<p style="text-align: justify;">New businesses are popping up left and right.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Where does <em>yours</em> Fit into the Mix?</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Given the daunting facts of the business world which tell us that 50% of businesses fail within the first year (and exponentially <em>more</em> within the first few years), it often seems that <span style="text-decoration: underline;">the</span> deck is stacked against new start-ups.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Thankfully, many of today&#8217;s budding businesses are seeing success through a “less is more” mentality when it comes to marketing. That is, they are able to simplify their marketing strategies leading to a swifter business that has time to focus on the big picture versus sweating the small stuff.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Whether you&#8217;re in the trenches already or are in the planning phases of your next big idea, keep the following three-point checklist in mind as it pertains to marketing your business. You may be surprised at how you can get by with <em>less</em>, granted you know which aspects of your marketing strategy matter the most.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>1. Kill It with Your Content</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The boom of content marketing should come as no surprise to any modern entrepreneur, regardless of niche or industry. From <strong>creating a compelling blog that drives traffic</strong> to ranking for keywords, you need to be organized <em>and</em> disciplined when it comes to content marketing.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">To avoid wasting time, money and resources, make sure that each piece of content has a purpose, whether it&#8217;s educating your readership, targeting specific keywords <em>or</em> building links for the purpose of SEO.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Draft a crystal clear content schedule and spend only what you need to make your content strategy a reality. Don&#8217;t just blast articles or film videos for the sake of marketing, but instead strive to achieve a “quality over quantity” strategy by crafting the best pieces possible and promoting them accordingly.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>2. Emphasize Your Expertise</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Today&#8217;s customers want authenticity and expertise from the brands they support. Therefore, strive to educate your readership at every turn and hone your marketing strategy to <strong>emphasize education over sales</strong>. Through coming up with case studies or presenting free informational products such as e-books to your base, you may be surprised as how you can create a dedicated audience without coming across as a sales pitch.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>3. Define Your Roles</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Just as you should define the goals of your marketing materials, you should define the <em>roles</em> of your team marketing-wise.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes that newbie marketers make is not having <strong>clearly defined roles for team members</strong>. On one hand, it&#8217;s tempting to have multiple team members wear different “hats” in regard to marketing, but your strategy can quickly fall apart when not everyone&#8217;s on the same page. On the flip side, your company may not necessarily need a dedicated writer or social media strategist on deck.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Make an effort to emphasize the strengths of your current team members first and foremost before simply assigning someone the role of marketer. Likewise, don&#8217;t go off hiring a dedicated social media marketer or content writer unless you&#8217;re actually seeing an ROI for such efforts. Chances are you can hire a freelancer to help manage such pieces on an as-needed basis.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">While there may be seemingly millions of pieces to any given marketing strategy, there&#8217;s no need to fear. Focus instead of creating worthwhile, education content with clear goals in mind <em>and</em> rely on the proper members of your team to carry out your marketing strategy.</p>

The Simplified Modern Marketing Checklist: 3 Tips For Successful Start-ups
