Are you looking for ways to expand your business? To expand a firm these days, one must first understand why traditional sales and marketing techniques are failing, as well as how to design a successful sales and marketing plan.

What is the definition of sales marketing?

For effective business growth, a well-crafted blend of sales methods and marketing strategies is required.

Direct one-on-one encounters, those interpersonal ties that immediately contribute income to the bank accounts, are what sales entails. The direct sales approach includes phone calls, networking, and meetings.

Marketing, on the other hand, refers to all of a company's efforts to find and acquire new customers. Direct mail campaigns, advertising, public relations, and television or radio ads are all examples.

All of these methods are embodied in direct sales marketing. The amount of 'touches' a prospect requires to convert into a sale varies, but research shows that anything from three to twelve touch points are required.

Following up on and optimizing each contact is therefore more critical than quantity in order to reduce the amount of time, money, and effort spent on each transaction.

One of the best ways to develop your organization is to improve the way your marketing and sales departments work together.

What Doesn't Work?

Some of the most tried-and-true marketing strategies are still effective. For example, video advertising is still popular.

According to Cisco Visual Networking, video accounts for 69 percent of all consumer Internet traffic. Many other marketing methods, on the other hand, are failing miserably.

To be sure, according to Sirius Decisions, the typical sales cycle has grown by 22% in the last five years as more decision-makers are involved in the purchasing process.

• Direct mail is predicted to fall 19 percent over the next 12 months, according to the 2016 DMA Response Rate Report.

• Only 13% of those who read print newspapers admit to glancing at advertisements.

• 44% of direct mail never gets opened.

• 70% to 80% of online visitors ignore online advertisements in favor of organic search results.

• 86 percent of consumers ignore advertising on television.

Marketing Sales Ideas That Work

As consumers become increasingly inundated with advertising gimmicks, it's more crucial than ever for company owners and marketers to come up with new strategies to reach out to potential customers. As a result, it is the responsibility of a business owner to ensure that information is sent to potential consumers at the appropriate time, in the appropriate manner, and on the appropriate platforms. In this case, an inbound marketing approach is critical.

Research

There's no need to waste time scouring the internet for case studies. Instead, ‘research' refers to the time spent learning about the firm and its aims, as well as the industry and its consumers. Instead of pursuing leads and consumers, company owners focus on drawing customers.

1. Clarify the nature of the company and question:

• "What does it mean to "expand the company?"

• How can someone tell whether they've succeeded?

• What are your long- and short-term objectives?

• What is the procedure for selling a product?

Produce Useful Content

It's no longer enough to leave a website inert and hope that people may find it by accident. Instead, company owners should keep their material updated on a regular basis. Relevant content is the most successful search engine optimization (SEO) approach, according to over 70% of marketers, and organizations that blog 16 times or more per month receive four times more leads than those that blog fewer than five times per month.

Content that focuses on helping clients achieve their objectives and/or solve their issues is the most successful. While information on the Internet tends to get stale within weeks of publishing, it's vital to make sure that content is as evergreen as possible to ensure that it retains its worth for years to come.

It's critical to recognize the value of having a capable, efficient copywriter on staff or as a freelancer. This can result in a significant boost in revenue, a doubled client retention rate, and increased brand awareness.

SEO should be taken into consideration

SEO is the newest buzzword in the marketing industry, and with good reason. All of the elements that impact search engine ranking are included in SEO. It's similar to putting on a spotlight so that clients can see where a company is located. Following the discovery of what a company's consumers want (see above), it's critical to include those keywords into every page of the website.

Entrepreneur magazine recommends that company owners do the following to improve a website for SEO:

• Make a prioritized list of relevant search phrases for the client base and market sector.

• Examine relevant industry sources and competitor information to discover the best keywords to employ.

• Include that on the webpages as well if people regularly misspell a word.

• Keep an eye on the site's rankings every 30 to 45 days to make sure the keywords are still working.

• Determine goals ahead of time and make sure they're quantifiable so you can track your return on investment on a regular basis.

• Make a page title.

• Create fresh Google and Bing sitemaps.

• On each page, use strategic words and phrases throughout the material.

• Continuously test and measure the success of the company with objective tools.

Create podcasts

People enjoy getting something for free. Knowledge is the most precious asset in the marketing business. Customers would appreciate it if you use Podcasts effectively. Between 2015 and 2016, the number of people listening to podcasts climbed by 23%.

Learn how to use social media

The efficacy of social media marketing is debatable. While some may believe it is a complete waste of time, the statistics indicate otherwise. After all, the level of audience involvement is unrivaled.

• Facebook is used by 72 percent of adult Internet users.

• Facebook's content consumption has climbed by 57% in the last two years.

• Instagram has 500 million monthly active users.

• LinkedIn has 450 million members, with 25% of them active on a monthly basis.

• 30% of millennial internet users in the United States use Snapchat on a regular basis.

Keep in touch

Depending on the product or service, the firm may be on the customer's mind on a daily basis, as in the case of a food product, or only on rare occasions, as in the case of pricey cosmetic treatments. Whatever the case may be, it's vital to be on the customer's mind as soon as they're ready to buy. Maintaining frequent and consistent communication is one approach to do this.

1. At all times, collect the customer's information.

2. To remain in touch with potential and existing customers, create email or SMS campaigns.

3. Check to see if the company is listed in local directories and search engines.

Effective marketing is more than just relying on direct mail or TV commercials. It's now a multi-dimensional, multi-sensory experience. Keep up with industry developments and new technologies to aid marketing efforts by following these ideas.

________________________________

Salty Red Dog Marketing, LLC is a marketing agency in Red Bank, NJ, Westport, CT, and everywhere in between. We service businesses with marketing strategies, digital marketing, social media, and consultations.

Contact: info@saltyreddogmarketing.com

Phone: NJ: (732) 802-6205 // CT: (203) 429-9671