Top 8 Marketing myths that business owners need to be aware of
Top 8 Marketing & Sales myths that business owners need to be aware
- They are masters of marketing & sales. Most Indian small business owners don’t invest in mastering marketing & sales skills. Almost all successful companies awarded the CEO role to a leader who is a master of marketing & sales skills.
- You build a team & products. Customers will come automatically. They build teams in every other department except marketing & Sales.
- Once they hire a marketing & sales team, business owners think that their responsibility is fulfilled and now just wait for sales. In fact, real efforts start after hiring a team. A business owner needs to train & coach by providing clarity about the business model, goals, organization culture, role, capabilities, product/service, target market, etc.
- They believe marketing & Sales is the same. Marketing provides information & demonstration of value (solve the problem, fulfill need & desire) & Sales is all about winning trust, understanding urgency, budget, need & buying desire.
- They are confused about which comes first sales or marketing. Marketing feeds sales & Sales feeds operations. It is always marketing & Sales, not Sales & marketing.
- They believe money spent on marketing & sales is an expense and not an investment. Any expenses for marketing & sales are an investment that is included in the product or service price.
- The business owner believes once they start a business, customers will come automatically. Without proactive marketing & Sales business visibility is limited to the home town/city & social network of the business owner.
- The business owner believes the only way to market is through direct marketing using cold calling or door-to-door visits to customers or businesses and advertising through various media. During the pandemic & digital era, digital marketing contributes 62% of total business revenue.
Top 6 benefits of blogging for your small business
Top 6 benefits of blogging for your small business
For Small businesses, blogging/vlogging is worth the time and effort. Well maintained blog and thoughtfully written posts on a regular basis is a relatively easy, inexpensive way to enhance inbound marketing efforts that drives traffic to your site, and attract more prospective customers.
Here are statistics that would surprise you with the power of underdog blogs.
37% of marketers find that blogs are the most important method of content marketing.
Companies that blog enjoy 97% more inbound links over blogless competitors.
Websites with blogs have 434% more indexed pages than websites without blogs.
B2B businesses are more likely to blog than B2C businesses.
94% of those who share posts do it because they think it will be helpful to others.
B2B companies with blogs get 67% more leads than those without.
Companies that blog enjoy 97% more inbound links over blogless competitors.
Websites with blogs have 434% more indexed pages than websites without blogs.
B2B businesses are more likely to blog than B2C businesses.
94% of those who share posts do it because they think it will be helpful to others.
B2B companies with blogs get 67% more leads than those without.
Here are few prominent benefits of blogging for small and medium businesses
1. Establish strong relationship with your prospective and existing customers
Blogging/vlogging connects you with your site visitors. Also strike conversation with readers through comments and feedback at the end of post by asking questions. With your responses you would successfully build rapport with your readers.
2. Boost Search Engine Optimization
Fresh and valuable content attracts more searches. Consistently blogging supplies new content to indexes that create new opportunities to plug-in all important keywords that increase SERPS (Search Engine results pages). Readers who benefitted from your blog post would start referencing/linking your articles/blog posts on your website providing added benefits from backlinking.
3. Develop your business into thought leader as well as industry leader
By providing expert and valuable information through your blog post, you build trust within your industry. Within a few months to years you would build a reputation of a leader with impactful views. These efforts are critical for small businesses seeking credibility to compete with larger companies.
4. Value provider blog for your loyal readers
Business blogging provides value to readers that attract to your site again and again anticipating more benefits. Posts or tips that solves their routine problems or provide them hints to make their life easier leads more trust and more business.References to success stories or testimonials in blog generates positive emotions in readers to take action to reach out or buy.
5. Helps in lead generation
Your blog could play a crucial role in driving readers to send email from interest leads by asking them to subscribe to your blog posts. Those emails could be used as a communication channel for marketing purposes. Apart from gaining a regular audience you will have new opportunities for email marketing to promote your business, offer deals. More the frequency, more chances of converting those readers into customers.
6. Sharing opportunity for readers
Empowered by your blog post, readers are always inspired to share your blog to others. Then it may be tweet, link, email etc. but for you it is free promotion to validate your business credibility.
Above all blogging is very cost effective, offers lasting benefits and boosts search engine ranking, increases traffic and nurtures stronger relationships with new and potential customers.
Are you interested in creating blogs and maintaining one for your business? We can help with that. The Sukathaa team offers a wide range of digital design and marketing solutions to meet your exact needs. No time to write a blog post? No problem. Sukathaa team of copywriting and content creation team members can help you to create valuable and thoughtfully written posts for your business blog.
Here are 10 reasons why your business needs branding
Here are 10 reasons why your business needs branding
Many small businesses feel that having a strong brand identity is not needed but for large companies to do. Many small businesses invest in a logo for their business and forget that brand identity is not all about just giving a visual impression through the logo.
Your business still has brand without logo.
Brand is an impression that forms a special connection with your target audience. Brand is a complete package that doesn’t include just a logo but a complete impression about your business leave with customers, what they say and what it is like to do business with you.
Small businesses can reap benefits of a brand that showcases who they are, provides visibility and trust about business. Strong brand identity communicates your promise, message and values. It is the perception the world has about your business.
1. Brand influences customers
Positive reviews about products attract competitor customers if you have a good brand name. Many times your strong brand acts as alternatives to original products.
For example, Pepsi and Coke always preferred better quality products due to brand.
2. Brand expand the business
Brand attracts a wider audience and helps you reach to newer areas, regions and segments. This further increases sales and provides huge benefits. For example, McDonald has been able to open their chain in different parts of the world with ease.
3. Brand earns customer loyalty
In era of digital revolution, the most sought out things is the customer loyalty. Even above customer satisfaction where there are few chances customers will return. Loyal customer will always come to you again and again. Pure focus on customer satisfaction, you need to focus on price sensitivity and competitive promotions. A good customer loyalty helps your business to better reach the prospective customers with the word of mouth which acts as the best form of advertisement. For example, Toyota cars enjoy brand loyalty like none.
4. Brand increases sales
Sales increases rapidly with improved awareness about your brand. Brand reaches to more and more users who believe in your products and services and your business helping increase in sales. For example, Amazon always succeeds in increasing it's sales.
5. Brand protects from competitors
Good brands always get better preference from educated users. Buyers always buy the products from their preferred brands, even if there are plenty of copycats at lower prices. This is how brands help you provide protection from competition. For example, Tesla couldn't be challenged by competitors.
6. Brand makes business look bigger
When prospective buyers see a professionally designed brand consistently visible across various marketing collateral such as a business card, website, social media profiles, they form the image of a company that deserves their business. Prospective buyers always like to rely upon business with resources to help them succeed. Brands help you make your company look bigger so prospects expect to pay more for an established business. For example, Twitter survived many copycats.
7. Brand creates identity that is bigger than you
Most often small businesses owners build a brand around themselves than business. Brands help you to create an identity bigger than yourself or any person. This makes it easier for the person to get identified with a brand. For example, everyone in social media knows Facebook but need not know it's founder.
8. Brand helps introduce new products
Every for profit business aims for business expansion. With brand name, small businesses easily introduce new products to market. Due to the already established brand, associated faith in similar services and quality new products also get a well deserved response with complete trust. As you already have complete knowledge about customer expectations from previous experience. For example, Apple launched new products riding on the success of their past product.
9. Brand increases value of the company
In terms of accounting language, brandis intangible and valuable asset. In comparison with businesses having the same resources, the business with good brand name will be measured at higher valuation. For example, WhatsApp was valued higher.
10. Brand communicates stability of business
Are you interested in creating new brand for your business or rebranding your existing business? We can help you with that. Sukathaa Design team offers a wide range of design services to build great brand identity that meet your exact needs. Not happy with current brand impression of your business? No problem. Sukathaa design team can help you to create valuable and thoughtfully designed brand collateral for your business.
The Ultimate Guide for Indian Small business Marketing
The Ultimate Guide for Indian Small business Marketing
Most small business owners start business to make living and by inspired from others success stories or for personal financial freedom. Whatever may be reason but feelings are mix of excitement, nervousness & frustration with current situations.
But remember, without preparation nothing lasts long. Same is true with marketing which is foundation for successful business growth.
Your small business marketing starts with early and critical challenges such as limited resources such as time, money, talent (many times it is your own than team talent).
Small business marketing starts with
1. Real-world promotion such as direct marketing, partner channels and public relation &
2. Online marketing with website promotion through search engine, social media, email, affiliate marketing etc.
Small business preparation starts with initial home work.
1. Why we serve? Whom do you serve?
The answer is what is the size of the opportunity you wish to go after. Choose a market that has higher spending power/wealth. Choose the market that isn't crowded with too many competitors but also not completely new with no competition at all. Above all chose your offerings (service/product) that have uniqueness so you start your business with good cashflow in the market.
2. Research & identity list of keywords that describe your business in language that your prospective buyers understand.
Keywords, phrases as described & searched by prospective buyers through search engine.
3. Set your financial target and timeline/deadline to achieve that target.
Revenue, Profit, Volume sales, percentage market share etc.
4. Define set of performance indicator to measure milestones/success.
Inquiries/leads, Orders/conversions, Views/Impressions, Clients/customers, Revenue/Sales etc.
5. Define your conversion rate.
Conversion is percentage of inquiries/leads that turn into customers that provides estimated revenue & profit.
6. Set your budget
Setting a budget helps you arrive at the estimated cost of setting up a business and estimated cost of operating business for the period within which you wish to accomplish break-even or turn your business profitable (net profit).
7. Role of Online & Social Media marketing
Choose the right set of digital platforms to promote your business. Search engine, Social media networks, other high traffic platforms where the possibility of finding your prospective buyers are high.
8. Know your online online buyers/customers well
You need to know what time of day is right to reach your prospective buyers/customer on various platforms depending upon your target market for the successful sale of your products/services.
9. Deploying strategies, tactics & digital platform features
Identity and execute search engine, social media promotional techniques, features to engage, educate, and convert your prospects into buyers/customers. Paid/display/banner advertising, blogging, video marketing, influencer marketing, etc.
10. Define market positioning that introduces your business to all prospective buyers
Introduce our business with what problem are you solving and what value are you delivering through your solution to that problem. Also, address your positioning statement to your target buyers. Include words that describe direct benefits to prospective buyers.
11. Design Press kit for successful brand launch
Website, SEO friendly content, Logo, marketing collaterals such as flyers, brochures, business cards, social media creatives/banners creates lasting impression through traditional media or online channels. Reach out to journalists, media analysts, critics, bloggers for positive press mention or write-ups.
12. Create content strategy to promote business online
Identify subjects or topics to write content that would add value to your business promotion. It can be blogging, vlogging, ebooks, articles, guest/ghostwriting, webinars, podcasts, newsletters, video, business emails for business solicitation, etc.
13. Capture data and analyze for insights and intelligence
Always capture data about every aspect of your small marketing. Deploy cost-effective technology solutions and tools that provide a comprehensive set of analytics about website visitors, the behavior of prospects, lead conversion patterns, and customer reviews and feedback about product or services, etc.
14. Continuous innovation & research
Change is the only thing that is constant in the real as well as the digital world. Apply your lessons learned, experience, derived wisdom from competitors, market research firms, and partners. employee and above all customer experience.
India is the unique market in the world for the following reasons
1. One country with hundreds of Micro-markets unlike anywhere in the world
2. One country hundreds of cultures, languages & unique business processes
3. One country with two types of markets: First market is mass market which is price sensitive but demand for high volume forms 80% and more market size. Second market is Class market that seek hight quality & classy products.
4. India is also land where businesses have lower respect to law of the land. They lack respect of compliance, regulations due to weaker education, training, enforcement & corruption.
With this understanding, one needs to plunge into the business world with focus on delivering quality-conscious value to those who needs it with complete respect for Karma!
- Are you interested in content to power your business website with features that would attract buyers?
- Do you need blogs and maintain blog for your business?
We can help with that. The Sukathaa team offers a wide range of digital design and marketing solutions to meet your exact needs.
No time to write a blog post?
No problem. Sukathaa team of copywriting and content creation team members can help you to create valuable and thoughtfully written posts for your business blog.
