How to improve your marketing? - Part 2

2021 has certainly been a challenge for all… but with things opening up, NOW is the time to brush up on your marketing strategies and kick-start 2022!

Are you feeling stuck in a rut? Struggling to get into a groove with your marketing activities?

Or, maybe you are plodding along nicely, but would like to IMPROVE your strategies?

Let us offer some tips and guidance to get your marketing on track to success!

Make sure you read PART 1 of this series first, before continuing on with the tips below!

When it comes to ensuring that your audience understands your business, connects with your content or is intrigued by your product... there is one excellent way to find out!

If you don’t know – ask!

Your best source of answers always lies with your customers. They know why they shop with you and not elsewhere. Ask your customers what they think of your business and don’t forget to record it so that you can review the answers, allowing you to gain a better understanding of why your customers come to you! The answers will guide you in better promoting yourself but also allow you to understand where you should invest time and resources. This can be done by taking a few simple steps:

1. Meet and Greet your customers how you would like to be greeted on your shopping experience. Take note of what constitutes a positive shopping experience for yourself and try to apply these to your interactions with your own customers.

2. Once the ice is broken, engage and speak to your customers and ask them how they found you. Don’t be shy, people love talking about themselves…

3. Don’t be scared to ask your shoppers to review your business. This can be achieved through a number of simple actions:

   1. A suggestion box

   2. A QR Code to a small 30 second suggestion survey

   3. Fill out a form

   4. Send them an email to thank them for their business and ask for a review.

Once you have a better understanding of WHO you are, WHAT you offer and HOW others perceive you, it’s time to get stuck into the strategies!

Here are 5 Quick and Easy suggestions for IMPROVING your marketing:

1. Know your competition better than you know yourself. Why, you may ask? Some people will tell you to worry about your business before you worry about others. Wrong. It is very likely that some businesses are better than you whilst it is also true that some businesses are worse than you are. By knowing what people are doing well and what they are doing poorly, you can adjust your business to match the success of others.

2. Planning, planning, planning… We are definitely not the first ones to say it! There is a reason for that. That is because it is essential. All it takes is a piece of paper and a pen… write down your thoughts, collect ideas as you come across them and MOST IMPORTANTLY, document your goals. A basic road map like this will help you to stay focussed and organised. This also gives you an opportunity to batch create content, which will ultimately save you time.

3. Have a diverse Marketing Mix. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure you choose an appropriate yet diverse range of marketing channels. This is not to say that you should be EVERYWHERE. You should still be using platforms that are relevant to YOUR target market and where they hang out. But don’t be afraid to try a few different ways of reaching them. It can often take 7 touch points with a potential customer before they convert. Some different marketing options you may like to try can include:

a. Print Marketing (ie. Flyers, Thank you cards)

b. Website Advertising (ie. Eye-catching banners, discount codes)

c. Social media posts (ie. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)

d. Signage (Banners, Flags, Signs)

e. Email Marketing (promotional emails)

4. Invest in a QUALITY logo and branding. While it might sound vain, people are attracted to pretty things! Whilst everyone has different tastes, having an appealing set of branding that is both clean and relevant to your industry is WORTHWHILE. It not only attracts your ideal customers, but also demonstrates a level of professionalism. Having quality branding from the start also promotes consistency across ALL Marketing material. People will start to recall your branding!

5. Be visible on your social media platforms (if that’s your jam) Don’t SPAM people with offers, information and sales pitches. But just stay consistent and regular with a variety of post types. Try to share content that is intriguing, interesting and will capture the attention of your audience. This keeps your content circulating and you will remain front of mind for people looking to buy.

6. Own your good reviews! Make sure to share testimonials every now and then, to show your audience what you’re made of, what you have achieved and the value that you could bring to THEM!

By applying at least some of these strategies and getting really clear about WHO you are, WHAT you offer and WHY, you will notice what a meaningful impact this has on your marketing presence.

We hope you found this useful!

Make sure to let us know what you thought and how you go?