Master the Marketing Game: Use a Marketing Coach To Keep You Ahead of the Competition

Let’s face it, marketing is more complicated than it was 20 years ago. Today, being a marketing pro means expertly navigating social media, email, and traditional forms of marketing, all the while keeping up with trends to stay current. On top of that, we are operating in an increasingly competitive market where we need to stand out in order to stay ahead of the competition. Are you overwhelmed yet? This is how a marketing coach can help.

Seeking help from a marketing coach will help you tackle these aspects of marketing and make it a little less overwhelming. A marketing coach is a professional who helps you develop and execute a marketing strategy that is best fit for your business. Marketing is not a one-size-fits-all. What works for someone else may not work for you. A marketing coach will provide guidance depending on the unique needs of your business. Whether you’re a startup looking to foster an online presence or an established brand looking to reach new heights, professional coaching is the most customisable way to receive marketing help. Plus, having a fresh pair of eyes take a look at your marketing is the absolute best way to identify problem areas and make refinements.

Especially for small businesses, this can feel like a big leap to make. I get it, it’s an investment! However, in the long-term, having the right marketing for your business will draw in more sales while preventing your time and money from being wasted on tactics that aren’t right for you.

Benefits of Hiring a Marketing Coach

So, how can a marketing coach benefit your business? Here are some key ways:

1. Expert Guidance and Insights: First and foremost, they know what they’re doing! A marketing coach will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise to the table. They stay up-to-date on trends, strategies, platforms, and tools, giving them a fresh approach!
2. Customised Marketing Strategies:   As I said, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing. Seeking help from a professional marketing coach is the absolute best way to receive customised, specific marketing advice. A marketing coach will work with you to understand your business, its needs, and its role in the market, to provide you with what is best for you. This level of personalisation ensures that your marketing will be targeted, impactful, and aligned with your goals.
3. Accountability and Support:  When it comes to marketing, something so many businesses struggle with is staying consistent and accountable. Trust me, I know how hard it is staying focused on one project. A marketing coach will hold you accountable when it comes to carrying out your marketing plan. They will help you set clear goals, create an action plan, and monitor your progress.
4. Stay Ahead of the Competition: With their expertise, a marketing coach can give you a competitive edge. Part of their focus will be how your marketing will set you apart from your competition. Identifying market trends, developing new strategies, and researching your audience are all ways your marketing coach may do this. Staying ahead of the competition allows you to attract more customers, foster brand loyalty, and drive sustainable business growth.
5. Cost-Effective Marketing: In the long term, seeking help from a marketing coach will help you achieve a high return on investment (ROI). Their goal is to help you make the most out of your marketing budget. A marketing coach will start by assessing the current state of your marketing, identify areas needing improvement, then suggest strategies to improve the success of your marketing and maximise your ROI.

How a Marketing Coach Can Help You Stay Ahead of the Competition

One of our constant challenges as business owners is figuring out how to set ourselves apart from our competition. So, how can a marketing coach help with this? 

1.  Developing a Personalized Marketing Roadmap: As I’m really trying to hammer home, the work a marketing coach does is deeply personalised to their clients needs. If you seek professional coaching, they will help you develop a personal marketing roadmap that includes ways to leverage your business in a unique way!
2. Crafting Compelling Content: Your marketing coach may work with you to create content marketing that draws in your target audience. Content like blog posts, social media content, email newsletters, or website copy are all key components of any successful marketing strategy today. A marketing coach will help you integrate content that aligns with your brand voice into your marketing.
3. Optimising Your Website and Online Presence: For businesses today, having an online presence is pretty much essential. A marketing coach will work with you to improve your website to drive in more traffic. Marketing coaches can help with things like SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to enhance your website’s visibility, usability, and conversion rates.
4. Leveraging Social Media and Digital Advertising: I know that for a lot of business owners, social media can be a little intimidating. With their knowledge of marketing channels and your audience, a marketing coach will help you figure out the best way to use social media for your business. From using social media to conduct content marketing, to learning how to use Facebook Ads, a marketing coach will teach you how to make the most of this valuable tool.
5. Monitoring and Analysing Your Marketing Performance: Developing an effective marketing strategy is not a one-time effort. It requires ongoing monitoring, analysis, and revising. It means working out what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change. Professional coaching can help you track the performance of your campaigns by setting up key performance indicators (KPIs). With the expertise of a marketing coach, you can make data-driven decisions about your marketing.

Choosing the Right Marketing Coach for Your Business

Choosing a marketing coach is about choosing someone you know you can trust with your business. Consider factors such as their expertise, experience, and past work. Look for someone who offers personalised strategies, clear communication, and a coaching style that aligns with your learning preferences. Here are some pointers:

1. Industry Experience and Expertise: A good rule of thumb is to look for someone who has worked with businesses in your industry. This means that they will have a strong understanding of your target audience, industry trends, and competitors. Their expertise in your industry can help you develop strategies that are tailored to your unique business needs.
2. Track Record of Success: A good track record is generally a good indicator of a marketing coach’s ability to deliver results. I recommend you look for testimonials from previous clients to gauge a sense of their success rate
3. Communication and Collaboration: Finding a marketing coach that you can collaborate with is pretty much essential. Look for someone who listens to your needs, communicates clearly, and is responsive to your questions and concerns. A good marketing coach should be a trusted partner who understands your business and works with you to achieve your marketing objectives.
4. Compatibility and Trust: While they don’t need to be your new best friend, you should get along with your marketing coach! No matter what, you should feel comfortable sharing your business goals, concerns, and ideas with your coach. Look for someone who you can build a strong working relationship with and who understands and supports your vision for your business.
5. Pricing and Flexibility: Consider your budget and the pricing of the coach’s services. Some coaches may offer different packages or payment options, so it’s important to find one that aligns with your financial resources. Additionally, consider their flexibility in terms of meeting schedules, availability for consultations, and ongoing support.

Setting Goals and Objectives with Your Marketing Coach

You may be a little bored of people telling you to set goals, I get it, it’s a little vague! So, how do we go about setting and working towards our goals, and how can a marketing coach help?

1. Design Specific and Measurable Goals: The first cardinal rule of setting goals for your business is making sure your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, instead of setting a vague goal like “increase website traffic,” you could say “increase website traffic by 20% within the next three months.”.
2. Align Goals with Business Objectives: One way to ensure that your goals are focused in the right direction is to make sure they’re aligned with your overall business objectives. Your marketing should support business growth in the direction you want. A marketing coach can help you direct your goals to fulfil these objectives.
3. Break Down Goals into Actionable Steps: When it comes to goal-setting, I always need to break down my goals into smaller steps to make them seem more achievable. Splitting your goals into smaller milestones will make your progress clear and keep you motivated. Work with your marketing coach to identify the key activities, strategies, and tactics that will help you achieve your goals.
4. Set Realistic Timelines: Remember that setting good goals means setting attainable goals and not biting off more than you can chew. Be realistic about your resources, budget, and other business priorities. Your marketing coach can help you create a realistic timeline that takes into account your unique business needs and constraints.
5. Review and Update Goals Regularly: Finally, make sure to regularly review and update your goals with your marketing coach. As your business evolves and market conditions change, it’s important to revisit your goals and adjust them accordingly. Regular goal reviews will help you stay on track, make necessary adjustments, and ensure that your marketing strategies remain relevant and effective.

Creating a Personalised Marketing Strategy with Your Coach

Now, you’ve picked your marketing coach, you’ve defined your goals, what next?

This is the time to work with your coach to develop a unique, personalised marketing strategy to finally get your business going in the direction you want. Here’s some key steps:

1. Analyse Your Target Audience: Your target audience are all the people you want to reach. Analysing their preferences, pain-points, and purchasing habits will deepen your understanding of your audience so that you can better cater to them. Your marketing coach can guide you through the process of conducting market research, analysing customer data, and creating buyer personas.
2. Identify Key Marketing Channels: Identify what channels will most effectively reach your target demographic. This may be certain social media platforms, email marketing, content marketing, paid promotion, etc. Whatever it may be, your marketing coach can help you determine which channels are worth your money and which ones aren’t necessary for your business.
3. Craft Your Unique Value Proposition: Your unique value proposition (UVP) is what sets you apart from your competitors. Work with your marketing coach to define your UVP and tailor your marketing to communicate these unique selling points. Your UVP should clearly articulate the benefits of your products or services and why customers should choose you over your competitors.
4. Develop a Content Strategy: Content marketing is such a valuable way to get your brand out there. Work with your marketing coach to develop a plan for your content marketing, including what form of content, what message, and what platforms to post it.
5. Implement Marketing Tactics: Now your strategy is done, here comes the exciting part! Work with your marketing coach to implement your marketing strategy. Get started executing campaigns, creating content, and optimising your website.

Why Group Marketing Coaching Can Help You Stay Accountable

We provide group marketing coaching to help you as a business stay up to date with digital marketing changes, stay accountable, get twice-weekly training and feedback on your content and help you get the results you need in your business.

We work with small business owners who understand they need to step up and be the core voice and face of their business – while helping you also create systems to outsourcing some of the repurposing and scheduling (and other marketing admin) to your team as you grow.

Our coaching clients say our sessions are the highlight of their week. My highlight is when they share their wins from the content they’ve produced.

If you would like to talk to us about our group coaching (including finding out how it can be part funded if you are a business owner in NZ, get in touch.

We’d love to talk!

 

For over ten years Rachel Klaver has worked with small business owners on their marketing, with a specific interest in content marketing strategy. She loves playing with language and shares her own marketing catchphrases such as “Be a kind spider” and “You have never killed a man with your face” As a small business owner, often low on time, and with a distinct aversion to admin, Rachel loves helping other small businesses catch the marketing bug. Her insights and personality shine through her weekly podcast MAP IT Marketing, her weekly column in NZ’s national newspaper Stuff, and her content on any platform they let her have an account!