The low-down on how to set sales and marketing objectives
Any business intending to expand sales and clientele must set marketing and sales objectives. The achievement of business goals and long-term success is guaranteed by having a clear and detailed marketing strategy. Yet it can be challenging to decide what those objectives should be or how to achieve them.
Therefore, a rigorous planning and preparation process is necessary for a business to ensure that SMART marketing objectives are being produced. SMART objectives are precise, measurable, achievable, pertinent, and time-bound goals. This piece will give you the lowdown on establishing sales and marketing objectives.
Define Your Business Goals
Defining your business goals is the first stage in defining sales and marketing objectives. What do you hope to accomplish with your company? Do you want to boost sales, grow your clientele, or boost client loyalty? Companies can establish their priorities and create a plan for success by defining their business goals.
It promotes a sense of cohesion and collaboration inside the organization and aids in ensuring that all stakeholders are working towards a common goal. Companies can track their success in attaining their dreams thanks to clearly defined corporate plans.
This helps pinpoint areas for development and provides insightful feedback on how well the current strategy and approaches are working. Objectives keep your staff members inspired, content, and eager to go to work each day. Setting goals properly can help your business become more successful and productive.
Identify Your Target Market
The next step is to determine who your target market is. Who are the perfect clients for you? What are their requirements and problems? Where do they spend their time, both online and off? Any firm must know its target market to comprehend its clients’ demands, preferences, and behaviors.
Businesses need a comprehensive understanding of their target market to build efficient marketing plans, appealing messages, and products and services that satisfy customers’ expectations.
By determining their target market, companies can adapt their marketing efforts to reach the appropriate customers with the right message at the right time. This raises the likelihood of luring in and keeping clients, which is essential for a company’s long-term success.
Conduct a SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is a helpful technique for determining the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and threats facing your company. By performing a SWOT analysis, you can find possibilities to profit from and areas where you need to improve. With this knowledge, sales and marketing goals can be created that take advantage of your chances and strengths while simultaneously addressing your risks and weaknesses.
A SWOT analysis can assist you in exposing dangerous assumptions and performance blindspots inside your firm. It can provide fresh perspectives on where your company is right now and assist you in creating the ideal strategy for any circumstance if you use it thoughtfully and in collaboration.
Set SMART Objectives
Developing SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals for your sales and marketing efforts is critical. There are targeted and precisely defined goals. Measurable goals provide a tool to monitor development and assess performance. Realistic and attainable goals are those that can be reached. Your corporate goals are in line with pertinent objectives. Objectives that are time-bound have a completion date.
Develop Strategies and Tactics
You can begin creating sales and marketing strategies and techniques once you have established your business objectives, identifying your target market, performed a SWOT analysis, and set SMART objectives. First, your strategies should be comprehensive blueprints that describe how you will accomplish your goals. Then, your strategies should be put into practice with the help of precise, doable tactics.
Create a Budget
Resources like time and money are needed to achieve sales and marketing goals. Making a budget is essential to ensuring you have the resources necessary to accomplish your goals. Both the financial commitment and the time commitment for each technique should be specified in your budget. According to a Clutch poll, sixty-one percent of small firms need a formal budget, which can hinder a business’s performance and restrict its activities.
Measure and Monitor Results
Finally, it’s critical to gauge and keep track of the success of your marketing and sales efforts. This will enable you to assess the efficacy of your strategy and tactics and whether any adjustments are required. Website traffic, leads produced, conversion rates, client acquisition costs, and customer lifetime value are critical indicators to monitor.
Creating sales and marketing targets is crucial to success. You can create successful sales and marketing campaigns to increase your revenue and broaden your customer base by defining your business goals, identifying your target market, performing a SWOT analysis, setting SMART objectives, developing strategies and tactics, creating a budget, and measuring your business goals and monitoring results.
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Attention! These are the Top Mistakes to Avoid in Blogging
Today, no marketer can deny the importance of blogging in a marketing strategy. Blogs can increase customer engagement, drive traffic to your website, improve search engine optimization and gradually build up the brand’s authority in the industry. But not everyone is doing it right and below are the top rookie mistakes businesses make in blogging:
The Ultimate Guide to Blogging
Blogging, a concept that once used to represent an outlet for individuals to document their lives online has now transformed into an indispensable part of marketing.
If your business doesn’t have a blog, chances are there is a huge scope of improvement in your marketing efforts. Blog marketing is the process of using blogs to reach and inform your target audience. So, what is a blog?
Hubspot defines a blog as “posts that allow you and your business to publish insights, thoughts, and stories on your website about any topic. They can help you boost traffic, brand awareness, credibility, conversions, and revenue.”
Blogging is as simple – and as complex – as that.
Now that we know what it means, here is an ultimate guide to improving your blogging game:
Step 1: Determine the ‘why’ you’re blogging
According to SEMrush even though your blog is a large part of your content marketing strategy, its main purpose isn’t sales – and we can’t agree more!
While you create your blog, it is important to remember that your blog is a space to show your customer that you care and want to add value to their lives. Therefore, it is crucial to publish information that will establish your brand as a credible thought leader in the field.
Blogging has other advantages too.
The Balance Small Business outlines a few other pros – it is inexpensive to start and maintain, easy to use, generates website traffic, improves SEO, engages your target audience and creates more avenues to generate revenue.
Step 2: Know your audience
While the purpose of your blog may be to establish your company as a thought leader and to elevate the brand’s image, it is just as important (if not more important) to cater to your audience’s interests.
Remember, your audience is interested in the services you offer, but it’s your job to convince them that your business is the right fit for them. So, if you start pitching your business straight away, you’re sure to lose your audience.
Therefore, it is important that you are producing something that adds value to your target audience’s lives, introduces them to new ideas and hooks them to find out more. For example, if you’re a marketing firm, there are a billion other firms out there. Your audience will look to your blog to understand what you’re doing that’s new and interesting in the field. So, you may want to talk about marketing tips, strategies and tools that may help your customer, rather than the specific services that you offer.
So how do you know what your customer wants? Create profiles on your target audience!
It’s all about breaking down your target audience by demographics, needs, financial capacity and a host of other metrics to really understand how they think, what their needs are and then understanding how to meet that need.
Step 3: Engage your audience
With a wealth of information available at our fingertips, it’s no secret that people’s attention spans are getting shorter. Therefore, it becomes very important to engage your target audience.
A catchy heading is absolutely essential to capture your audience’s attention.
This should be short, snappy and attractive. This can usually take the form of “How to” or “What is” or “10 ways to…” posts.
It’s best to use the listicle format so your content looks well-organized and delivers what it promises by establishing clear topics and sub-topics.
Next, you need to have a great intro.
The first few sentences of your blog can make or break your blog. It makes the difference between generating a lead and losing a customer. HubSpot recommends that you “tell a story, be empathetic, or grip the reader with an interesting fact or statistic.”
The rest of your post can be written in any format you desire, as long as you keep your objective in mind throughout the process. This could include infographics, photos, videos, and other creative forms of expression.
Step 4: Develop a content marketing plan
Social Media Examiner recommends mapping out your marketing calendar. The idea is to create hooks around content that you develop.
This means organizing your content to come out at an appropriate time – this can include public holidays, and other important dates, as well as dates specific to your product or service such as events, conferences and tradeshows you attend or any other marketing activation that you engage in.
Step 5: Be heard
Once all the hard work of producing a brilliant blog is done, you want to share the news!
The first step is ensuring that your content is search engine optimized. This means ensuring that relevant keywords are incorporated seamlessly into the article, as well as ensuring that your blog is optimized for mobile phones. Scott Chow offers other neat hacks to SEO such as header tags, permalinks and categorization.
Other methods of marketing your blog can include simple word-of-mouth, sharing your blog across your social media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, creating an EDM campaign, engaging with other bloggers and even including calls to action on your blog to engage more actively with your target audience.
And most importantly, have fun with it!
Your blog is your space to get your creative juices flowing and create something new and interesting to share – enjoy the process!
4 Reasons Why Having a Blog Helps You With Your SEO
Blogs are considered to be an invaluable tool for organizations to utilize. However, their effectiveness is more than often overlooked by companies who either completely ignore blogs or do not utilize them to their full potential.
Possessing a blog is a fantastic way of improving your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This is due to the ability of blogs to position your website as a relevant solution to customer search queries. The more relevant your website is, the greater the chance of being ranked higher in search engine results and increasing the amount of visitors to your site.
Despite this being a general, overall advantage of possessing a blog, four key reasons why having a blog helps you with your SEO are that:
Blogging helps you target long-term key words
When conducting SEO, a lot of organisations strive to make their website extremely relevant in order to present itself to potential consumers who are looking for their products or services. In order to be relevant, it is best for specific keywords relating to the business being used to increase overall exposure. However, lesser known companies may struggle to compete with well-established companies that currently exist in the market.
In order to compete with this, blogging provides companies with the opportunity to embed longer, more specific keywords within their content which are congruent to the phrases or search terms that their potential customers are entering into search engines. By doing this, it increases their overall relevance and is likely to rank them higher on the search engine results page, thus increasing the likelihood of customers visiting their page.
Blogs offer a stream of fresh and relevant content for your website
Obsolete websites that haven’t been updated in years aren’t necessarily the most reliable sources of information. Nor are they at the top of search engine’s priorities to display to searchers as they don’t want to deliver them with outdated information. Instead, websites that are regularly updated show search engines that the website is active and providing fresh content. In addition to this, it gives the search engine algorithms more of a reason to index your website. Therefore, blog offer a great way of regularly updating your website and providing a stream of fresh and relevant content.
Blogs keeps people on your website for longer periods of time
The primary purpose of any search engine is to provide its users with the information that they are looking for. When someone clicks on the first link displayed and leaves the website immediately, it signals to the search engine that the first result wasn’t helpful or relevant. Conversely, when a link is clicked on and someone stays on that website for a period of time, it signals that the website offers relevant and helpful content.
Therefore, when someone visits your website from a blog post displayed in the search results, it increases the likelihood of that individual staying on your website for a prolonged period of time, meaning that search engines will deem your website to be more relevant compared to a page with less information or text.
Blogs help you connect with your target audience
When your audience reads a blog that they find extremely informative and enjoyable, they’re likely to share it on social media. By sharing it with their friends and followers, it has the potential to drive traffic to the website and increase the amount of visitors. If these viewers enjoy the content provided, they are more likely to return to your website to view more of your content. A website that receives a lot of traffic and repeat visitors indicates to Google that people enjoy your website and, as a result, raise your level of authority in their algorithm.
Recognition on search engine platforms is more vital than ever in this highly technological era. By ensuring that your website possesses a blog section that provides engaging and contemporary information, this greatly assists in enhancing the probability of your website being displayed higher up on search engine results pages and being viewed by potential customers.
SEO and The Robots Improving It
Last week, we talked about the importance of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and how they can secure leads for your business. Next up on our list is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Why is this feature so important and how exactly can you implement it within your business plan and marketing strategies?
How AI is playing a role in modern transportation
New ways of transportation are just around the corner and AI is at the forefront of this development. Autonomous cars, self-driving garbage trucks and drone air taxis are all in the near future for the world of transportation. Technology has come a long way, but just how advanced has it really become?
We now live in a world where self-driving vehicles exist. It’s amazing that the things we’ve once seen on TV have now become a reality. The dream of driverless planes, trains, and cars have all been brought to life. There is even a form of machine learning that’s being used to predict traffic jams before they even happen. Early stages of luggage tracking are in the mix now as well. The idea is to use a built-in GPS to track your luggage on your phone wherever it may be. The technology also uses a built-in scale so you can check the weight of your bag as well. New technology is even being put towards promoting safety on the streets.
Ford announced that it planned to submit a patent for a robotic police car. The vehicle would be able to issue tickets and violations to cars exceeding the speed limit. It would be done by scanning registration numbers and using CCTV footage. Next time you get a ticket it may not even be from a police officer. It’s quite impressive how these developments are being put into place.
Now, most of these advanced forms of transportation won’t hit the market for quite some time, but what you might not know is that you already have some form of AI working in your vehicle right now. Sophisticated driver assist programs such as GPS routing and sensors to detect obstacles and other vehicles are all backed by AI. We are so used to these helpful forms of technology that we don’t often stop to think that they are a form of artificial intelligence.
All of these modern advancements may seem like the next best thing but with all this new technology we have to ask the question, is it safe? Do we trust robots to make major decisions for us as our lives are at stake? Thankfully, extra steps are being taken to make sure all forms of transportation are safe and sound before they hit the market, but safety is still a concern. However, if you don’t believe that cars should drive themselves you at least have to admit that this technology is pretty cool and that the opportunities are endless.
A clever new way to market your business
Does your business need a clear direction in regards to your marketing activities? Maybe you’ve tried the same strategy over and over again but it doesn’t quite take your business to the level you desire. If this is the case then it’s time for you to try something new! Robotic Marketer uses data-driven information and in-depth analysis’ of competitors and the market to give your business the strategy that works best for you. We live in a world of technology so why not utilize it?
With so many businesses and so much competition out there, running effective marketing for your company has never been so important. By combining big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning Robotic Marketer can create a marketing strategy for any type of business no matter the size or industry. Since Robotic Marketer is a technology-based company it can create results for you anytime and anywhere. The opportunity for every business to have a custom built strategy without the time, cost or resource restrictions has been made possible through Robotic Marketer.
Due to the progressive qualities of Robotic Marketer’s methods, you might have some uncertainties. Why should you trust a robot to make your marketing strategy? Well, it’s because Robotic Marketer gives your business results. We deliver you a 40-page marketing strategy and generate workshops to help you out along the way. In doing this we deliver your business a smarter more intuitive plan.
Through AI, Robotic Marketer is able to turn data into real strategic marketing outcomes. Data allows the robot to dig deeper, behind the algorithms of Google to tell you more about your customers and your competitors. Get to know the current market your business is in as well as the specifics of what your customers are looking for.
Robotic Marketer is breaking down the barriers of what traditional marketing looks like. It is an industry leader and innovator that replaces the old fashioned ways of marketing with a new and smarter solution. Robotic Marketer is the most powerful, productive, data science-based marketing strategy technology platform in the world today. So sit back relax and watch your business grow as the robot does all the hard work for you.
Is AI being used to monitor staff activity?
For many the thought of their work activities being monitored might make them a bit uneasy, but that is the direction AI is headed. Artificial intelligence allows robots and technological systems to gather information, analyse outcomes, and produce final work and projects to you in record time. However, if that isn’t enough for you AI is now being used to oversee employee activity. Now before you go and rethink your last Google search or email take a look at how and why AI is being used for this type of monitoring.
More than 22 percent of organisations from all over the world are gathering data on their employees’ activities at work, according to a survey conducted in late 2018 by Gartner. The data being collected came from employee emails, searches, and any activity that involves the website. The advancements in technology have also led systems such as facial recognition to have the ability to monitor employee mood and emotions at work. Does this seem all a little bit to close for comfort? We want to know your thoughts!
On another note, the data gathered by AI is said to improve worker productivity, accountability, and even compare the efficiency of different products. According to raconteur.net, “…74 percent of business leaders say it will help unlock the full potential of their people.” But at what cost will this productivity increase come with?
AI surveillance in the workplace has created a large concern amongst a vast majority of employees. This concern has been created due to the use of the data collected. It has employees left thinking, will the information collected be used to set unfair targets, over-scrutinise work, or micromanage? If companies misuse data in a way that diminishes trust they risk losing revenue growth and the dissatisfaction of their employees.
On the other hand, if the data collected is used properly it can build trust between employees and individuals in higher positions, as well as motivating workers and boosting productivity. This monitoring process can help to hold staff accountable to their work and keep them on track.
As AI continues to grow and prosper, one thing is for sure that this technology will begin to impact every aspect of our lives, including our workspaces. Is it for the better or the worse? Well, that is something we will just have to find out for ourselves.
Is artificial intelligence the key to doing your job better?
By now you have must have heard the news? Well if you haven’t, yes robots and artificial intelligence are taking over every aspect of our lives including our workspaces. But the real questions are, is it for the better or for the worse?
The increased utilisation, integration and implementation of technology into our daily work lives is making us more efficient and productive. With recent studies suggesting that artificial intelligence could bring efficiency and productivity in our jobs up to a new and exciting level. If businesses don’t begin to use artificial intelligence in aspects of their projects and tasks, they will simply be left behind.
Automation of customer interactions
A human dealing with customers will soon be a thing of the past with the implementation of artificial intelligence in businesses. Artificial intelligence allows these interactive processes to become automated along a multi-channel approach, including email, social media and your website. This will enable a unified and consistently high quality of interactions with customers. This technology will decrease businesses evident labor costs and reduce time used to deal with customers. With this added extra availability of time for businesses, they will be able to focus their attention on more important and pressing issues, increasing the overall functionality and experience of products and services.
Enhances your research processes
Imagine a world, where you could gather an abundance of research at the tips of your fingers in a matter of seconds. Well that will soon be a reality, as artificial intelligence has the ability to greatly assist businesses in gathering and sourcing secondary data in a short period of time. This access to resources and data will enable you to make informed business and marketing decisions to further target your markets. In our day and age, a business with access to data, is a business with the greatest competitive edge.
Hiring your next recruit
When it comes to recruiting the last thing most employees want to be doing is sitting at your desk all day trying to find the perfect employee for your advertised job position. The integration of artificial intelligence into your HR departments, will change the way you do business for the better. As this technology has the ability to sift through applicants and find the most appropriate that matches the desired criteria. As mentioned previously, Artificial Intelligence will continuously save us time enabling us to spend our time elsewhere, and ultimately helping us to do our job better.