2020 is your year! We can feel it in our bones. Nothing great is accomplished when flying by the seat of your pants. Not to worry, we’ve whittled down a list of five things that you can do marketing-wise for your business which we feel will have a big impact on growing your client base. Have a read and do let us know if we can be a part of your plan.
Because more customers, old bean.
1) There is no point in shooting for the stars if you don’t have a rocket to get there:
This has to be one of the most common errors when it comes to marketing. Knowing your marketing budget and what you’re trying to achieve has to go hand in hand. There is no point in developing an amazing marketing strategy and not being conscious of, not only the financial cost, but also the time cost of these practices. Sit down over a cup of coffee with a couple of colleagues and map it out. What is it that you want to achieve this year? What are the best practices that can get you there? How much will it cost? There is no point investing in practices that won’t help you achieve your overall business goals. Be harsh with yourself, simplify the process, and success will follow.
2) Be SMART about it:
Sometimes developing a strategy can be slightly overwhelming as there are a number of ways you can improve your marketing, but what are the best ways of achieving your goals? So be SMART about it. Utilising the SMART method will force you to be more specific in regard to what you are trying to achieve this coming year and it will show you how to get there. Through evoking the SMART method, you will provide clarity and focus in executing your overall objective, which will help to define and guide your marketing and PR for the year. SOOO Be……
Specific. Make sure that you make your strategy as clear and concise as possible. There is no point having a broad, undefined ideas if you have no means of putting them into practice. Focus your efforts and your time in order to achieve your goals.
Measurable. It’s important that you set goals that you can track your progress and your efforts. Your measurable goals should address what you should see, feel and hear at certain stages along the journey of reaching your objective. This will not only show you if your efforts are effective, but it will also help you stay motivated and continue to achieve your goals.
Achievable. Be intelligent about what you can and cannot achieve in the time frame that you have set yourself, as well as the financial constraints that you may face. How realistic and attainable is your marketing strategy? Is it do-able in the time that you are hoping to achieve your goal? Do you have the necessary means and resources to achieve your goal? These are questions you must ask yourself when developing your strategy for this coming year.
Relevant. Ask yourself ‘where is my ideal client & can I access them?’ ‘Is it the correct time to launch this campaign?’ ‘Does is match our other efforts and needs?’ ‘Is it a worthwhile campaign to run?’ If you can justify and come up with valid reasons as to why a campaign will benefit you and help you to achieve your objective, then you have hit the jackpot. More often than not you may have to readjust your goals in order to achieve your overall long-term plan. Through being concise and clarifying your goals you can find more beneficial and effective ways of achieving your overall objectives throughout the year.
Time. Give yourself a target date to have certain goals or milestones accomplished by. Setting yourself deadlines keeps you on track to attain your overall objective, but it also makes your overall objective seem more attainable because you have broken your goals down into smaller tasks.
3) Speak up we can’t hear you:
Branding, Branding, Branding. If you don’t tell people who you are and what you have to offer, they won’t have a clue as to what it is that you do & ultimately won’t be interested. Put your best foot forward and develop clear brand guidelines that are consistent throughout your marketing. Whether that be online or offline marketing, make sure that your brand is recognizable across all streams. Consistency is the most important thing when it comes to brand awareness. If your font styles, colours and tone of voice differs throughout your marketing, if you don’t know your own voice, your customers won’t have complete trust in you. And why should they? You aren’t offering them with a consistent image of your work and what you do, so why would they think you could deliver when they choose to work with you or purchase a product from you? Get your brand guidelines in check and make sure your team eat, sleep and breath them. This way, you can ensure that your message is being translated across every board, in the best way possible.
4) Be a Chatty Catherine:
3 before 10! Whether you enjoy doing it or not is irrelevant. People love personalization, to feel that you were thinking about them and that you interested in them and their needs. It is a natural human emotion and there is nothing more impersonal and annoying than a pre-written email that you know has been forwarded to over 100 prospective clients. So, pick up the phone and include phone calls into your marketing plan. 3 calls before 10am. Go out of your way to make a phone call and check in on your customers. Build a relationship, have a chat, don’t look at your customer as a potential sale, but as a partner. Change your mindset from the traditional sales pitch and turn it into a friendly chat and that way it goes from a ‘cold call’ to a ‘warm chat.’ It’s only 15 calls a week, 15 calls that could last 2 minutes each. That’s only 30 minutes or 1,800 seconds out of your entire week. But in the long run you are having 15 meaningful conversations a week. These may not initially turn into sales, but it has been found that having meaningful conversations with potential clients is 4 times as likely that they will return to you to make a sale down the line. Seems worthwhile right?
5) Consistency is Key-rucial:
To be successful in achieving your overall objective this year, whatever that is, you must be consistent. You don’t spend €50 on gym membership and expect a 6 pack once your direct debit goes through, so don’t expect your objective to be achieved without putting in the hard work that is involved. Put your well thought out marketing strategy into practice and designate an hour a day to solely focus on your marketing plan. Live it and breath it for that hour. Whether you are reaching out to your existing clients, networking with potential clients, drafting an e-shot or spending that hour creating and publishing your social media posts, make sure that it is not something that you only do once in a blue moon. Get organised, create a calendar that outlines the marketing practices that you have to do each day. Instead of looking at a long list of marketing activities that you have to do, which undoubtedly you will put off, you can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. This small change to the structure of your day is essential for your business’s growth, staying in touch with your customers and fortifying your brand image.
Organisation is essential, time management is fundamental, and consistency is paramount to you achieving your objectives this year. It’s a marathon not a sprint. So be patient, but remember to give your business the tender, love and care that it deserves and priortise your marketing each day. This way you will begin to reap in the benefits.