At ASMM Digital everything begins and ends with branding.  Before we do our first second of work for a client we have a branding meeting.  We ask questions and get to know our clients’ businesses inside and out. At first we were surprised by how stumped our clients were by some of our questions.  But after dozens of branding sessions we have come to realize most people have not given their branding a lot of thought.

Four Questions To Ask Yourself

Whether you are handling your marketing efforts in-house or looking for a marketing agency to help you, there are four basic questions you need to ponder.  

Who are you marketing to?

This seems like an easy question.  But chances are you don’t know exactly who you are marketing too.  Often times we go into business with a certain idea of our target market.  Over time we adjust that target or we forget to go back and reexamine it.

We recently met with an event planner.  When we asked about their target market they said, “Anybody. From a $10,000 wedding to a $100,000 corporate event”  When we asked them to consider the events they have planned, which ones brought them the most profit, and which ones they truly enjoyed planning, we were able to help them see that they have a sweet spot. Almost 90% of their business comes from $100,000 weddings.

Knowing who you are marketing to is the first step in creating a marketing campaign that truly works for you.  In this case, a $10,000 wedding may be held in a park or a backyard. It will be about the family and friends you are gathering to celebrate your day. Your marketing will be aimed towards the marriage you are creating as opposed to just the day itself. You will offer tips for gathering friends to create the giveaways, decorate the venue or even make the food.  You will be guiding them on how to save money while still having a beautiful wedding. For a $100,000 wedding, it is about the fairytale, opulence, and luxury. Your photos are perfectly styled to match this and your message is about creating the day you have always dreamed of since you were a little girl.

What’s your message?

To discover the message behind a client’s brand we start with what makes them stand out.  We want to know what problem they are solving for their client. We use this to give us the why?  Why is someone using the client’s service.

Our client, 4 Season Land Care out of Pasadena, Maryland offers landscaping services to homeowners who are willing to pay for weekly and seasonal lawn care.  They have better things to do than spend their weekend mowing the grass, weeding and raking leaves. They don’t want to design their own flowerbeds, build their own decks or lay their own stone for a beautiful driveway.  

Our campaign for 4 Season starts with “Wouldn’t you rather?”  Wouldn’t you rather be paddle boarding with your wife than pulling weeds in your front yard?  Wouldn’t you rather spend the weekend at the beach with your family? Wouldn’t you rather be able to coach your son’s little league team than spend every weekend taking care of the the yard?

Without understanding your message, creating any campaign is like throwing mud against the wall and hoping it sticks.  

Where are you marketing?

We are a digital marketing agency so of course we love social media, email blasts and live video.  But there is more to the where of marketing than deciding what is cheapest or most convenient for you.  

When considering where you will market, consider who you are marketing to.  If your market is retirees, chances are you will need to place ads in the local paper,  place fliers on mailboxes or send out mass mailings. If you are looking at people between the ages of 20 and 65, you may want to market on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, or LinkedIn.  For this age group we would encourage email blasts and monthly newsletters as well. For the teenagers, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube are king. But when marketing to this age group consider who is truly buying and decide whether you should have a campaign running for two different audiences on different platforms.  

Why will they care enough to share?

Posting on social media, sending emails or even sending snail mail are all great, but the best way to get the most bang for your buck is to create marketing content your target audience wants to share.  Snail mail sharing may reach a couple of extra people if your piece of marketing material is walked over to a neighbor’s house or even forward by mail to someone they think is particularly interested. But digital marketing can spread your message like a virus.

To achieve this though you need to create content that makes someone truly want to share.  Each person may have a different type of item they like to share. We all have that friend who shares funny cartoons or puns.  He does this because he knows he is the funny one and it makes him feel good about himself to do be the funny guy. How about the friend who always posts the latest news?  She wants to be seen as helpful and in the know. The person who shares photos of kittens or puppies may share because it makes him feel like a nurturer. How is your marketing content making people feel?  Why are people going to share it?

How much do you really know about your brand?

When you asked yourself these questions today, how did you do?  How well do you know your brand? How much has your brand changed since you started your business?  We would love to hear your stories of the pivots you have taken since beginning your business. We have those stories too and know that the changes we have made are just another part of our story.

At ASMM Digital, we understand that business is not static, your target market today may be different from the one you will have 6 months from now.  You may add services or your analytics may direct you to a different market. We encourage you to rethink your branding every few months. What services or products have you added?  What new markets are your targeting for those products? What feedback are your receiving on social media that might guide you? And finally, what are your analytics and insights telling your?

Our marketing team is here to help. To schedule a branding session with our team, please call us at 443-679-4916.