What marketing should you be doing now?

I’m very aware that even as I write, the Government is considering further “COVID” restrictions which are highly likely to have a significant impact on many businesses. Which begs the question, what should you be doing about your business marketing at the moment and during the months ahead?

The first thing to note is that now, perhaps more than ever before, it’s essential to both review where you’re at and start preparing (and implementing) a marketing plan to take you through recovery and on to growth. That might feel like a tall order right now, but by breaking it down into chunks, your marketing plan should help you steer your way through the months ahead. If you like, it becomes both your route map and anchor.

1.     Time for an audit

In my experience, people fall into one of two camps when it comes to a business audit. It either lights up your world as one of life’s delights, Hurrah, all that data type things! Or it leaves you stone cold. Don’t make me do it.

Either way, an audit is essential, and you should think of it as plotting co-ordinates on your map. The result gives you a clear idea of where you’ve been, and where you are in respect of where you want to be.  

Review the overall picture. Start by taking a step back. Remind yourself of your marketing objectives and goals and assess to what extent you’re on track. Look at all aspects of your marketing: your website, your social media, and any other activities like networking, advertising or PR. Some will have performed better than others. Why is that?

Get into the detail. Analytics are your friend. You need to really understand them, so that you can use them to your advantage. What do your Google analytics say about your website? And do they provide enough information?

Are visitors staying on your website or leaving straight away? Are your visitors mainly from Japan? If you are getting visitors from overseas who aren’t sticking around, when you sell a local product, something has gone wrong with your message, sales and copy. Your analytics may not be quite as extreme as my example, but a little bit of time spent understanding them will reveal valuable insights. And don’t forget the insights from your social media platforms.

More detail. Your website is your shop window. As such, your need to review and refresh it regularly. It can date very quickly.  Once again, take a step back and try and view it through the eyes of your perfect client. Is it easy to use? Is it interesting and useful? Aesthetically pleasing? What does it say about you and your business?

This exercise requires objectivity. That’s not always easy when you’re closely involved with something. It’s OK to ask someone else for their opinion but be careful who you ask, some feedback can be less than helpful.

Review your budget. 2020 has been the year of all years to throw you off budget. Tempting as it is to stick your head in the sand about this, don’t! Now is the time to face up and assess your financial situation. If you’re new to budgeting, you may want some expert help. You need to set realistic expectations for future income and outgoings, you need to try and mitigate the impact of any further lockdowns. Is there Government assistance you can access?  You also need to assess the impact on different revenue streams…did one product do better than another and if so, should you concentrate your efforts there from now on? 

2. Planning

From recovery to success, it’s time to set some new goals. Get specific. What do you need or want to achieve and when by? Remember goals should be SMART:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Relevant
  • Time specific

An increase in turnover is not specific enough. How much do you want to increase it by? Want more social media followers? How many more, and when by? Does that mean you need to be attracting 100 new followers a week? A month?

3. Fine tuning

By now, you’ve gathered quite a lot of information. So, it’s time to fine tune things. Start by reviewing your target market and everything you know about them. Have they changed? What does your marketing say to them? What’s your message?

Is your marketing all about you and the excellent functionality of your product? If so, then it’s time to refine it so that it taps into your target audience’s psyche, the challenges they face, and how you can help them. So that it speaks to them emotionally and resonates, whilst still conveying something of your brand personality. 

Hand in hand with your message goes your product or service. There’s been some pretty massive changes in the world this year, so how has this affected what you do? Has it made your logistics more expensive? Forced you to move online? Made you have a rethink about the environmental impact of your packaging? Have you adapted? Can you? Should you? How? You really need to address all these questions fully before you do any more marketing.

4. Developing your strategy

“A goal without a plan is just a wish”

Remember the coordinates on the map I talked about earlier on? Well now it’s time to plot your route forward. You know your destination – your goals. You know when you want to arrive. And you have a number of vehicles at your disposal to help you: your website, social media and other marketing materials.  Time to work out how to use them:

  • Decide which are the right social media platforms for your business. Where does your target market hang out? 
  • Think about what sort of content you need and how much. Facebook Live? Video? Infographics? Blogs?
  • Have you considered paid advertising, online or off? What return on investment do you need from this?
  • Are there any PR or organic SEO opportunities you could take advantage of?

As you evaluate each of the above, remember to always cross check with your objectives. Will your chosen activity get you to your desired destination on time? If yes, how? If not, discard or revise.  

You don’t have to be Jack of all trades!

I’m very aware that much of the above is quite specialist stuff. It’s easy to describe but not always that easy to execute. Consistently. Which means perhaps the most important question to ask is: do you have the skills and time to do your chosen marketing activities in-house, or do you need some help?

Running your own business does require you to wear multiple hats. It’s par for the course. But sometimes, you can or should ask for help. That’s where I come in. Bringing with me with objectivity and experience, doing the stuff you haven’t got time for or don’t have the skills for. Or both. Whatever works for you.

It’s been a tough year. I’d be delighted to help you start planning for a better one. Call me! My number is 07988 676219 or you can email me here.