In 2017 I didn’t change much about my marketing. I’ve been doing the things I had been told to do by “experts” a few years ago. Guess what? My business model isn’t the same as those experts, so it makes sense that what they were doing might not be the right fit for me. Plus, my business has changed, both in what my offerings are and who I am trying to help.
This may be the same case in your company. We know there is an ever-changing business climate. What does this mean for your marketing?
1. The consumer is using more technology in their search for your solution. For many that will mean a stronger focus in online marketing and social media. For others it may still be connecting face-to-face or over the phone.
2. Your marketing may not be aligned with your audience. You need to meet your customer where they are and serve out information in the way they want to consume it. Stop wasting time in areas that aren’t producing revenue.
Ask yourself: where does my business come from? Often, the answer is, “word of mouth” or “existing customers.” If that is true, how does your marketing make more of that happen? Think about ways to get more business from your current customers. Then, put a process in place to intentionally ask them to use their “word of mouth” to bring new clients in. The rest of your business can come from other marketing efforts.
Over the past few months I’ve been asking myself, “Do I really need to do _________.?” “Where is the new business coming from?” The answers were a little unsettling. None of my clients had ever been to my website. None received my newsletter. They all had seen me speak somewhere or were referred by someone else – word of mouth. (In both cases!) Was my website important? Do I still need to write a monthly newsletter? What about all of my social media posting?
Spoiler: You still need a current, mobile responsive website. And you still need some social media presence based on your target audience. But maybe you need to break up with your other marketing. Or at least investigate and measure what you are doing and see what changes need to be made.
Make 2018 the year to try something new in your marketing. For me that means video – which scares me a little – but I know it’s the right new marketing for me, and it may be for you, too. Plus, I’m going to make some changes to my email newsletter. Give your old marketing the boot and focus on the right new tools. And let me know what you do!
Amy Kinnaird is a Business Strategist & Speaker. Amy mentors small business CEO’s and works with their teams to improve processes and professionalism so that they are more profitable! Call her at 318-795-0520 or visit www.AmyKinnaird.com.
