and add all the value.

20. Have a referral program

If I loved your product and wanted to tell my network, could I earn commission when they bought? Referral programs and affiliate links are one of the simplest ways to incentivize happy customers to bring their friends. Create the program, invite specific people, then share the winnings and grow your business on their shoulders. You could include a referral link on packaging or landing pages.

21. Start your own group

Chances are, you know some cool people. Your customers, suppliers and extended network likely have plenty of things in common. There’s huge value in starting a group and being the connector of everyone you know. Group ownership means curation of topics, suggesting of ideas, and being in everyone’s minds every time they engage. Use Discord, Slack, Mighty Networks or an alternative to connect and chat online.

If you are determined to grow your business, there are plenty of methods you can try before you dance around for TikTok or become a victim of the Instagram algorithm. Finding people, adding insane value and staying in touch is the basis of most business growth, and these 21 ways provide an alternative way to do exactly that.



Source: https://www.forbes.com
Image Credit: 21 ways to grow your business without social media | Getty Images