Why is Marketing Important?
Hey there! Let’s talk about creative strategies and marketing.
I want to break them down and explain how to effectively use them. Many entrepreneurs, often think that by creating something, customers will automatically want to buy it. This is especially true for those launching digital products with the hope of earning passive income, only to find that the revenue doesn’t quite meet their expectations. The reality is, you need to market your products to make them discoverable and build awareness, which is what will lead to sales.
I’m learning this firsthand with my digital course, the DIY Brand Yourself in 5 Days Course.
Marketing is what brings visibility to your business; it’s the engine that drives success. You can’t expect to run a thriving business without a solid marketing strategy. You’ve got to put yourself out there and make sure people know you exist. So, if you’re ready to explore creative strategies in marketing, let’s dive in.
Five Creative Marketing Strategies
1.Marketing Funnel
The customer journey follows a funnel with distinct stages, guiding potential buyers from initial awareness to final purchase. It starts with the awareness stage, where people first learn about your business. Then comes the interest stage, where they become intrigued by what you offer. Next is the decision stage, where they weigh their options and consider making a purchase. Finally, there's the action stage, where they decide to buy.
Here's an example so that you can wrap your head around it:
The Awareness Stage A user sees the ad for your product on social media or other digital marketing. It doesn't matter if it's paid, if it's organic.
The Interest Stage This is where curiosity kicks in. Potential customers are intrigued by what they've seen and want to learn more. They visit your website—this is why having a well designed strategic website is so important—to explore your product or service. If you have an opt-in offer, like a free guide, this is where they might take advantage of it.
This is where email marketing becomes essential. Visitors can opt in with their name and email, allowing you to connect with them directly. I remember when I first started email marketing, I was hesitant to send out emails. I didn't want to seem spammy, and I was worried about bothering people who might not want to read them.
But it’s really a mindset shift. I realized that people on my email list chose to be there, and if they don’t want to receive my emails, they can simply unsubscribe. And honestly, those who unsubscribe probably weren't going to buy anyway, so it's better they opt out.
The Decision Stage This is where things start to get real. Let’s say your emails included a free trial of your service, a coupon code, or a link to book a discovery call. At this point, the customer has to decide: "Am I ready to take the next step?" They’ll either move forward, contact you, and take the plunge, or they might decide, "Not just yet," and hold off.
It’s important to remember that some people might stay on your email list for years without purchasing anything. And that’s okay. One day, everything might align perfectly, and that person who's been on your list for five years suddenly decides to buy. The timing finally feels right for them.
The decision stage is all about where the customer is in their journey. Some will act quickly, while others will take their time, but the key is to stay engaged and be ready when they are.
The Action Stage Customers may take action in a few ways: they might purchase the product after a trial ends, finalize their cart items that had been sitting idle, or book your services and complete the payment. This is where your efforts start turning into revenue.
Real-Life Example: My Marketing Funnel for the DIY Brand Yourself Course
Run an Ad: I’ve been experimenting with Facebook ads. Currently, my focus is on using these ads to drive sign-ups for my freebie rather than direct course purchases.
Freebie Sign-Up: Once people land on my ad my freebie, "5 DIY Strategies for a Standout Brand," serves as an entry point into my funnel and provides value that warms up potential customers.
Email Marketing: Currently I’m testing various email frequencies to find the right balance. I'm experimenting with sending three to five emails, spaced a day apart, to see what works best without leading to unsubscribes.
Landing Page Engagement: Not everyone will be ready to purchase immediately, and that’s perfectly fine. I continue to engage my audience through email updates, including new podcast episodes and other content, to keep them interested.
Course Purchase: Ultimately, the goal is for people to purchase the course. This step comes after nurturing through the funnel and providing ongoing value.
2. Freebie Opt-In to Grow Your Email List
The second strategy for creative marketing is using a freebie opt-in to grow your email list. You've likely come across terms like "freebie" or "opt-in" before.
A freebie opt-in is an incentive offered to website visitors in exchange for their email address. This freebie could be anything from an ebook or checklist to a template or an exclusive discount.
For instance, you might have seen pop-ups on retail websites offering a discount code in return for signing up for their email list. This is a common tactic used by clothing stores and other businesses to expand their email list.
For my brand, one of my freebies is the "5 DIY Strategies for a Standout Brand." Visitors can enter their name and email to receive valuable insights into branding, such as choosing the right colors and understanding branding fundamentals. The goal is to provide value and build trust with potential clients, showing them my expertise in branding. This initial interaction helps to establish a connection, making it more likely that they will be interested in my DIY Branding Course in the future.
3. Offer a Masterclass
The third creative strategy is hosting a masterclass. You might have come across masterclass opt-ins on Facebook or other platforms. I personally enjoy joining masterclasses to explore new topics and get a feel for different business owners' teaching styles to see if I connect with their approach.
A masterclass is an in-depth, expert-led session designed to teach a specific skill or topic. It typically offers more detail and interaction compared to a standard webinar, often including Q&A sessions and interactive elements. At the end, there's usually an opportunity to purchase a related course or service.
For example, a masterclass might be a one-hour live session on advanced social media marketing strategies, featuring a Q&A segment.
In essence, a masterclass allows you to showcase your knowledge and provide valuable insights into achieving specific outcomes without giving away the complete “how-to” details. The “how-to” is what you’ll offer in your course or service, which is promoted at the end of the masterclass.
For my business, a great example would be running a masterclass on editing a Wix website template. During the session, I would cover topics like incorporating brand identity, setting up site styles, and adding web copy and photos. At the end of the class, I could offer a discount code for one of my website templates, allowing participants to apply the strategies they’ve learned to their own sites.
4. Landing Pages: Focused and Effective
The fourth creative strategy involves using a landing page. A landing page is a dedicated webpage designed specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign. Its main goal is to drive visitors towards a single call-to-action (CTA), such as subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a free resource, or making a purchase.
Unlike regular webpages, a landing page usually doesn’t include a menu bar or any other distractions. This streamlined approach helps keep visitors focused on the primary action you want them to take. For instance, it could be a page promoting a free ebook with a form for collecting customer information, or a product launch page highlighting key features and benefits with a prominent “Buy Now” button.
You can create a landing page as part of your existing website without needing a separate domain. For example, on Wix Studio, you set up the page to hide the menu and footer, making the page appear as a standalone entity.
It will still be accessible through your main domain—just change the slug, aka the last part of the domain. For example, it would look like zsquaredstudio.com/landing-page-name. This approach simplifies your setup and keeps everything organized under one domain.
When implementing a freebie opt-in to grow your email list, having a landing page specifically for the opt-in is crucial. It provides a dedicated space for visitors to enter their email and name in exchange for your valuable resource. This integration of landing pages and freebie opt-ins helps streamline your marketing efforts and ensures you have a focused, effective way to capture leads.
5. A Website
I admit, I might be a bit biased as a website designer, but seriously, having a website is crucial. It's your digital storefront where people land from Google and find you.
Whether they’re searching for a service or product, having your own website is essential for being visible and found organically on search engines.
To make the most of it, ensure you have analytics to track visitor behavior and build an email list. For example, my Brand Kit Template page attracts organic traffic from Google, and I’m able to receive two to three email opt-ins weekly without running any ads. This happens because when people search for "Brand Kit Template," my page appears, and they opt in with their email, allowing me to provide value and nurture them through my email list.
Your email list is a powerful asset for your business. If you need assistance with creating a website, feel free to email me at info@zsquaredstudio.com. I’m also developing Wix website templates that can be a game changer for small businesses needing a professional touch without a hefty price tag. Check them out at zsquaredstudio.com/webtemplates.
How to Choose Your Strategy
Now that you’re familiar with a few marketing strategies, it’s time to figure out which ones align best with your goals and project. Here’s how to make your decision:
1. Identify Your Project and Goals: Are you promoting a digital course or selling services? Your strategy will vary based on what you're offering.
For instance, if you own a hair salon, consider running ads for at least two months. This duration allows people to see your ad multiple times—six or seven times, ideally—before they take action. However, don’t waste your budget on ads that aren’t generating leads. If your ads aren't converting, adjust one element at a time—whether it's the ad copy, images, or targeting—to improve your conversion rates.
2. Consider Incentives: While running ads, offer an incentive, such as a discount on the second haircut. This encourages customers to not only book their first appointment but also to return, while also helping to grow your email list for future marketing.
3. Tailor to Your Audience: Think about where your target audience spends their time. If they enjoy podcasts, consider promoting your podcast. If they prefer reading blogs or watching videos, use those channels for your marketing. For a digital course, you might start with a freebie to attract email subscribers and then lead them to a webinar.
4. Analyze Your Situation: Evaluate common practices within your industry and understand where your customers are most active. For a hair salon, this might involve local advertising channels. For a digital course, it could involve online platforms and educational content.
5. Manage Your Resources: Assess your timeline, team, and budget. If you plan to launch a digital course multiple times a year, you can run your marketing funnel, including ads, during each launch period. For instance, you could run ads for two months, pause for a month, and repeat. Adjust your strategy based on your business needs and resources.
6. Adjust Based on Demand: For businesses like hair salons, stop running ads when your schedule is fully booked. Similarly, if you’re selling physical products and run out of stock, pause your ads until you have more inventory.
By understanding your project, audience, and resources, you can choose the most effective strategies to achieve your marketing goals. Quick recap, like always. Here are five creative strategies for marketing:
A marketing funnel. There are a lot of different types of marketing funnels. The one I talked about today was: One, running an ad. Two, signing up for a freebie. Three, email marketing. Four, people are going to look at the landing page. Five, they are going to purchase whatever you're trying to sell. But there's a lot of other marketing funnels out there that you can look up.
Create a freebie, which is just an opt in to grow your email list.
Have a masterclass.
A landing page.
A website.
I hope this helps you get a clearer picture of marketing and how to apply it to your business. Remember, you can mix and match strategies based on what suits you best. Don’t force yourself into a strategy that doesn’t feel right—focus on what aligns with your strengths and interests, and give it your best shot.
Keep an eye on the data and make adjustments as needed. There's no need to start from scratch with every tweak. By consistently refining and improving your chosen strategies, you'll be on your way to boosting your revenue and achieving your business goals.
That's all I have for you today. Have a great day and happy designing. Bye!
Z Squared Studio is a Brand and Web Design Studio based in Juneau, Alaska. Check out www.zsquaredstudio.com for custom brand design, Alaska logo design, or web design.
Or sign up for our DIY Brand Yourself Mini-Course if you're ready for a stand out, scroll stopping brand without hiring a designer.
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