Marketing can play an integral role in boosting brand awareness and increasing sales, but success is far from guaranteed. If your current strategy isn’t setting the world alight, or your sales have stalled, here are some steps you can take to improve results.

Base Your Strategy on Data Analysis and Research

Carrying out market research and collecting and analyzing data are crucial when planning a new marketing campaign or a revamped strategy. To implement an effective, targeted campaign, you need to get to know your customers and gain an understanding of how they shop, what kinds of offers interest them and how they like to be contacted by brands. It’s also incredibly useful to watch the market closely to identify new consumer trends and to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing. Use customer feedback, surveys and data analysis to shape your campaigns and ensure they reach the right people.

Create a Clear Ideal Buyer Persona

Before you start promoting a new product, a store opening or a new service, make sure you have a clear picture of the kinds of buyers you’re hoping to attract. Creating an ideal buyer persona will help you create a streamlined strategy that generates high-quality leads and contributes to higher conversion rates. Gather information about the target customer and use it to choose marketing techniques and platforms and to open up communication channels. If you have a young audience, for example, using social media is an excellent way to engage with new and existing customers, to promote your brand and to get people talking. Sites like Instagram are particularly popular with 18-35-year-olds.

Call in the Experts

If you’re not an expert in marketing, and you don’t have an in-house team, it’s wise to call in the experts. Outsourcing marketing is a fantastic way to access skilled professionals without adding to your wage bill on a long-term basis. Look for an agency that has an excellent reputation, check portfolios and results and search for companies that specialize in providing services within your industry like SEO for lawyers or web design for healthcare businesses. A good agency will be able to plan, implement and manage targeted campaigns based on your objectives. Making the right choice should make a really positive impact on web and physical store traffic, sales and profits.

Prioritize Customer Retention

Many businesses make the mistake of going all-out to impress new clients. While it’s beneficial to attract new customers, it’s also vital to look after existing clients. Loyal customers are worth their weight in gold. High retention rates will enhance your brand image and reputation, and repeat customers are also more likely to leave positive feedback and give your business high review scores. Existing clients may also recommend your company to their friends and family, and word of mouth can be extremely influential. Today, more than 80% of us read reviews before buying products and services. Offer loyalty rewards, stay in touch with your customers and always add a personal touch when sending emails or running promotions.

A slick, customer-focused marketing campaign can make all the difference if you’re on a mission to increase sales, enhance your reputation and maximize profits.