Effective marketing is (and always will be) a foundational part of building a thriving business. And whether you’re looking towards a future as an entrepreneur, or you’re interested in marketing as a full-time career, understanding the foundational principles of marketing is a must.

It’s true that marketing is always evolving, especially as we transition away from traditional forms of advertising to a primarily digital landscape. But every business – whether they’re marketing in the year 1950 or 2050 – can consistently rely on a few best practices for marketing success.

Marketing Best Practices

Virtually every high-quality marketing strategy is based on these key ideas and concepts, making them the perfect starting point for any type or size of business.

1. Set measurable, attainable goals.

   In order to determine if your marketing strategy is working, you’ll first need to set some sort of parameters for success. What will it look like if your marketing plan actually works?

   Outline a set of goals that make sense for your business, focusing on realistic and meaningful achievements. Aiming too high can be detrimental, especially for morale. In contrast, goals that are too easy to insignificant may lead to you falling short of your real potential.

2. Identify your target market.

   The best advertisements aren’t those that appeal to every single person in the world – because only a select group of individuals are the right fit for a certain company’s products or services. It’s incredibly important to define your target market long before you start putting together any marketing strategies.

   Consider the age, gender, location, interests, preferences, and consumer habits of your “perfect customer,” and use that to build a well-rounded persona that represents your target market.

3. Decide on a clear and authentic brand identity.

   Branding is how you “show” consumers what your business does, who you are, and why they should choose you. Essentially, it’s a business’s identity. Customers want to be able to feel interested in and connected to a brand, so your brand identity should be both unique to you and clearly defined.

   Remember that your brand identity should also extend to your company name, logo, color scheme, website design, slogan, imagery, and just about every other element of your business.

4. Set up a website.

   Today’s consumers expect every business to have a functional, well-crafted website – and if you don’t, you can expect to lose a lot of customers. People use the internet to find local businesses, shop online and complete any number of other tasks. But if they can’t find you online, then you may as well not exist.

   Investing in a professional-designed website is an important marketing practice for many reasons. Perhaps most importantly, a website is often a customer’s first (but hopefully not last) impression of a business. This is what makes website designers and developers so valuable.

5. Use multiple channels for marketing.

   You don’t want to “put all your eggs in one basket” by relying on just one or two methods of digital marketing. Instead, aiming for variety is key to reaching as many people as possible. This means learning how to use social media for marketing, incorporating paid advertising (like Google AdWords), and combining other strategies to get your business name out there.

How Digital Media Production Training Can Help You Get a Job in Marketing

Every successful marketing professional has one very important thing in common: a clear understanding of how to reach an audience using digital media as a medium in a myriad of ways. As our digital world becomes increasingly complex, so will successful marketing – but there will also be an incredible variety of ways to create a career that speaks to your interests, talents, and passions.

At the BeonAir Network of Media Schools, with campuses located in Miami, Chicago, Colorado, and Ohio, we developed our innovative Digital Media Production program with a broad range of students in mind. The program covers so many different topics, providing students with the unique opportunity to build an outstanding foundation of knowledge and experience.

If you’re considering working in marketing, you can be confident in your job search when you graduate with skills such as:

• Creating/delivering a pitch
• Writing commercial copy
• The understanding audience wants, needs, behaviors, and more
• Social media marketing strategy
• Mobile applications for branding and marketing
• Developing sales campaigns
• Future trends, including streaming media and podcasting
• Using various mediums to develop and present content
• How to use industry-specific equipment and programs

Get Ahead in the Industry with Training in Digital Media Production

It’s up to you to take the first steps towards a path that will lead you to professional success – but we’re here to help you learn, grow, and achieve your goals through every stage of the journey! For more details about our Digital Media Production program, as well as our other courses and program, contact our team today!

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