What is Marketing?

Some say marketing is more important than the product itself. It is true the success of a business lies greatly on the success of its marketing because, without customers, there is no business. Marketing is defined as the process of getting people interested in your company. The act of marketing encompasses a wide variety of strategies that reach various audiences. Marketing strategies include creating a brand identity, digital and print advertising, website building and SEO, content marketing, and so much more.

What is Marketing Strategy?

Knowing which marketing strategy works best for your company is vital. Market research is a great way to find where your audience is and what they are looking for. Without research, there is no backbone to a marketing strategy. It would be inefficient for a young adult clothing store in this day and age to only exercise print marketing. With their target audience being young adults, it is clear the majority of their marketing strategy should be focused on social media and digital advertising.

Your target audience may not always be the demographic of your current clients. There may be an audience in need of your services, but your brand has not reached them. This is where implementing marketing strategies that tackle multiple platforms comes in handy. Content marketing can stretch across numerous platforms increasing brand awareness and loyalty.

What is Content Marketing and Why is it Important?

Content marketing is one of the most versatile marketing strategies making it one of the most essential strategies every business should have. In 2019, 75% of B2C marketers rated their content marketing successes and 59% expect their budget for content marketing to increase for the next year, according to Content Marketing Institute.

Content marketing, defined by the Content Marketing Institute, is “a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

Keyword: valuable. The difference between content marketing and advertising is whether or not the consumer finds value in what they are reading, watching, listening to, etc. We have all skipped commercials and tossed numerous flyers in the bin because they have no value to us. Creating valuable content leads to brand awareness, trust, and credibility, and ultimately leads to a new customer. A consumer finds your content, finds it valuable, and forms a sense of trust with your business, and by the time they are ready to contact you, they are already convinced you are the best choice.

So, what is the content in content marketing? There are many different ways to execute content marketing. Examples of content marketing include blog posts, articles, white papers, videos, photos, social media posts, email newsletters, press releases, and so much more. The more content a company creates, the more connections they create.

Why is Marketing Essential To Small Businesses?

Marketing is essential for every business, even small ones! While an international marketing campaign may not fit the needs of a small local business, there is a marketing strategy that will fulfill a small business’s needs.

Personal connections and word of mouth referrals are definitely great ways to generate business, but there’s only so many people you can reach. Investing in marketing will expose your business to more people. Choosing a marketing strategy relies heavily on your current client demographic and market research to discover new markets and discover what your current clients are looking for.

Now more than ever, a website is a crucial piece of marketing for a business’s success. Instead of pulling out the phone book, people are using search engines to find the services they need. 72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within 5 miles meaning your website is just as equivalent to your physical storefront. A web presence builds credibility and allows potential clients to learn about your business and products in a quick, convenient way.

How Simply Clear Marketing Helped CASA of SLO County

Marketing does not always mean advertising campaigns, but building a strong brand identity and presence. Having a functioning, attractive website is a necessity for every business, big and small. With search engines being the main source of information, it’s important to have a website that attracts potential clients and builds credibility for your business.

Along with a great aesthetic, showing up on the first page of search results is just as important. 75% of people do not look past the first page of results meaning your website is basically nonexistent if it lands on page two or higher. Your website and search engine marketing are just as equivalent to your physical storefront.

CASA SLO County came to Simply Clear Marketing for help, guidance, and professional design of a new website for their organization.

“We wanted our information easily accessible for our volunteers and donors,”

says Teresa Tardiff, Executive Director of CASA SLO .

CASA was dealing with multiple issues on its website such as outdated visual design, clutter, confusing user navigation, and worst of all, weak search engine marketing. Without strong search engine marketing, their website was lost in the millions of search results.

Using best practices and a lot of research Simply Clear Marketing was able to create a website that reflects the CASA vision and brand. Elements that were implemented includes:

• Enhanced user navigation
• Responsive web design
• Comprehensive event calendar
• Comprehensive SEO strategy
• Accessible information for volunteers, donors, and more

By enhancing the user navigation and experience, Simply Clear Marketing prevented many obstacles from occurring. Such that, the visitors don’t get stuck looking for what they need. Creating a responsive design so users get the full experience whether they are on a mobile device or a desktop computer. By strategically placing key visual elements throughout the site we gained a harmonious balance of information and visuals making the site easily digestible and aesthetically pleasing.

After over 200 hours of strategic planning, design, and collaborative work, this new and improved website reflects the years of support CASA SLO has brought to San Luis Obispo County since this non-profit’s humble beginnings in 1993. Now, community events featuring fundraisers, outreach, and training are all at the user’s fingertips, making community involvement more convenient than ever before. CASA’s ability to share inspirational stories offer a convenient donation process, events calendar & video testimonials from volunteers has set them apart in their field of work.

“There are so many benefits this new website will bring to everyone involved in the CASA SLO mission, and we want to celebrate that.”

says Teresa Tardiff, Executive Director of CASA SLO .