Let’s be honest, everyone likes to feel special. Whether it’s a one-of-a-kind purchase such as a luxury handbag or a one-of-a-kind experience like a celebrity endorsement or a bestselling novel, we all like to feel like we’re the only person who has or will ever experience that thing.

Whether you’re an experienced marketer or a beginner, if you’re looking to enter the German market you’ll need to brush up on your general knowledge of marketing in Germany before moving in to our quick guide to starting an online marketing business in Germany.

The Basics

Before getting too deep into the nitty-gritty of starting an online marketing business in Germany, it’s important to understand the basics. In order to do this, let’s take a quick trip back to the Stone Age when market research was carried out face-to-face. Back then, people gathered in marketplaces such as ancient Lübeck or Frankfurt to have a good old-fashioned conversation with the shop owners and marketing executives of the day. These marketplaces gave rise to the modern-day concept of market research, which we use every day in the Information Age.

Although market research is a widely accepted part of any marketing plan, face-to-face encounters are no longer required. Thanks to the digital age and the fact that more and more people are shopping online from the comfort of their homes, the way we do research has changed. We can ask questions of potential customers through various means of communication, from websites to email to social media.

Marketing Mix

Now that you have a clear idea of what marketing is and what it does, you can start mixing together the different elements that make up a successful marketing campaign. The most basic element of any marketing plan is a unique selling proposition (USP). This is essentially the marketing ‘s argument for why someone should buy your product or service rather than the products or services of your competitors. It’s a brief but succinct summary of what makes your product or service different from the others.

A USP can be a feature such as the ability to deliver an e-book in mp3 format or a cost-free trial. It can also be the “whole experience” your product offers, such as a spa day for women or an afternoon of archery for men.

In addition to a USP, you’ll need to decide on the other elements that make up your marketing mix. These are the tactics you’ll use to get people to buy your product or service. They include everything from search engine optimization (SEO) to PPC (Pay-Per-Click) to social media marketing. (For more on these elements, check out our blog post on The Anatomy of a Marketing Plan.)

Goals & Objectives

Setting goals and objectives is an important part of any marketing plan. Why? It means you’ve actually thought about what you’re trying to achieve and set measurable benchmarks to gauge your progress. Some examples of goals and objectives are to increase web traffic to a given site or to launch a new product and drive sales through existing channels. When you set specific goals and objectives, it also means you’re more likely to measure your progress and tune your strategy accordingly. If you’re vague about your goals and objectives, it’s easy to get lost in the details and forget about what’s really important – namely, your success in the marketplace.

Brand Perception

A brand is essentially the combination of a company’s values, beliefs, culture, and personality that create an indelible image in the minds of its customers. This is important to keep in mind when developing a marketing strategy because your product or service will be surrounded by other brands – both competitors and non-competitors – in your industry. While you want to be the best at what you do and offer the best customer experience possible, you need to remember that your competitors are also out to earn a profit just like you are.

If you want to succeed in the German marketplace as an online marketer, it’s important to understand how customers perceive your brand right now and whether you’re doing anything to change that perception.

Luckily for you, we’ve collected some information on Brand Perception among key demographics for you to study.

Cost Effective

One of the main factors that determine the cost-effectiveness of a marketing campaign is the number of leads you turn into sales. To get the most out of your marketing investment, you need to focus on increasing the number of leads you generate. This is why you need to study the returns on your current marketing strategy and whether these are worth the investment or if you need to adjust your approach. For example, if you’re using PPC to drive traffic to your website but you’re not converting these leads into sales, you might want to re-evaluate your strategy and whether or not this is the best use of your time and financials.

Competitors

A business’ competitors are all the other companies it faces in the marketplace. These competitors can be local, regional, or even global in scope. The competition in your industry will vary depending on the size of your niche, but rest assured there is always competition.

To find your competitors, you’ll need to go through trade journals or online research directories and forums that cover your industry. Alternatively, you can take the time to actually call the companies that manufacture or sell your product or service and find out what they’re up to. In a nutshell, having knowledge of your competitors is vital to the success of your business.

User Experience (UX)

An element that’s often forgotten about in the heat of the battle is the user experience (UX). The way your product or service is designed and its ease of use determine how easy or difficult it is for users to have a positive experience with your company. Unfortunately, most business owners and marketers pay too much attention to what they think will sell, forgetting about the product’s UX completely. This is why it’s important to have a UX expert on your team to ensure your product is designed with the end user in mind.

If you want to succeed in the German market as an online marketer, you must ensure that your product is easy to use and understand. Otherwise, your expensive advertising and marketing campaigns are just wastage of time and money. Poor UX can also lead to consumer confusion and dissatisfaction, resulting in lost sales and a damaged brand.

Digital Marketing Suite

To succeed in the German market as an online marketer, you’ll need to have a digital marketing suite. What is a digital marketing suite? Simply put, a digital marketing suite is a collection of tools used together to execute online marketing strategies. The term “digital” in digital marketing refers to all the ways you plan to reach potential customers – whether through websites, email marketing, or social media.

Having a digital marketing suite gives you the flexibility to choose the right mix of technologies and tactics to reach your audience. Some of the tools in a digital marketing suite include:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing
• Content creation (digital magazines, blogs, etc)
• Lead generation
• Web analytics
• Website design
• And lots more

When developing your marketing strategy, you must decide what tools you want to use to execute your plan. Once you’ve made this decision, it’s easier to choose an email marketing provider that suits your needs. These are just a few of the many tools out there. However, keep in mind that not all tools are built the same; some can be extremely expensive. If you want to have a successful online marketing strategy, it’s important to find a tool that suits your needs and has a good reputation in your industry. If not, your efforts could be in vain. The key is to find the right fit.

SEMrush

Another essential tool for every marketer is a lead generation (LGS) tool. What is a lead generation tool? Simply put, a lead generation tool is a tool used to find people who are interested in your product or service. The ideal lead generation tool allows you to enter a keyword(s) and generate a list of the top-performing websites where that keyword is used. (For example, let’s say you’re trying to grow a hair-care company in Germany and you enter “hair care” into the tool. Within seconds, you’ll see a list of popular websites where the word “hair care” appears.)