5 Easy Ways To Improve Your Chicago Marketing Strategy

Does your Illinois business struggle with better returns? Are you a new company that needs guidance to compete and succeed? A Chicago marketing strategy consultant can help you develop or refine a plan to drive customer growth.

Your strategy should include these five easy but effective strategies:

• Reexamine your target audience.
• Identify your unique selling proposition (USP).
• Complement online marketing with offline advertising methods.
• Create a consistent customer experience across all channels.
• Prioritize efficiency.

Read the article below to learn how to quickly apply these tactics to your company! Let’s go!

Watch this video to find out more about how Digital Authority Partners can create a great marketing strategy for you!

1. Reexamine Your Target Audience

You might have a highly engaged social media following with poor conversion rates. It is convenient to blame the platforms or the techniques, but often the problem is that you have gotten the target market wrong.

This occurs when you:

• Let your biases or preferences dictate what market you target.
• Do not research enough to find the ideal customer profile.
• Grow an audience of people who are interested but not ready to purchase.
• Copy your competitors' buyer personas without adjusting them to your own product or brand.

A Chicago marketing strategy consultant can use their in-depth industry knowledge to (1) uncover this issue and (2) redefine your local target audience for maximum performance.

Some of the steps you can take include:

• Interpret offline and online lead and buyer data. Compare those visiting your website with those who are buying. Capitalize on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to analyze big data such as geographical location, demographics, interests, and user behavior.
• Expand your market research tools. Use focus groups, surveys, and interviews. Sit down with your existing customers to know what they are buying and how to improve your product.
• Find golden opportunities. Identify buyer gaps if you are in a saturated market or a niche with big players. Do you see an underserved or unserved market? What are your competitors lacking?

2. Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Maybe you know you cannot be “just another” Chicago business if you want to sell. Otherwise, big-name and established brands can easily overpower you online and offline.

But how do you stand out? Begin by defining your unique selling proposition (USP).

A USP embodies what makes you different from and better than your competitors. It reflects the value of your product or service, a critical detail when crafting the top marketing strategies that should resonate with your audience.

It is not only a slogan, tagline, or overused line such as “We have the best service in town.” Claims of low prices, 24/7 customer support, or fast shipping also fail to impress. Others can offer these as well.

Instead, your USP should be:

• original and creative,
• clear and concise, capturing the brand’s essence,
• specific to your target audience’s needs,
• credible, highlighting the features of your product or service,
• focused on quantifiable benefits rather than features.

Some excellent examples of USPs include:

• Uber’s “The smartest way to get around” mobile app makes it easy for users to request rides and track their driver’s location, and its cashless payment system eliminates the hassle of carrying cash.
• TOMS’ “One for One.” For every pair of shoes purchased, it donates a pair to a child in need. This model attracts socially conscious consumers who appreciate its commitment to have a positive impact in the world.
• Apple’s “Think Different.” This tech giant offers products with designs that are different from or break the norm, such as the iPhone.

3. Complement Online Marketing with Offline Advertising Methods

Traditional marketing methods are not yet dead. Although spending could drop in 2023, it would still be over $200 billion.

Offline channels, from television to trade fairs, still work because they create a more personal connection with the audience. They also help you establish a presence outside the digital realm and capture potential customers who spend little to no time online.

Because traditional advertising can be expensive, a Chicago marketing strategy consultant helps you determine the right mix of strategies that best suit your goals, budget, product categories, and target market.

Consider testing these tactics:

• Create an eye-catching display in a store or shopping mall. Most consumers still visit brick-and-mortar stores to buy products, especially during holidays and other peak seasons.
• Hand out flyers. Print your products’ features and benefits, contact information, or promotional offers on leaflets that you can distribute in areas with heavy foot traffic.
• Send press releases to local media outlets. Inform the public through print and broadcast news reports if you have an upcoming event or a new product launch.
• Sponsor events that can help you reach potential customers. Find relevant activities, such as sports tournaments, music festivals, seminars, competitions, etc.

4. Create a Consistent Customer Experience Across All Channels

The global market size for “buy online, pick up in store” (BOPIS) could achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3% from 2021 to 2027. By the end of the forecast period, its value could be over $700 billion.

This shift in consumer behavior is forcing you to expand your service offerings and reach by creating a consistent customer experience across all channels, digital and offline.

To do this, you must have an omnichannel marketing strategy that integrates all touchpoints and allows your customers to switch from one channel to another without disruption.

Plus, you need a unified customer relationship management (CRM) system that stores essential information such as contact details, past orders, and product preferences.

Here is what it can look like:

• Offer a consistent user interface. Ensure your website and mobile app screens, menus, and navigation content look and work the same way.
• Provide access to relevant product information. Whether customers are researching online or in-store, they should easily find all item details.
• Offer multiple payment options. Transactions should be possible through traditional in-store methods and digital channels, such as mobile wallets and cards.
• Create a unified customer service system. Route customer inquiries, regardless of channel, to the same team that can provide prompt assistance.

5. Prioritize Efficiency and Leverage Automation

Efficiency is your best friend if you are a new business or a company with limited resources. A Chicago marketing strategy consultant helps you identify and prioritize the most cost-effective tactics in your plan.

For example:

• Investing in automation tools to streamline repetitive tasks, such as email marketing and social media posting,
• Leveraging data and analytics to gain insights into customer behavior and preferences, which can inform targeted marketing campaigns,
• Outsourcing non-core business functions, such as accounting and IT, to free up time and resources to focus on core business objectives,
• Prioritizing employee training and development to upskill the staff, help them become more engaged in the business, and boost their productivity.

Summing Up

Chicago has a vibrant business environment, but it is also highly competitive. Developing an effective marketing strategy that considers budget, industry, target market, and objectives lets you stand out despite limited resources.

If you need help strengthening your existing marketing plan or creating a new one from scratch, Digital Authority Partners (DAP) is here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.