Four States Small Business Blog

3 Essentials to Include in Your 2022 Marketing Plan

Posted by Mark Zimmer on January 18, 2022 at 7:00 AM
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As we enter the third week of 2022, many small businesses find themselves in a transitional period and a moment to reflect on the previous year. It's the perfect time to sit down and hammer out a solid marketing plan. Continuing in our blogging series on yearly marketing plans, we'll cover three essentials to include in your 2022 marketing plan. We'll be discussing why combining a good website, digital targeting, and broad reach marketing create a powerful engine for your brand's growth... one that will positively impact your bottom line for years to come.

1. A Fast & Reliable Business Website

The first essential element in our marketing trifecta is your business website. The best way to think about your business website is as a storefront. Throughout most of history, the front of your physical business location was your storefront, but with the constant growth of the internet, you now have your online storefront to consider. And your business website may even be more important than your physical location these days. That's because about 76% of people check a business's online presence before visiting it in person.

How to Make an Effective Business Website

Because your business website is so vital to your success, it's worth taking some time to understand what makes a good website. Here are some of the most critical factors in building an excellent site:

  • Modern web design with recognizable brand elements
  • Search engine optimization
  • Speed 
  • Security
These four website essentials are what will separate your local business from the pack, signaling to your customers that you are professional and trustworthy. Employing modern web design principles shows your customers that you're are an active business. And, when your website showcases brand elements such as your logo, slogan, and colors, you reinforce your brand identity and capture mental real estate. High-quality content written with search engine traffic in mind will ensure that your potential customers can find you. At the same time, website speed will offer your web visitors a good experience on your website, keeping them on the page for longer. Finally, good security shows your customers that you are conscientious and have their best interests in mind. It also protects your business from threats such as ransomware attacks. 
 

2. Broad Reach Marketing

Broad reach marketing is how you take your company's consistent messaging to a wide group of potential customers. Your focus in broad reach marketing should primarily be on brand building. It's the art of delivering a skillfully crafted message based on your company's unique strengths to your audience. At this level of marketing, you're simply trying to build awareness and a positive image of your business in your potential customer's mind.  

Generally speaking, traditional mass media is the best way to conduct broad reach marketing. Using options like radio, TV, and print that reach a particular geographic region you serve are your best resources for brand building. The most effective way to run a broad reach marketing campaign is to use the most budget-friendly form of mass media and run your ads regularly. For these reasons, radio is a particularly attractive option. Because of its low cost, you can stretch your budget further and reach listeners with your message multiple times a day. 

3. Digital Targeting

The final essential tool for your 2022 marketing plan is digital targeting. Digital targeting is the most pinpointed part of this three-part marketing plan. Digital marketing has many options. You may choose to run video ads on an OTT service or use display ads. There are many services, ad types, and places to show your ads. So, what do they all have in common? They segment your audience into highly specific categories based on behavior, income, age, and many more attributes. This allows you to narrow down the audience you are marketing to, so you can offer them specific messaging designed to make the sale.

Your narrow digital targeting audiences should already be familiar with your brand based on your broad reach marketing efforts. That means, when the day comes that they need the product or service you offer, you can present them with an ad designed to generate conversions. Your targeted ads can direct them to your website (including your online store), encourage them to call or fill out a contact form, or any number of actions that motivate your audience member to become a customer.

Combine Your Website, Broad Reach Marketing & Digital Targeting for Success

So, what will you include in your 2022 marketing plan? Hopefully, you will utilize a business website, broad reach marketing, and digital targeting. Together, they make a potent blend to build brand recognition, trust, and make a sale when the time is right. There are no shortcuts to marketing success, but with a solid plan and commitment, your business can grow dramatically from these tried and true marketing methods.

Ready to build your 2022 marketing plan? Get help from Zimmer Marketing today!

 

Topics: Radio Advertising, Marketing Strategy, Website Design, Digital Marketing