This article originally appeared in the August 2023 issue of Security Business magazine. When sharing, don’t forget to mention Security Business magazine on LinkedIn and @SecBusinessMag on Twitter.
Like most things in life, planning ahead makes obtaining goals and achieving success a reality. Marketing is no exception. To truly stand out and achieve marketing success, businesses need a well-crafted go-to-market (GTM) plan.
GTMs are a roadmap that enables marketing and sales teams to craft goals and align messaging in the marketplace. Consider them a marketing playbook that can be crafted annually, quarterly, or monthly and customized to individual needs, depending on marketing goals and objectives.
A well-crafted GTM plan is crucial for security businesses aiming to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. The plan encompasses various elements, including social media, email templates, printable handouts, blog posts, and newsletters. These elements can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that engages a target audience, builds trust, and drives business growth.
Start with your Marketing Objectives
Consider the marketing objectives for your business. For example, if an objective is to engage with your email list, then adding a monthly or biweekly eblast would be a critical element of a monthly GTM plan. If you want to grow your email list, adding a ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ prompt to your website would help.
Looking to boost your presence in your local community? Create social media platforms for the brand and stay engaged each week. Creating a weekly content calendar for social media posts will ensure content is produced ahead of time and posts go live as planned. Content ideas can include employee recognition, recruiting posts, customer reviews, holiday celebration posts, new product launches, blogs, and more.
Engage Sales and Service Teams
Ask your sales and service teams to share their goals for the month. What assets do they need to move the needle? Each team might have a different preference in marketing materials. Some teams might prefer printed handouts; others might be looking for a digital QR code.
As planned sales events and new product launches approach, crafting a custom playbook for the sales team will enable them to promote the event to their contacts. The playbook could include eblast templates, printable handouts, social media post ideas, and even mockup phone scripts.
By adding handouts, QR codes, and sales event playbooks to a GTM plan, you will arm your sales and service teams with the tools they need to meet their goals and ultimately align brand messaging each month.
Building Brand Awareness
How can a business increase brand awareness? In the security industry and specifically B2B sales, it can be challenging, but positioning your business as a subject matter expert is one of the best ways.
This can be achieved by including a monthly blog – an effective way to share your industry knowledge, establish thought leadership, and build trust with your target audience – in a GTM plan. The best blog post ideas are topics that arise naturally in day-to-day business or current events. Topics can be as simple as answering a frequently asked question, to highlighting new businesses or schools opening in your community, to addressing what is trending on social media.
Write a blog post that showcases your expertise and highlights how your business is a resource in the community. Keeping up with what is trending online and joining the conversation can also keep your brand relevant.
Joining conversations online, answering questions, and participating in trends are excellent ways to paint your brand as a subject matter expert and as a community resource for security needs. Promote your blog posts through your website, social media channels, and newsletters to maximize their reach.
Marissa Vacek is the new Managing Director for Swell, PSA Network’s marketing agency for its members. Request more information at www.securityinfowatch.com/10214742.
