Marketing For Dummies

Pump up your business with the latest, greatest marketing techniques

This updated edition of Marketing for Dummies will walk you through the latest marketing technologies and methods, including customer experience, retargeting, digital engagement across all channels and devices, organic and paid SEO, Google ads, social media campaigns and posts, influencer and content marketing, and so much more. You’ll discover what works, what doesn’t, and what is best for your business and budget.

• Learn the marketing and sales strategies that work in any economy
• Discover how to engage customers with trust and enthusiasm
• Understand post-pandemic changes in consumer attitudes
• Discover new tools and technologies for finding customers and inspiring loyalty
• Adapt your brand, pricing, and sales approach to make your business more valuable
• Avoid common marketing mistakes and learn how to measure the impact of your efforts

In a post-pandemic, up or down economy, it’s harder than ever to meet highly complex and ever-changing customer expectations. The top-selling Marketing For Dummies covers basics like sales strategy, channel selection and development, pricing, and advertising. We also teach you complex elements like personalization, customer behavior, purchasing trends, ESG ratings, and market influences. With this complete guide, you can build a business that not only competes in a challenging market, but wins.

For small to mid-size business owners and marketing professionals, Marketing For Dummies lets you harness the latest ideas to drive traffic, boost sales, and move your business forward.

Jeanette Maw McMurtry is a psychology-based marketing expert providing strategy and execution for brands in all industries. She is a Chief Marketing Officer, speaker, and instructor on all aspects of successful marketing. Her blog, jeanettemcmurtry.com, shares insights and tactics for engaging B2B and B2C purchasers’ unconscious minds and tapping into the psychology of choice. She is the author of the previous edition of Marketing For Dummies.

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Marketing In A Thriving Consumer Culture 5

Chapter 1: Understanding Consumer Values and Mind-sets 7

Assessing the New Consumer Culture 8

Understanding the current marketing environment 9

Addressing a complex consumer mind-set 10

Bridging Generational Gaps 11

Creating Trust Equity in a Low-Trust Society 12

Building trust in a less-trusting world 13

Building relationships around a common purpose 15

Improving Customer Journeys for Sustainability 16

Making It Real and Keeping It Fun 19

Chapter 2: Triggering the Psychology of Choice for Lifetime Value 21

Connecting with Customers in Times of Fear and Uncertainty 22

Address feelings — don’t avoid them 23

Show consumers how you’ll protect them 24

Reward your customers 24

Be transparent and truthful to a fault 24

The Universal Influencers of Human Behavior 25

Triggers of the unconscious mind: The real driver of choice 25

Psychological triggers that drive sales 28

Understanding the Basics of Human Psychology 34

Freud’s personality theory 34

Jung’s personality theory 35

Tapping into Social Influencers 36

Authority 36

Social proof 37

Reciprocity 37

Scarcity 38

Appealing to Consumers’ Happiness and Purpose 39

Putting It All Together 41

Chapter 3: Engaging Experiences and Journeys That Drive Sales and Loyalty 43

Moving from Reactive Customer Service to Proactive Customer Experiences 44

Creating Experiences Around Personal Relevance 45

Applying Technology for Memorable Customer Experiences 47

Using artificial intelligence 47

Succeeding without expensive apps and systems 48

Taking Customer Experience Beyond Service 49

Powering results with personalization 49

Aligning with customers’ values 50

Providing options to round out experience 50

Updating your toolbox 51

Creating Customer Experiences Around Brand Communities 53

Start a forum and invite the right people 54

Spark meaningful conversations and creative opportunities 54

Mapping Out a Touchpoint Journey from Introduction to Lifetime Value 55

Part 2: Building A Strategy For LTV and ROI 59

Chapter 4: Laying a Foundation for Growth 61

Measuring the Growth Rate of Your Market 62

Monitoring market and economic indicators 62

Responding to a flat or shrinking market 64

Finding Your Best Growth Strategies 65

Develop innovative GTM strategies 65

Grow what you have for higher profitability 67

Building on a Market Segmentation Strategy 69

Developing a Market Share Strategy 71

Define your metrics 71

Establish a benchmark 71

Do the math 72

Enhancing Your Positioning Strategy 73

Defining your position 73

Aligning your positioning strategy with growth initiatives 74

Changing Your Mind-set 74

Chapter 5: Researching Your Customers, Competitors, and Industry 77

Conducting Research That Delivers Actionable Insights 78

Monitoring social chatter to better understand your customers 79

Following relevant blogs 81

Gathering Information about Market and Consumer Trends 81

Paying attention to information resources 82

Uncovering what really drives your customers 82

Preparing Effective Surveys to Ensure You Get Accurate Insights 83

Determining the right format for the metrics you need 84

Defining your objectives 85

Using clear, concise wording 86

Understanding Some of the Technical Stuff 87

Net Promoter Score 87

Level of confidence 89

Paying Wisely for Market Research 90

Getting feedback from prospects without purchasing expensive lists 90

Using low-cost and free ways to build knowledge 91

Staying on Top of Social Trends 97

Chapter 6: Creating a Winning Marketing Plan 99

Getting Started on a Launch or Growth Plan 100

Defining your business 100

Mapping out your action plans 106

Setting a budget 108

Considering Pricing Strategies 110

Pricing opportunities and obstacles 110

Avoiding the dangers of deep discounting 111

Mastering the Psychology of Pricing 112

Pricing to address perceptions 113

Framing prices 114

Creating Your Controls or KPIs 115

Conducting a SWOT Analysis 115

Finding your strengths 116

Addressing your weaknesses 117

Looking for opportunities 117

Focusing on functional alternatives, or threats 118

Mapping out your SWOT grid 119

Winning with Collaboration and Corporate Social Responsibility 121

Sharing is caring (and good for business) 121

Teaming up on CSR 122

Leveling Up in More Ways Than One 123

Monitoring and reacting to trends 124

Developing the customer experience 125

Mapping Out Your Action Steps 126

Step 1: Complete a situational analysis/summary 127

Step 2: Establish your benchmark 127

Step 3: Define your goals 127

Step 4: Take note of lessons learned 127

Step 5: Outline your strategy 128

Step 6: Commit to action items 129

Step 7: Build learning plans 129

Projecting Expenses and Revenues 130

Preparing for economic influences 130

Coming up with a reasonable budget 130

Chapter 7: Content Marketing and Marketing Content 133

Getting the Gist of Content Marketing 134

Separating content marketing from marketing content 135

Creating content that engages 135

Channeling your content 136

Leveraging influencer sites 137

Creating a Credible Content Marketing Plan 138

Performing a communications audit 138

Getting your content read 140

Producing Compelling Marketing Content 141

Essential elements of content 141

Writing tips for better results 143

Sparking interest with user-generated content 146

Giving Ad Content Greater Stopping Power 147

Be consistent 148

Be as persuasive as possible 148

Be professional 149

Part 3: Executing Across Channels 151

Chapter 8: Creative That Engages the Mind 153

Assessing Your Current Creative 154

Conducting a creativity audit 154

Questioning (almost) everything 154

Defining Your Creative Strategy 156

Building your creative elements 157

Coloring your creative psychologically 157

Using brand iconology 160

Writing words that work 161

Crafting a Sustainable Brand Identity 163

Writing a Creative Brief 165

Goals 165

Offers and promises 165

Supporting statements 165

Tone or persona 166

Emotional drivers 166

Wannabe profiles 167

Color palette 167

Golden triangle pattern 167

Constraints 168

Execution 168

Applying Creativity to Branding and Much More 169

Creativity and product development 169

Simple ways to spark new ideas 170

Chapter 9: Optimizing Digital and Social Tools and Tactics 175

Getting Familiar with the Channels Customers Use Most 176

Using Facebook for engagement that builds sales 177

Building your Twitter presence 182

Igniting your social media presence with Instagram 183

Expanding your network through LinkedIn 183

Promoting your brand with Pinterest 185

Developing Digital Tools That Drive Brands 186

Podcasts 187

Webinars 189

Online courses 192

Videos 193

Online review sites 195

Giving to get more 196

Using Automated Customization to Work Smarter and Faster 198

Chapter 10: Embracing the New Age of Advertising 201

Advertising on Social Media 202

Harnessing the Power of Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger Ads 202

Setting up on the YouTube stage 206

Advertising on LinkedIn 208

Advertising with Mobile Apps 209

In-app advertising 209

App advertising platforms 210

Winning with Sponsored Content 211

Editorializing your content page placements 212

Using e-newsletter placements 212

Sponsoring third-party content 212

Exploring Digital Banner Advertising 213

Getting attention with banner and pop-up ads 213

Retargeting consumers with banner ads 215

Making the Most of Print Advertising in a Digital World 217

Community channels for print advertising 217

Industry publications 217

Elevating Your Brand with Broadcast Advertising 220

Television advertising 220

Radio advertising 222

Tips for producing TV and radio spots 223

Investing in the Basics behind Successful Advertising 226

Part 4: Powerful Ways To Build Sales Through Email, Websites, and SEO 227

Chapter 11: Building Individual Value with Mass Personalization 229

Grasping the Basics of Direct Marketing 230

Understanding the Elements of Successful Direct Marketing 231

Data matters 232

CRM matters 235

CRM systems 237

Messaging matters 238

Creating Direct Campaigns for Direct Profitability 240

Encouraging customers to take action 241

Building effective email lists 244

Prepping Your Email Campaigns for Success 246

Setting up triggered emails 247

Implementing personalized emails 248

Improving Print Open Rates 248

Testing Your Direct Marketing 249

Telemarketing: To Call or Not 251

Chapter 12: Building an Engaging and Winning Website 253

Building Out the Elements of a Successful Website 254

Clearly defined goals and calls to action 254

Easy-to-follow navigation 255

Clean and inviting design 257

Meaningful content that adds value 257

Interaction that pulls visitors into your brand story 260

Direct relevance 261

Creating and Managing a Web Identity 262

Aligning with what customers expect to see 263

Expanding your web imprint 265

Crafting a Website That Drives Engagement and Sales 266

Integrating key design elements 266

Minding your KPIs 269

Driving Traffic and Conversion with Content 273

Keeping content fresh and timely 273

Making claims verifiable 273

Asking engaging questions 274

Maintaining critical content categories 275

Putting It All Together for the Perfect Website 276

Using website builders 276

Finding quality imagery 277

Chapter 13: Succeeding with Affordable SEO Strategies and Tactics 279

Understanding the Basics of SEO 280

Figuring out how Google searches the internet 280

Growing organic and paid SEO 281

Curating keywords 281

Making links 283

Playing tag 285

Landing Pages and Blogs 286

Optimizing SEO with Google Ads 288

Setting up your Google Ads account 288

Creating your first Google Ads campaign 289

Driving Traffic and Sales with Google My Business 292

Setting up your Google Business Profile 293

Creating a profile that stands out 293

Managing your results 294

Remaining Relevant and Current in SEO Rankings 295

Online resources with updated insights 295

Additional tactics for more SEO results 296

Part 5: Setting Your Brand Up For Sustainable Sales 297

Chapter 14: Leveraging Networks and Events 299

Harnessing the Power of Social Hives 299

Growing your network with customer referrals 300

Hosting customer events that inspire engagement, loyalty, and referrals 301

Expanding your imprint with client advisory boards 304

Launching Your Own Public Event 305

Hosting events with meaning 305

Funding and monetizing your event 306

Getting help managing your event 306

Supporting Third-Party Events 307

Getting behind cause-related campaigns and events 307

Sponsoring fundraising events 308

Finding a good fit 309

Maximizing Trade Show ROI 310

Locating trade shows 311

Building the foundation for a good booth 312

Selecting space on the expo floor 313

Getting people to your booth 313

Chapter 15: Tuning In to the Right Sales Channel 315

Setting Up a Successful E-commerce Program 316

Rising above the competition 316

Fulfilling orders and delighting customers 317

Curating customer experiences online 317

Converting online traffic to sales 317

Upping your SEO rankings 318

Increasing shopping cart fulfillment rates 319

Understanding Your Options 320

Building your own e-commerce store 320

Paying someone else to do it for you 322

Setting Up Third-Party Digital Storefronts 322

Selling with eBay 323

Selling with Amazon 324

Considering Off-line Distribution Strategies 326

Understanding Channel Structure 329

Preparing for Successful In-Store Selling 330

Creating an inviting store vibe 330

Stimulating sales at point of purchase 331

Chapter 16: Prospecting and Selling for ROI 335

Exploring Proven Prospecting Tactics and Tools 336

Prospecting tactics that work 337

Prospecting tools that generate leads 337

Selling for a Lifetime 339

Calculating lifetime value 339

Understanding the importance of customer loyalty 341

Getting to Yes via Emotional Selling Propositions 343

Defining your process 344

Establishing SME status to bolster sales 345

Prioritizing Your Pipeline 347

Categorizing each opportunity 347

Sorting by emotional triggers 347

Consultative Selling and Account-Based Marketing 348

Tactics for consulting with consumers 348

Tips on consultative selling 349

Relying on account-based marketing 350

Creating Sales Presentations with ESP Power 350

Inform, involve, inspire 351

Tell your brand story 352

Respond to problems 352

Organizing and Managing Your Sales Force 353

Determining how many salespeople you need 353

Hiring your own salespeople or using sales reps 354

Compensating your sales force 355

Part 6: The Part of Tens 357

Chapter 17: Ten Common Marketing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 359

Making Assumptions 359

Ignoring Customer Complaints 360

Faking Popularity 360

Using Dirty Data 360

Competing on Price 361

Ignoring the Emotional Drivers of Choice 361

Forgetting to Edit 361

Offering What You Can’t Deliver 362

Treating Customers Impersonally 362

Blaming the Customer 362

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Measure Results (Beyond ROI) 363

Establish Clear Objectives 363

Tie Your Metrics to Your Objectives 364

Set Learning Priorities 364

Establish a Target ROI 364

Know Your Customer Lifetime Value 365

Know Your Allowable Customer Acquisition Cost 365

Establish Benchmarks 365

Turn the Funnel Upside Down 366

Adjust Your Funnel Benchmark Assumptions When You Have Real Data 366

Avoid the Dashboard Trap 366

Index 367

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