Written by Lynn Corbitt, Account Executive

It’s tempting to say “oh, we can handle marketing ourselves,” especially for growing companies. That’s admirable, truly, but it could end up hurting your results in the long run. After all, there’s a lot that goes into a marketing campaign. For example, let’s talk about a website. We’ve created many websites for a wide variety of clients. Some are in the public works sphere, and others are for B2C companies.  

For a website to be effective, it needs to be a mix of good content and good design. Even the best, most compelling marketing copy can fall flat if the website looks like it’s straight out of the 90s. “But, there are drag-and-drop website builders to help with that!” Sure, you’re right. Templates can only get you so far, though, and if everyone is building their website using templates, they’re all going to start to look the same. Having a designer put their hands on a site can elevate it just enough to add a bit of wow factor. 

So, once you have your web copy written, your site designed and everything added in, you’re good to go, right? Well…not quite. Do you have a contact form on your website? Is that going to go directly to your inbox, or should it be a bit more generic so that a response could theoretically come from anyone in your company? It might be a good idea to set up an info@ email address for your domain. We do this for many of our clients, especially if we’re going to be assisting with managing incoming 

emails and sending responses. Speaking of which, you’ll need to watch that inbox (or set up automatic forwarding) so you know if people are asking you questions. Keeping track of those incoming messages and your team’s responses is also helpful and can save you time if you receive the same question multiple times. 

Now we’re done with the website, right? We’re almost there, I promise. Did you add a subscription box so people could sign up for email newsletter updates? If so, you’ll need to establish your newsletter template, make sure subscribers are added to your contact list, and then write the content for your newsletter each month.  

Okay, but surely that’s it? One last thing: analytics. Data supports your marketing efforts. Keep an eye on your analytics monthly. See how many visitors are coming to your site. Track which pages are being visited most often. Understand how long people are staying on your website. All of this can help you refine your website content and use it as the strong marketing tool it can be. (Oh, and if you use Google Analytics, make sure you’re ready for Google Analytics 4 coming in July!)  

Phew. Those are the basics. You could make it even more complicated by adding video to your site, and that requires working with a videographer and editor to create a clean file you can upload. Once your website is up and running, you can use it to promote your brand, your products, or ways for people to get in touch with you and give you feedback. After all, your website is the front door of your brand, and it’s also one of the strongest marketing tools you can access. 

That was a lot, and that’s all just related to the website. I could go on for hours about social media marketing, direct mail initiatives, public relations and media efforts, event planning, and public surveys or feedback. Creating a comprehensive marketing effort takes time and it takes people. Rasor has a strong team of professionals with a variety of skill sets. Some of us are paid advertising experts, others have written and built many websites, and still others are skilled at media relations. Working with Rasor means accessing an entire team to help support your marketing efforts. Sometimes even the best marketing departments need a little help. We’re here to help you reach your goals.