Feel like you’re on a marketing hamster wheel

Times are incredibly challenging when you have a small business and never more so than in 2020 with a global pandemic added to the mix. Now is the time to really focus on your business and ensure that your marketing is giving you the best chance to not only survive but thrive. Smaller businesses can be much more agile and adaptable to changing circumstances than larger organisations so it’s not all bad news. Small and perfectly formed is how we like to think of independent businesses. Follow our tips to ensure your maximising the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

Know what you want to achieve

If you ask any business owner what they’re trying to achieve, their obvious answer will be to grow their business. They want to be incredibly successful whilst enjoying what they do and achieving the perfect work/life balance. Nothing wrong with that – or is there? This overriding aim, although everyone’s dream, isn’t targeted enough to be effective. You really do need to think about exactly what you’re wanting to achieve to be able to market successfully. Are you wanting to attract more customers to your website? Do you want to increase Brand awareness? Are you looking to increase the amount existing clients spend with you? Are you looking to increase the frequency with which they buy from you or use your service? Each of these things need to be approached in a different way, so it’s important that you’re sure about what you’re trying to achieve.

As a small company, you definitely haven’t got the time or capacity to tackle each of these things in detail, so pick one or two and focus your efforts on those.

Do an audit

Now is a great time to take a look at exactly what you have by way of marketing.  Check your website and really look at it with fresh eyes. Is the customer journey working? Have you checked the site’s analytics recently? Are the call to actions clear and plentiful? Is the information up to date, clear and interesting? Is it time to refresh those sliders? Be super critical. Check any marketing material you produce – whether on line or in print.  Is it current and is it working? Take a look at the emails you’ve been sending – are they consistently branded? Are they sending the right message. Taking the time to see what your potential customers see, can be quite an eye opener.

Know your audience

You can’t effectively market if you’re not sure who you’re marketing to. Have in mind the perfect client or customer, really picture them. How old are they ? Do they shop on-line? What issues do they have?  Do they use Instagram or are they more likely to be found on Facebook.  Do they read the local newspaper? What are their interests?

Really understanding your audience allows you to maximise the potential of turning them into customers. It means you can talk to them with the right voice and answer their questions. You can become the recognised authority within your field. You’re more likely to get comments and positive feedback and shares as a result. Understanding how and when someone absorbs information is  key to engaging with them.

Have a Plan but be realistic

Without a plan, you’ll struggle to be focussed and reduce the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. It needn’t be complicated, but it needs to be structured and broken down into bite sized achievable chunks within set timeframes.  Be realistic, your time is limited so don’t be put off getting external help if it means you get to your goal quicker.  Struggling for 6 months will not be cost effective if you don’t move your business forward.

Be nosey

The problems you’re experiencing with your marketing will have been felt by thousands of small companies before, so check out what your competitors are doing.  There’s no point in inventing the wheel, even learning what doesn’t work is useful!

If you need help getting a marketing plan or strategy together, give us a call.