Building Your Marketing Assets to Build a Better Business

When I started my first business in 1995, we needed and had three marketing assets. We had a 1. logo, a 2. business card, and a 3. brochure.  (we also had sales assets like cold call scripts, prospect database, and customer database but that is the subject of a different article).  Marketing assets have changed drastically in the last 27 years.  In the beginning, my team used these three simple assets to grow a business with ZERO clients into a business that consulted to Revlon, Fleet Bank (now B of A), The PGA of America, The PGA Tour, and a dozen other brands you would recognize.

In today’s business environment, your list of marketing assets is in continual flux, and the number of assets you need to be successful is growing, not shrinking. I am going to outline the marketing assets that you need to be successful. Not every business needs every one of these assets, but if you are not using one of these assets, you should have a business reason for not doing so. Each of these assets can work with another asset to improve your business. (asset stacking)

Traditional Marketing Assets

1. Logo: Your brand image is what defines your business. When thinking of your logo, be sure to think of an image that aligns with your industry along with your products and/or services.
2. Business card: A business card allows you to communicate a great deal about your business. Add your brand, personality, and contact information to your business card design. This allows prospects to reach out and learn more about what you offer.
3. Brochure: Yes, they still work. Regardless if you use a tri-fold or bi-fold, a printed brochure will allow you to communicate your products and/or services to your customers. With an effective design and eye-catching layout, you can effectively provide information about your offerings.

Common Basic Digital Marketing Assets

4. Domain: Your domain is essentially your dedicated parking spot on the Internet. It is a unique identifier for your website. If you cannot acquire your exact business name, you should pick a domain that explains your products, services, and/or business.
5. Website: Your website is the primary source of information your end users will turn to for phone numbers and additional details about what you offer. It should be mobile optimized and include SEO keywords so you can rank highly on search engines.
6. Email Signature: Your email description is how your lead will contact you. Be sure you include your name, email, business phone, and any other pertinent information. This can include your business address, social media information, or awards you have earned.
7. Reputation: Your reputation is all you have as a business. While one review will not break you, if you have multiple unhappy clients, you may see the number of leads you attract decline over time. Be sure to provide the best services and work with clients who are worthy of working with you.

Digital Content Assets

8. PDF Brochure: A PDF brochure can be easily downloaded on any device. After optimizing for mobile devices, your content can be easily viewed by any user. Be sure to include information about what you offer and incorporate natural language that goes over why you are the best company to turn to in your industry.
9. Videos: Gone are the days of “how to” articles. Videos are on the rise because people can see and hear the solutions they are looking for rather than having to read and digest the solution. Videos allow you to add any amount of personality you please, so go ahead and be yourself! You are likely to get more views when you aren’t trying to be too professional or like someone else.
10. Blog: Do you want more clients without spending a ton of money? Turn to blogging. An active blog will attract users who are already looking for what you offer. It also lets search engines know you are an authority in your industry.
11. Case Studies: Case studies are a business owner’s best friend! These documents go over a real-life problem and solution other companies experienced and employed. After reading the cause and effect, a business owner can understand the outcomes and decide if they would like to go down a similar path.
12. Photos: Look up what your current users are posting about the products and services you are offering. Based on the best photos available, mimic the ideas and photos you find. Please be sure to respect copyright laws during this process.
13. eBooks: When you are trying to reach a large audience, eBooks may be your answer. As a convenient (and typically free) download, your readers can gain access to the information you want to provide. Better still, you can hook your readers and attract them to purchase items from you in the future.

Social Media Assets

14. Facebook: As one of the largest, most popular social media platforms, you can easily reach your target audience. Regardless if you are trying to reach your followers organically or through paid options, you will be able to market your products and/or services.
15. FB Followers: Facebook users can easily follow your page for updates and announcements. When creating content (pictures, videos, or text posts), be sure to focus on what your audience responds to most. If you aren’t sure, run an A/B test to find out!
16. Virtual Communities / Facebook Groups:  One of the greatest aspects of the Internet is the ability to communicate with nearly anyone anywhere on the planet. Those with similar interests or hobbies can find and join virtual communities to chat with one another, make friends, and get advice.
17. Instagram: Do you have great pictures? Do you have crafty captions? Are you trying to capture a large, young audience? If so, you need Instagram! Post three to five times a week using posts, stories, and live videos to effectively engage your audience.
18. Instagram Followers: Instagram followers are the users who like your account. Your pictures and videos will show up in their feed, and they will receive notifications whenever you go live. If you post a story, they can easily access your content for 24 hours.
19. Twitter: When you have an announcement and/or service or product offering that can be announced by the minute or hourly, Twitter is the perfect platform. Use this social media account to keep your followers updated.
20. TikToc: We don’t use it because of the international data mining that happens with the app, but some people make great use of it.
21. Youtube Channel: A YouTube channel is a place where users can upload their own videos about any topic their hearts desire. From cooking tutorials and makeup challenges to comedy, life advice, how-to videos, and more, YouTube has become a platform to entertain and educate the masses. Business owners can even make a bit of money off ad revenue if they opt to include ads in their videos.
22. Pinterest Boards: One of the most popular social media sites for women and used by a growing number of men. Pinterest boards can be integrated with eCommerce and they can drive a ton of exposure and traffic.

SEO Assets

Every asset in this list is SEO related. The ones below are just categorized as specific SEO assets.

23. Citations: In SEO, citations are places your business is cited or listed in a directory or news site. The citation may or may not have a link. Citation sites can also fall into other categories. For instance, we consider YELP a citation site and a social link. There are tools to help you build and manage your citations. At Seota, we use multiple methods. We use Yext to get a quick citation footprint, and then we do a ton of manual citations. We have employees who spend 100% of their time getting citations for clients.
24. Google My Business Account: Business owners should verify their business on Google to provide more credibility to their website and to ensure their audience is receiving the most up-to-date information. A Google My Business account allows businesses to verify their location, hours, website, contact information, logo, and more.
25. Google Analytics: The most underrated marketing tool for non-digital marketers. Your website analytics give you insights far beyond how many visitors your website gets. You can dig into a geographic location, mobile vs. desktop, rank your pages by value, track conversions and so much more.

Outbound / Inbound Marketing Assets

26. Email Marketing: How many times have you been inclined to make a purchase after a company sends you an email? Don’t miss out on a large number of sales because you won’t set up an email marketing campaign. Even one email a quarter can increase your sales. The average click-through rate is over 8%.
27. Marketing Automation Nurture Process: If you have a well-built email list, marketing automation can help you nurture these email subscribers into paying customers. Through the use of dynamic content and email drip campaigns, you can effectively provide information while converting these qualified leads into paying customers.
28. Landing Pages: A landing page is a uniquely designed page of a website to serve a specific purpose. From being driven to this page from a paid advertisement to announcing a new store opening, short-term sale, or another purpose, a landing page provides the end user with exactly what they are looking for on a search engine.
29. Digital Giveaways: When you desire a higher follower or subscriber rate, the easier way to increase it quickly is through a digital giveaway. You make the rules, and it is typically best to require the post or video to be liked and shared. You should also require users to follow your account in order to be entered. Then, select a name at random on the announced deadline.

Advanced Digital Assets

30. Data: Data can provide great insight into current market trends and help business owners determine if they are going to break even each quarter. Data can be generated from nearly any activity. Using appropriate tracking software for income, expenses, inventory, and social media followers can provide a complete picture of how the business is doing financially and online.
31. Mobile App: Mobile apps are a way to connect with your audience without driving them to your websites. Apps are easier to access and typically provide a lite version of a website. For some businesses, apps are specially designed to serve a purpose. Think of banks, social media platforms, and games. Each of these serves a unique need.
32. Webinars: When you want to speak to people around the world about a subject, a webinar can allow you to complete this objective. Rather than renting an expensive banquet room and charging high entry fees to cover the costs, webinars provide you and your audience with a low-cost, online alternative. Users can engage throughout the webinar and even provide their questions in a chat that can be addressed after the webinar is complete.
33. Podcast: in an increasingly video-oriented world, the spoken word still generates a lot of internet traffic and marketing buzz. A podcast can also be in video format, but consumption of the audio broadcast is the foundation of the podcast world. Wiki definition – “is an episodic series of digital audio or video files which a user can download to listen. Alternatively, the word “podcast” may refer to the individual component of such a series or to an individual media file.”
34. Chat Bots and Messenger Bots:

Did I miss something? Let me know about it.

Side note: the list of assets was produced by William Hogsett, but the descriptions were contributed by various staff members.