Marketing for Dummies: steps of the marketing process

Chances are you have the belief that digital marketing is somewhat complex, and nothing could be further from the truth than that. 

Online marketing is simple if you have a step-by-step guide on how to take the ideal actions that will lead you to achieve results.  

Each marketing process is unique, although they all have in common indispensable pillars that you should not overlook. 

Take note of this!

5 Steps in a company's marketing process

Let's say that the marketing process is the foundation of any project, so without it you can't get started.

We define it as a series of indispensable steps that help you find the business opportunities that exist in the market. Through this you will determine if your product has a place or if you should make improvements to penetrate that niche in question.

The process requires a lot of research and an analysis of the competition and the sector in general to determine how to enter with your product or service.

Let's take a closer look at the steps involved in a company's marketing process:

1. Find the opportunities.

Before launching a business you must find a need in the market, that is the raison d'être of any company.

How can you do it? There are several resources such as surveys, statistics, trend analysis and much more. The idea is to detect what people need in order to offer a solution through your project.

2. Segment the market

You have already found an opportunity and you have the perfect product for the niche. The next step is to segment the market to focus on a specific group of people. 

We recommend you to take into account some criteria such as:

• Educational level.

• Economic class.

• Gender.

• Age.

• Geographic area.

This data will allow you to know who your ideal client is, so that you can communicate with them in the right place and at the right time.

3. Detailed analysis

At this point you've already segmented your niche, but it's not the time to sell yet. You need to analyze other variables to know what's happening in depth in your area.

It's essential that you study your competitors and ask yourself what they're doing, how they are implementing their strategies, what sales channels they use and the characteristics of their products.

Focus also on your company, especially on the strengths and weaknesses you detect in the project to know where you can improve.

4. Apply the strategies

Now that you have information about the competition, your company, the market and your customers, it is time to develop the strategy to take your products to society.

Here you will establish details such as:

• The type of advertising campaigns you will use.

• Where you will promote yourself

• Ads in social networks.

• Hiring marketing specialists.

5. Implement the tactics

Once you have the strategy it is time to create a roadmap and we call this a marketing plan.

You must define the time frame in which each task will be implemented, who will carry it out, what metrics you will use to measure the results and the estimated budget.

The marketing plan is the GPS for everyone involved in the business side of the company, so it must be created in great detail so that nothing is overlooked.

Importance of marketing in business

Without marketing there is no functioning business that can achieve success.

Through it you find out who your customer is, what their needs are and the right ways to provide them with a solution. The idea is to create a relationship with users so that they develop a sense of belonging to your brand.

Every major company in the world has solid marketing strategies that allow them to discover the needs of their market in order to serve potential customers in the way they want.

4 Advantages of the marketing process

Having a proper marketing process gives you countless advantages:

1. Preparation

Creating a proper marketing process prepares you before you go to market. There is nothing better, when you start your digital business, than knowing what the needs of your target audience are and how you will solve them.

The marketing steps are designed for that purpose: to know the current situation and, based on that, create a strategy that allows you to take advantage of other areas of opportunity that your competitors may not take into account. 

2. You get ahead of your competition

Nowadays the market is voracious, there are many companies that want to take all the cake without sharing it with anyone. You as an entrepreneur must prepare yourself in the best way so that you're not surprised.

If you make a good implementation of the marketing process you will have a competitive advantage over your competition. And it's all because you anticipate multiple events that could occur due to new trends that come to society.

In addition, do not forget that in this process you study the companies that make life in your sector, so you will know what are the gaps in the market that you must fill.

3. You anticipate possible situations

Closely linked to the previous point. In business there is nothing written. It may be that in your studies you found a niche with a certain number of customers and when you launch the product you realize that people have migrated to another trend.

It's not a favorable situation, but the marketing process can warn you about it. Sometimes changes happen gradually, so if you detect it in time you can act before it's too late.

4. You detect trends

Of course, with a marketing plan you will spot trends before your competitors do, so you will always be one step ahead.

Trends are those consumer habits that adapt to customer needs and evolve over time.

If you are attentive to changes in the market you will be able to meet the needs of consumers at the right time, and that is where marketing comes into play.

Now tell us, what do you think about the marketing process, have you already started to build yours? If you still have doubts, keep reading our blog articles to learn how to create a marketing plan adapted to your project.