How to "Shop" for Your Marketing Plan
Updated: Jun 17, 2021
A few weeks ago, I spent a very enjoyable lunch with a friend who also owns her own business. After catching up a bit, we started “talking business” which turned into a lively discussion of how to improve our marketing strategies to gain more customers. We are both older but vibrant women who want to be wildly successful before retiring, which is still pretty far down the road. And, we want to have some fun in the process.
I know from experience that marketing is a tough job, and most of us put it on the back burner because there is always something “more relevant” that needs to be done. After all, we do have to sell our products and services to make money to keep the business going, right?
A Brief Case Study
Right, but we also have to to entice new customers to take a look at us and keep our current customers engaged. How do we get our products and services into our customers' hands if we don't market to them? Here's How:
Be creative in designing your website - use lots of color & eye-catching graphics ~ develop content that is very specific to your business ~ toot your horn a bit with some testimonials. Developing a website doesn’t have to be expensive, but it is important to ensure that its presentation is of the highest quality. Develop both a personal and business LinkedIn page – tie them back to your website and invite everyone you know to your pages. Use this tool to upload content (photos, business articles, your own newsletter) on a regular basis to keep your audience engaged.
Have fun building a Business Facebook page – invite everyone you know to join and begin building a following – again, with relevant content (pictures/articles, etc.). Do the same with Instagram – especially if your business' story can be told in pictures. Get yourself out into the community – join the local Chamber of Commerce and take advantage of all the marketing opportunities they set up for their members. Make sure to bring your business cards to all events.
Putting a marketing plan together doesn’t mean doing all of these things at once. Shop among these ideas and pick the 2 or so that most interest you and start working on those first. You’ll be surprised at how much fun it turns out to be and it will spurt you on to continuing to find new and better ways to market yourself and your business.
CPN & Associates LLC is a Business Consulting Firm offering strategic business reviews, analytical financial reviews, operational management, and many other small business services.
