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The Five Pillars of Modern Marketing Success

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StrategyDriven, Business Management, SMS marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing Campaigns,Marketing is everywhere in modern life, and understanding it is crucial to entrepreneurial success. Everything you purchase has been advertised to you through strategic marketing, from the food you eat, to the furniture in your home, to your car, to the software you use daily!

When you start a business and are trying to find the right marketing strategy to take it to the next level, it can be difficult to know where to begin. There’s so much saturation online these days when it comes to marketing advice, how do you know who to trust?

In this post, you’ll learn the five pillars of modern marketing success – no bias, no pitch, just straight-up advice from experts. These are also known as the Five P’s – product, place, price, promotion and people.

By learning these Five P’s and applying them to your business strategy, you’ll have a clear idea of how to proceed with your marketing campaigns in the future.

Let’s get going!

Pillar #1: Product.

Of course, the primary feature of a great marketing strategy is the product. Without an amazing product, the remaining pillars are all holding up a concept that simply won’t be strong enough against your competitors. Even with amazing promotion and prices, a weak product will not stand the test of the modern sales climate.

Whatever your product or service may be, it needs to be watertight. That means that you must invest solidly in the manufacturing, sourcing and researching stages before your final product is ready to hit the shelves. Rushing the product creation stage is a mistake that so many new entrepreneurs make, and it comes back to bite them down the line.

Not only is having a great product important for your customers, it is also important for your company and your team. Having an incredible product that everyone believes in 100% will help rally your troops when times inevitably get tough. Believe in the product with all your heart, and the other pillars of marketing will serve to support this with strength and integrity.

Pillar #2: Place.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the concept of “place” has been, well, displaced. Whether you want your company to be local to your community or an online sensation that ships worldwide, you need to decide on the appropriate place in which to market it. Using the wrong platforms will hit the wrong customers, thereby making you miss out on key opportunities to expand your customer base and build a solid foundation.

When considering where to market your product, it is crucial to think about who you want to market the product towards. If your customer demographic is Gen-Z and Millennials, your product or service needs to be purchasable online, and marketed via social media and email marketing in an extremely effective way. On the other hand, if your product or service is designed to catch the attention of older generations or local people, making it available in a physical store and supporting it with great customer service is a must.

Pillar #3: Price

The price of your product or service is dependent on a huge number of external factors at play. These include:

  • Inflation or reduction of prices across your industry as a whole.
  • The coronavirus pandemic’s effect on pricing.
  • The location in which you are offering these services or products (for example, a massage therapist appointment in a metropolitan city will be priced more highly than one in a more rural area).
  • The quality of the product you are producing. If you are producing a mass produced product for little money, there should be a low price to reflect it – as opposed to a more elite product that costs more.
  • The reputation of your business. A new business might not be able to price as highly as similar competitors, because they will need to pull clients away from those competitors with lower pricing.

Pillar #4: Promotion

So you’ve got an awesome product, the right price point and the perfect place to sell it. What’s next? The next stage of your perfect marketing strategy is promotion. In order for people to know your product or service even exists, you need to promote it in the right place, in order to reach your customer demographic easily.

Nowadays, targeted ads and personalized marketing are the way forward. Email and retail SMS marketing are on the rise, as customers are searching for a more personal, unique experience from their retailers. They want the retailer to anticipate their needs and meet them. Getting a one-up on email and SMS marketing is one of the first things you should do as a new business.

Social media marketing is also an essential in this day and age, as we move into an age of social media being the go-to platform for shopping and socialization. Promoting your products using promotion ads, hashtags, giveaways and influencer gifting is a great way to make your business relevant in today’s world.

Pillar #5: People

The people who make up your business are of paramount importance when it comes to creating a successful marketing strategy. Without people who are experienced, hardworking and positive in the workplace, you might find that your brilliant ideas slip through your fingers.

Nobody achieves entrepreneurial success, even if the ideas and concepts come from their own brain. You need a team of dedicated individuals around you who have their finger on the pulse of modern day marketing, in order to achieve the success you dream of. Don’t underestimate how people can make or break your marketing strategy when push comes to shove!

It’s also worth noting how vital high-quality marketing materials are throughout this process. The most fundamental aspect of this is your website; it should be as high-quality as possible. Doing so will ensure customers find your site attractive, which makes them more likely to convert. Working with a web design agency can ensure you accomplish this.

Final thoughts…

The five pillars of modern marketing success are absolutely essential for any entrepreneur to learn. Marketing is becoming more and more intricate and complex, and in order to stay relevant and keep pushing to new heights you need to put huge investments of time, money and energy into your marketing campaigns.

Use this comprehensive guide to get you started if you are an entrepreneur looking to better your marketing skills!

SMS Marketing Trends 2021

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, SMS Marketing Trends 2021

Since the world has been gripped in the hands of COVID -19, it brings significant changes in the life of businessmen. SMS is now regarded as the marketing tool and perfect way to bridge the gap between the business and its consumers. According to a study, the texting was increased by 53% and recorded to be higher than average in both January and February. Let’s look at some of the trends in SMS marketing and the probable changes they must bring to the lives of many.

1. More than SMS, Omni channel is better preferred: In case you want to establish a better relationship between with the customers, prefer Omni channel more than only SMS. Earlier SMS was regarded as the only channel of communication with the customers; the contact number and email ids of customers were collected by the senders. But now, SMS has an incredible open rate (say 98%) acceptance and it can be integrated with other channels as well. 2021 will notice certain trends in SMS marketing and they would be like the following.

  • Blog posts and other company news can be shared through messages.
  • E- Mail and SMS promotion can be combined.
  • SMS can be well combined with social media marketing.

With the help of marketing automation software it is possible to integrate other channels with SMS.

2. SMS as a customer care channel: Some ways are prominent where SMS can facilitate the customer service functions.

  • They can be used for sending confirmations.
  • They could be used for providing delivery tracking information.
  • They can be used for confirmation and also rescheduling appointments.
  • They are generally used for responding to questions that are frequently asked.
  • While you text with customer support that allows a shorter time of resolution.

In the present year 2021, you may expect to see a betterment in customer service. Since the SMS platforms come handy, there is much improvement in the transactional SMS, and the two way SMS that helps in customer and business services.

3. B2B SMS marketing is on the rise: B2B marketing uses SMS for interacting with the customers and it’s in rise in 2021. Well, the amount of SMS used by B2B is always lesser than B2C. SMS is used to send text to customers as well as valuable information. Well, there are many ways that can help in this regard:

  • By sending personalized messages that customers can know the expected time of delivery as well as the order number of the materials.
  • The customers might know about the product updates and also improved services thereby keeping them in the loop.
  • While you exchange messages with potential customers, it can keep themselves motivated.
  • There can be timely updates about the company’s products and offerings.
  • You may schedule product demos and webinars, as well as answer FAQ’s that provides limited time offers.

4. User reviews is the trend:The use of SMS is on the rise. According to a study about 82% of the consumers read the online reviews especially for the local business. Reviews play a critical role in sales and marketing. In fact, there are several polls and surveys conducted that would give an idea of people the product. In fact threads are provided via SMS and users are expected to complete the poll. Give customers a chance voicing their opinion on the various products and services; you may see the use in social media. The surveys conveyed can help to build the necessary insight.


5. Transactional SMS updates for cross selling: The transactional SMS would keep the customers updated about their purchase and any interactions with the Finance business. By sending SMS to the customer would create a positive image, and there are chances they would convert to potential customers. The companies will be provided with a chance to promote cross selling and providing discounts, all to attract a buyer.

6. Elevate your business with SMS marketing message: In the future, maybe SMS marketing will be combined with marketing strategies as a mix. The success of a marketing strategy depends how effectively it’s used to send text and manage the potential clients. With advent of age, SMS marketing will be the most effective tool to communicate and give a boost to sales.

The marketers hope that business will see a havoc change in 2021 and that will be reflected in the marketing trends. Business trend will be more empathetic this year and that will lead to a stronger customer relationship. E-mails and SMS are regarded as a perfect tool that can help push notification and can elevate sales along with revenue. After all, there is a saying that ‘Content is the king’, and it would appear like that text only emails and SMS are the main tool that can lead to a successful marketing strategy and future development.

About the Author

Susan Raj is Marketing Head of TXTImpact.  TXTImpact provides Business Text Message products for marketing to and support of customers to increase their client base. Our Enterprise Text Message Marketing Platform designed for your business, allows marketers to communicate and engage customers on the go instantly.

Five Low-Budget Marketing Channels for Startups

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Low-Budgeting Marketing Channels|Five Low-Budget Marketing Channels for StartupsStartups face several challenges, especially during the first 5 years of the launch and none of the challenges is as precarious as struggling to remain cash positive. Operating under tight budgets makes it almost impossible for startup owners to set aside a marketing budget.

Often, the marketing gets the axe because startups are caught in a dire financial balancing act. Within the tight operating budget, they have to pay rent and employees, purchase raw materials and take care of the huge overhead costs. But, the absence of proper advertising and marketing strategy in place results in about 42% of startup businesses failing within the first 4 years.

In this post, you will learn that there’s no need to spend a fortune to effectively market your startup. You just have to choose the right marketing channels for your startup to get maximum output. Below are 5 affordable marketing strategies that will bring unbelievable consistency and visibility to your startup.

1. SMS Marketing

Initially, startups avoid SMS marketing thinking that it would annoy customers. But, studies suggest that SMS messages have an open rate of 98% and an average of 30% act on the massage. This high response rate should take care of any concern that you had regarding ROI.

Moreover, you can send messages to 1,000 people at the same time and at a fraction of the cost that other marketing channels would cost you like, TV, radio or even print.

Best practices to achieve success with SMS marketing:

  • Stick to 160 characters – In the world of SMS marketing, 160 is an important number. If your message goes over 160 characters, mobile networks will slice your message right down to the middle. Some networks even refuse to deliver messages that go over the character limit.
  • Timing is everything – Choosing the right time to send an SMS can make all the difference. For instance, restaurants send messages regarding offers two or three times a day at a time when people would be thinking about what to eat. So, you have to time your messages to reach your audience when they are making a buying decision.
  • Place a call-to-action (CTA) – CTA is a part of all marketing strategy and SMS marketing is no different. Here, your CTA should be in the form of phone number or a web address (URL).

2. Social Media Marketing

Statistics show that over 2.4 billion people use social media. So, it is important that this channel is incorporated into your startup’s marketing plan. As the presence of your business grows on social networking sites, more people will come to know of it and recognize your brand name. Moreover, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media networks, allow businesses to pay for exposure and traffic.

For example, Facebook Ads lets business owners create ads that appear in the news feeds of users or in the Facebook website’s right column.

Best practices to achieve success with social media marketing:

  • Create an account – Sign up on your preferred social media platform/s by creating an account, and complete your social media pages and profiles with company information, images and logo.
  • Attention-grabbing posts – Regularly post useful and engaging content to keep your audience hooked. The posts can be related to your products/services or it can be about the latest happenings around the world. A healthy mix is desired since nobody in the world of social media likes a bragger.
  • Join groups – Join niche-related groups to organically reach more people and choose the right target audience.
  • Stay connected – Be responsive and make sure to reply to every comment and message.

3. Email Marketing

Statistics show that 99% of consumers check emails every day and 73% of millennials prefer business communications, via emails. This makes email marketing one of the most low-budget and effective marketing strategies that claim a high ROI. As long as you have an organically curated email list and a steady, yet non-invasive stream of email blasts, you will see a significant return.

Best practices to achieve success with email marketing:

  • Attractive subject lines – The email open rates increase significantly when catchy, engaging and personalized subject lines are used.
  • Readable, well-formatted email body – The email should be written in simple, easy-to-read language and the content must be broken into small paragraphs with bullets and subheads. You need to focus the content on the benefits of your products/services and how it helps consumers.
  • Keep email subscribers engaged – Share 2 or 3 useful and valuable emails per week to keep your email subscribers engaged. But, avoid sending too many emails.

4. Content Marketing

Content marketing requires little investment, but gives incredible returns. This form of marketing has myriad approaches and you shouldn’t limit yourself. For a start, you can create a blog section in your company website to share with the world whatever your startup company is up to. You can share product/service details, information about new launches and so on. Use the blog section as to both entertain and educate your audience. Then, graduate to other forms of content like, videos, images, infographics and more.

Best practices to achieve success with content marketing:

  • Craft original blogs or articles – Do not resort to plagiarism or your website will be penalized by Google. Invest in the creation of interesting, informative and unique articles and blogs.
  • Create engaging videos – You can substitute your blogs or articles with images and even videos. Alternatively, you can just create videos to share company news. The videos can be posted on your website, social media accounts, YouTube and so on.
  • Include shareable links – Regardless of what content you are posting, make sure that they all have shareable links. You would want your audience to share the content so that your brand awareness spreads far and wide.

5. Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing or SEM is known to fetch instant results. Advertise your startup business on search engines and get more exposure, as well as, sales. Paid search allows businesses to get laser-targeted traffic from Google and other popular search engines. Bing Ads and Google Ads are two of the most popular paid search networks, and they both feature keyword targeting with a CPC (cost-per-click) model. You can create custom ads using either of these platforms and your ads will appear above the organic search results in the SERPs.

This is how ads appear on Google:

Best practices to achieve success with SEM:

  • Keyword research – Paid search is a highly-targeted form of marketing. This is why you need to invest in keyword research. Only the right keywords will make your ad visible to the right audience.
  • Enticing landing page – When a user clicks on your ad, he/she will be directed toward a landing page. If this page isn’t interesting enough or doesn’t offer much information, the user will bounce right off the landing page and go to a competitor website. So, create an alluring landing page and have clear-cut calls-to-action.
  • Set a bid cap – You do not want Google or Bing overcharging you. Since running ads are based on the CPC model, you need to set a budget limit and a bid cap. Once this limit is reached, the search engine will notify you.

The takeaway here?

When you find yourself struggling with your startup’s budget, do not resort to cutting marketing out of the equation. Find innovative ways to build brand recognition that don’t need a lot of upfront investment. Once your brand name is established and you have a steady stream of revenue, you will have the freedom to invest in more expensive strategies.

SMS & Email Are The Best Lockdown Marketing Strategies

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With the world getting used to the pandemic lockdown, businesses are having to get used to the fact that they’re customers are more cautious with their spending. They say that ‘only the strongest will survive’, but in the case of business, it’s those who adapt. Business expenses are also being limited as the same amount of income is not possible in these current times. The one place where you shouldn’t be decreasing spending is your marketing strategy. However, you must now tighten the scope to focus on strategies that will work the best in the current consumer climate. SMS and email strategies are head and shoulders above the rest and here is why.

Opportunity for expression

Email marketing has an advantage that no other marketing type has. You can convey your message in a much broader and thorough manner. You simply have more validity and space, for explaining your message. It’s been suggested that the word count should be between 50-150 but as people have more time on their hands, you could increase that to 100-200.

Ensure that your message during this crisis is pitch-perfect. The tone in which you express your call-to-action is absolutely critical. Don’t convey your products as essential but rather, things that could inject enjoyment or comfort into the customer’s life. As for the content of your email, keep it simple. Display the top discounted products and services through imagery and display how long the sales will be active. People are more likely to check their emails regularly throughout the day now that everybody is at home. This makes your email marketing approach even more important as every word will be absorbed to a higher degree.

Building new relationships

Customers are browsing like never before. Some internet providers are reporting over 50% more internet usage than before as people are working from home. This is a chance that you may never get again. Place a webform on your website so any visitor can type their name and phone number before carrying on to the page. With their contact details in your database, keyword SMS marketing is the strategy you should employ to display deals, discounts and future campaigns. This is how to build an sms funnel using a three-stage approach. Firstly, select a keyword that fits your brand. You could use your brand name with a number or so at the end of the keyword. The middle of the funnel is where you need to keep the customer engaged through broadcasting and drip campaigning.

Live stream confirmation

At the end of each week, using your social media and video sharing platform accounts, update and or acknowledge the campaigns you sent out during the week. Explain to customers what the campaigns were about, such as details on what products you’re discounting and why. You may also wish to give a heads-up to your viewers about future campaigns and what they can expect to keep them enticed and onboard.

With more time on their hands, customers are more open to SMS and email marketing campaigns. Use this time to your advantage by expressing why your products matter and sharing relevant opportunities that could help custom