When you’ve invested a lot of time, effort and money into producing a creative and results-focussed marketing strategy, it’s not only important that you get it going in the first place – you need to keep it going.
But what do you do when the initial excitement of your marketing plan fizzles…
And life seems to get in the way?
This is where I often see a lot of B2B businesses get stuck.
All of a sudden it seems as though they’ve hit a brick wall – whether it’s life that takes over or business (or a mix of both) and the marketing strategy and plan generally gets put in the “too hard” basket.
Life gets busy. I know. I’m a business owner and mum of three kids… but whatever life throws at you, you need to keep the momentum going. And that is particularly true in business.
If it’s time to get your marketing strategy back on track, here are a few tips.
You need to be realistic about the resources you have at hand so you can choose the right people and budget to get the job done. You want to allow for the right amount of time dedicated to the work for yourself, and others involved; and you should allocate resources for at least three to six months (the longer the better).
The key to success here is to have a good team backing you, that way you can ensure you have the right systems in place and your processes up and running. Then, you can focus on the strategic elements and leave the rest in capable hands.
Whenever I see great results from a campaign I’m working on, I light up. I love knowing that what we’re doing is adding value to the businesses we work with. Seeing positive results is a great motivator so it’s important you have the right systems and tools in place to monitor the results of your B2B marketing.
There are endless ways you can do this, including:
If you can see that your marketing has created sales, both directly and indirectly, you’re more likely to stick to the plan.
Set up regular sessions where you and your team can go through your marketing activity, check the results and ensure the needle is moving in the right direction. If something isn’t working, adjust your activity accordingly. There’s nothing more dampening than busting your gut to deliver a campaign, only to find out at the end it hasn’t worked.
Consistent refinement is key here. Don’t waste time on things that are obviously not working. And if things are going great, celebrate!
If only marketing was a one-off fee that you could pay and you’re guaranteed success forever… unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that – and with any marketing strategy, the results aren’t going to be immediate.
Make sure you tell your team members that, but also encourage them along the way. Praise them if they’re doing the right thing, guide them if you think they could do something different (or better). Demonstrate ‘buy-in’ and engagement as the business leader, to both your employees and suppliers. Patience will be rewarded.
Let the members of your team take control. Give them the power to make decisions so that they aren’t waiting for you before they make a change. Allow them to show initiative because when your team aren’t afraid to make mistakes, great things will happen.
To sum it up: don’t invest all of your energy into a strong marketing strategy only to allow it to fizzle out. Make sure you’re well resourced from the start, have good systems in place to measure ROI, demonstrate strong leadership and you’ll be onto a winner. The results will be well worth the effort.
If you need more ideas or want some help achieving your B2B marketing goals, give us a shout. We’d love to help you out.
Let's talk!
