By: Jennifer Goddard Combs
To really succeed at marketing you need to be strategic, persistent, and consistent. A one-time Facebook advertisement or email blast may not be enough to attract customers to your business, or ensure your company is the first place potential clients think of when they need the services you offer.
Building a buzz around your business requires a plan, and will take time. You can take your marketing to the next level by plotting out an action to take each week that will drive customers to your business.
Open a spreadsheet, and plot out 26 weeks, starting with the first week of July. For each week, jot down what you will do to reconnect with existing clients, bring new clients to your business, and get the word out about how great you are.
Here are some ideas:
Compile media list: Select news outlets, either local or compatible to your business, that would be likely to publish your businesses’ most recent announcements. Media lists are a great resource to keep track of what publications are available to facilitate your business remain in the public eye.
Send out a press release: New developments related to your company could be newsworthy to your community. Draft a press release detailing the who, what, where, when and how, and send it out to local media contacts. Use traditional publicity as part of your social media content. Publicity is the gift that keeps on giving, so long as you share it.
Social Media Posts: Social networking apps and websites have rapidly become a vital news source to individuals across the globe. Use these platforms to propel business ventures and garner new clientele. The key facet to social media networking is that it is a fast and free tool to promote business and create brand awareness, utilize it.
Blogs and Opinion Pieces: Curating blog posts and opinion pieces can be an excellent way to give your business both credibility and a voice. In personifying your business, via opinionated or informational writing, viewers get a glimpse into the people and opinions behind the scenes of your company, providing an altruistic component to your website.
Hold a webinar: Share your expertise – and information about your business – through an online webinar or talk. You may be able to offer the webinar through your local library, county government, chamber of commerce, or trade group. Or perhaps you have an existing list of clients you can contact who would be interested in the topic you’re planning to discuss.
Mailings to past clients (Personal notes, postcards, reprints of articles): Remind your clients of the great work you offer! In showcasing past achievements, sending heartfelt messages about these trying times, or more generally sending out messages of well-wishes; you can garner in potential new work and better relationships. Putting in that extra effort to mail out to individual clients will insure that past clients feel remembered and valued.
Celebrate a milestone: The weeks ahead are filled with public holidays, themed events and national something-or-other days. For example, in addition to the obvious days like 4th of July, next month includes a National Fried Chicken Day (July 6), National Hammock Day (July 22), and National Gorgeous Grandma Day (July 23). You may even have your own company milestones to mark, such as your 5th year in business, or the opening of a new branch. Take advantage of these special events to generate publicity.
Arrange speaking engagements: You hold ample valuable knowledge and information within your particular field. Organizing speaking engagements with cohorts or fellow business owners can be a great way to disseminate your prized philosophies and proficiencies, and in return acquire profound networking potential. Consider organizing a Zoom call (or under the right circumstances, an in-person allocution) for a business-related discourse with other professionals to maximize your businesses’ reach and networking capabilities.
Hire a public relations firm: It can be hard to put your energies into marketing when you’re caught up in the day-to-day demands of running a business. Don’t feel like you have to handle everything on your own. Hiring a reputable, experienced public relations firm to take charge of your marketing will ensure this important job gets done, freeing you up to focus on your what’s most important to you.
Like many business owners, you’ve probably been through a rough patch over the last couple of months as the economy all but shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
While there will undoubtedly be more bumps along the road ahead, the gradual lifting of restrictions is creating an important window of opportunity for businesses to place themselves in a position of strength as the economy recovers.
Having a strong marketing plan – and a detailed strategy for implementing it – is the key to ensuring your business not only recuperates its losses but can also thrive in the post-stay-at-home era. After weeks of inactivity and uncertainty, your clients are probably eager to hear from you, and there are likely many more who could benefit from your service or product as life gradually returns to normal.
So dust off your marketing materials, grab your calendar, and put your creative thinking cap on. It’s time to take advantage of this temporary lull in business to let the world know you’re still here and ready to serve.