When it comes to marketing, what actually makes for a successful strategy? From social media posts to promotional emails and blog writing to PR coverage, knowing where to start or which direction to go in can be overwhelming.

You need to cut through the noise! It’s never too late to breathe new life into your marketing efforts, in fact, it’s the best way to match ever-evolving consumer preferences.

Here are 5 must-follow tactics for successful business marketing.

1. Keep your strategy innovative and don’t be afraid of change

Marketing in its very nature is creative. It’s about finding new ways of engaging your audience, building your brand, and showcasing just how great your business is. So why are you worried about trying something new?

Innovation is what helps you stand out from the competition, so always embrace new trends, tools, and platforms to get the most value out of your work. Let’s take AI for example, using AI tools like ChatGPT can help you maximise your content value, turning one amazing press release into tweets, captions, blogs, scripts, and anything else you need to complement your strategy.

Or, you could look at innovation differently by exploring untouched territory like launching a TikTok page or experimenting with collaborations. Don't limit yourself to traditional marketing channels. Explore alternative platforms and mediums to reach your audience in unexpected ways — some may work and others might not, but you won’t know until you try!

2. Include the wider business in the ideation process

It’s not just the marketing team’s job to pull an entire strategy together and make it successful. One tactic you shouldn’t overlook is incorporating other departments into the ideation process of marketing or simply providing feedback. Too many cooks can indeed spoil the broth, but you also need to make use of everyone’s skill set and ideas.

The ideation stage is a great opportunity to get everyone involved. Since each department has different perspectives on how the business operates, adding more voices to marketing conversations can spark new ideas and angles that weren’t previously considered.

If you’ve been hiring internationally, speaking to team members from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds can bring in a wealth of varied perspectives to help your marketing initiatives resonate with a broader audience and adapt to the complexities of different markets.

3. Embrace the power of storytelling

Capturing and retaining your audience's attention requires more than just flashy advertisements and promotional offers. It demands the art of storytelling. Stories have a unique ability to captivate, resonate, and forge emotional connections with your audience, so people have something to buy into, making them an indispensable tool in your marketing arsenal.

By tapping into the power of storytelling, you can create a narrative that not only showcases your brand's values and personality but also fosters a sense of loyalty and affinity among your audience. Coca-Cola is a great example of a brand that uses storytelling to influence consumer behavior by linking the brand to moments of joy like the classic ‘Holidays are coming’ ad that associates the brand with moments of joy.

Authenticity is key to effective storytelling. Tap into stories that resonate with your target audience and you’ll see better engagement. Think about the types of narratives, experiences, and moments that your target audience can resonate with and incorporate these into your marketing strategy.

4. Strategise for micro-moments

Ultimately, you want your marketing strategy to result in customer loyalty which means providing long-term solutions, but don’t overlook the importance of micro moments, too. These are brief, intent-driven instances when individuals turn to their devices for quick answers or solutions like an online guide or reel. Strategizing for micro-moments is important because these fleeting instances represent valuable opportunities to engage with consumers at critical points in their decision-making journey.

Strategizing for micro-moments is crucial because these fleeting instances represent valuable opportunities to engage with consumers at critical points in their decision-making journey. These moments could include ‘I-want-to-know’ moments when consumers are researching information, ‘I-want-to-go’ moments when they are looking for nearby businesses or locations, ‘I-want-to-do’ moments when they are seeking guidance or instructions, and ‘I-want-to-buy’ moments when they are ready to make a purchase decision.

Anticipate common questions or inquiries that consumers may have during micro-moments and provide instant answers through your social media content, blogs, and chatbot responses to secure small wins.

5. Humanize your business to reach people on a deeper level

With so many businesses fighting for attention, interactions can feel impersonal and transactional but humanizing your marketing strategy can forge deeper connections. A simple way of doing this is by showing your face and voice, such as appearing in videos, to help you build trust, and rapport, and foster a sense of community.

However, humanizing your business doesn't mean that you need to be omnipresent in every marketing channel. Instead, it's about strategically choosing moments to showcase the human side of your brand. Whether it's through behind-the-scenes glimpses, personal stories, or engaging interactions, incorporating authentic human elements into your marketing efforts can help break down barriers and create meaningful connections with your audience.

By humanizing your business, you not only differentiate yourself from competitors but also create a more relatable and memorable brand experience for your audience. So, don't underestimate the power of showing your face and voice—it could be the key to unlocking deeper engagement and loyalty from your customers.

Marketing is a huge part of any business but it’s never too late to switch things up, it’s the best thing you can do to see what works and what doesn’t. Give these 5 tactics a go and see how you can gain even more success with your strategy!