Marketing! The number 1, chart topping topic for all small and micro business owners. How to do it – successfully, easily, quickly and without any budget…
Despite the fact that I could talk about marketing until the cows come home, it can be distilled down to 4 key elements to help you create a marketing strategy that works. This fuss free option for the time poor, and possibly slightly anxious, is a timely reminder that great marketing doesn’t have to be complex or scary….after all it’s simply a conversation.
So let’s dive in…if there’s an element that you want to explore more, head to the Member Hub for topic specific How To Guides, ask in the Facebook Group or tune into one of our mini workshops.
Why
Our teachers used to say that if you don't know the destination, how can you get there? So the WHY element needs to include the following:
Your vision for your business - where are you really headed? What is your big dream, how to imagine your future?
Your business purpose is key. Dig really deep for the answer. If you make great cakes and food, perhaps the big purpose actually is to bring people together. If you run an eco business, perhaps the big purpose isn't the things you sell so much as your business making the planet better
Understand your mission - what you do daily that makes a difference. If your vision is to bring people together through great food, then perhaps your mission is to deliver the best home made experience, one cake at a time.
What
We need to know what we're selling but more importantly, what value that adds to your customers' lives. For example, you make great cakes but the VALUE is that they are gluten free or vegan or intricately beautiful beyond what a customer could achieve. Make sure you know your VALUE what, not just the what.
Who
Knowing our customers or our target customers is vital and in a noisy and hectic social media world, it's even more important. But we need to know them really well and at different stages. Here are some elements to remember when analysing your customers:
What is their biggest pain point? Even if they just need a cake, they still have a pain (hungry, can't bake, short on time, want something really special).
Where are they on their customer journey? So have they only just realised that they need your product or service, have they only just discovered your brand and are they yet to buy or, are they a super fan, repeat purchaser that you want to keep happy?
Not all your customers are the same, so split them out into perhaps 3 main groups or segments that you're going to target. Their segment might be where they are in their journey (as above) or perhaps you're launching a new product for a new audience.
How
This is the big one right? You might have all the basics but how to deliver it all? Start by building that customer journey that starts from when your customer doesn't know you yet or doesn't know they might want to buy from you right through to when they have bought and you're looking to get them to buy again or recommend your business. You can use digital tools like Smaply.com or simply get the coloured pens to paper! Along that journey, write down what you have to offer in your marketing tool kit that will help them along the journey (or what you'd like to have in your toolkit!). Here are some examples:
A lovely website - something that offers the answer to your customer's pain point quickly. This might be beautiful, an online shop, a great intro to you and your services, full of videos etc.
Social media platforms - choose one or two that are favourites of your target customers and focus there. Make sure these platforms have good information about how they can travel further down your journey, entices all your customers where ever they are on your journey (inspiring, selling, sharing reviews etc).
Consider email marketing - a great way to help target customers dive into your brand's world more deeply. You can call it a VIP club or offer specialist advice so that your custom relationship deepen.
Content that matters is key. If your target customers love videos then perhaps you need to dive into Reels. If you're teaching your customers things, perhaps a Youtube video or blog will work. If your business makes beautiful things then maybe getting natty with your mobile camera is key.
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