If your marketing strategy needs an overhaul, you need professionals who are experts at their craft and know how to get results.

But they can’t do it alone!

In order to have a working relationship that is positive and successful, here are a few things you need to do…

1. Know what you want

Think about your objectives before your first meeting. For example, do you…

• Want to increase new business?
• Encourage existing customers to return?
• Build your referral business?
• Increase traffic to your website?

Your marketing solution will vary according to what you’d like to achieve. It’s also good to have an idea of how you will measure your return on investment when your needs are met. You want to be more than happy with the result!

2. Participate in the process

Your marketing agency will need to find out all they can about your business before they begin — so they’ll value your input.

At the briefing, you should actively participate in helping your marketing agency to understand your business; the customers you have, the customers you want, your competitors, opportunities and product/s or service.

You should also include a range of your team members in any strategy meetings. Involving employees who work directly with your product or service, and therefore know it back-to-front is good; involving employees who work face-to-face with your customers or clients, who can help your marketing agency to “walk in their shoes” is even better!

3. Build on your success

Beware of an agency who suggests throwing everything out and starting from scratch — this isn’t always necessary.

While in some cases it may be appropriate to renew your branding, the reality is that you’re enjoying your success today because you’re already doing a lot right!

With this in mind, give samples of any existing marketing collateral you currently use to your marketing agency — this can be a jumping off point for discussion about how your current marketing strategy didn’t work, what did produce results, and why.

It can also help to unearth opportunities that have potential to be very profitable, but are yet to be explored.

And on similar lines, it’s always a good idea to build a library of competitors’ marketing collateral — including brochures, advertising and websites — so you can identify opportunities and weaknesses that can be exploited.

4. Set aside an appropriate budget

A marketing strategy isn’t an “unnecessary expense”. It’s an investment in your business, and a necessary ingredient for creating long-lasting profits.

Creating an integrated marketing strategy and implementing it over a long period of time requires adequate funds in order to deliver optimum results, and that’s why you should have a reasonable budget allocated for your project.

For example, if you are positioning yours as a high-end business with top-of-the-range products, you need your marketing brochure to align with this. A few dollars stinted on the choice of quality paperstock can undermine your image, and render your brochure less effective in attracting your target market.

We’d love to work with you!

The Crockford Carlisle team specialises in working with companies that sell complex products or services in a competitive environment. No matter how big your organization, we have the resources and expertise to deliver.

Talk with a professional about your marketing strategy marketing strategy today! Call (07) 3891 3800 or email hello@crockfordcarlisle.com.au