Every successful small business owner will tell you that starting and running a business is no easy task. Between the day-to-day operations of accounting, marketing, and customer service, small business owners are constantly faced with challenges. However, we have found that one of the most effective ways to make a business stand out and stay top of mind is: marketing consistency. It’s a lot like running a marathon, if you want results, you have to work hard, train smart and stay the course, and once you find a pace that works, keep at it and develop a plan you can keep for the long haul. What does that look like?
Know your audience: Having a consistent and deep understanding of your audience is the only way to create a successful marketing strategy. Without this knowledge, any business could easily waste marketing dollars on ineffective tactics and platforms. Once a business has identified its target audience, then it can go a step further and analyze what marketing tactics are most effective for the demographic. For instance, if your audience is young affluent women, using email marketing over direct mail may prove much more cost effective.
Set consistent lead generators: Any consistent marketing strategy requires having lead generators on a regular basis. If your business isn’t finding new leads every month, you need to look for a new plan. It’s normal to start with only a few leads every month and eventually grow once a strategy is fine-tuned based on the industry, channel, and audience.
Keep a steady pace: Once your team has found a couple lead generators, it’s critical to find a way to turn these leads into loyal customers. Consider creating a weekly email with useful content and promotions, or staying active on social media if your audience is present on those channels. There are tons of software, like MailChimp and Sendible, that can help schedule weekly, monthly or daily emails, and social posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or Instagram.
Know organic vs paid content: When you’re making your yearly marketing strategy, look for opportunities to use paid advertising and organic advertising. If your company is offering a limited promotion, use extra marketing dollars to spread the word. Look at each high and low season to find where your brand can move money from paid content to organic content based on sales.
Maintaining these four keys in mind will help you figure out the right things to focus on and will help you find a pace that works for you. By setting up goals and a plan, you will be able to consistently execute on marketing, gain and keep more customers, and grow your business.
