As we continue our Business Planning Series, this month is all about marketing.
There are so many different pieces to your marketing puzzle. From content marketing to digital marketing to social media marketing and everything in between. And every business needs the right marketing systems and a marketing strategy unique to them.
Last month, I went with my daughter and grandson to Art In Bloom, a fundraising exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art and it really inspired this newsletter.
Some of the floral designers created original floral designs stemming from their own visions. Other floral designers interpreted works of art in the Museum collection through their floral creations. There was even a Japanese bonsai section all created by one bonsai artist who was very knowledgeable about the art. Each one was extraordinary in its own way. I am sharing some photos to share how beautiful it was.
Each designer approached the piece in their own creative style, and with marketing, as a business owner, you need to do the same.
Do what you love in marketing and do you!
If you are a natural on camera and you love speaking more than writing, YouTube videos or Instagram and Facebook reels might be the ticket for you.
If you prefer more behind the scenes, but have great photos to share, Instagram might be your best spot.
And with social media, you need to think about more than just your creative style; it’s critical to think about where your target market hangs out. If your business is B2B, it might be LinkedIn and Instagram. If your business is product-based or your target market includes women, it might be Facebook and Instagram.
What can you do on Instagram to engage your audience via polls or stories, where you don’t need to be front-facing, but still get to showcase your product, service or skill? The options are there, so have some fun, look around and find what feels right for you. Later is an informative resource to keep up with the latest Instagram trends and how-to’s.
Giving some thought to your creative style is important as it relates to marketing because if you choose to do something you don’t like, well, will you actually do it? And if you don’t do it or if you’re not consistent, is it reasonable to expect return on investment?
And it’s not just social media you have to think about, it’s all forms of marketing.
If you are natural on camera and enjoy the energy that engaging in person with others brings, you could also be a natural speaker. Perhaps you already speak at events as a way to market yourself and what you do, generate leads and grow your business.
Are you looking for more opportunities to speak and present to an audience? Keynotes are great for exposure and connections.
Have you considered going deeper in a niche that you already have a following in, speaking, training, and facilitating in as many locations as makes sense? Perhaps you’ve discovered a related niche that aligns with the audience you already speak to.
If you test that market and see good response, it may be a good idea to plan and implement a strategy that will help you reach the goal of speaking more in that market and growing connections there.
Speaking is a huge marketing, lead generation and networking tool. And there are so many options for both in-person and virtual events.
Podcasts and audio are another fantastic marketing tool. You could record videos with your voice, but use other images behind it and you could either look for podcasts to be on as a guest or start your own.
Newsletters, blogs, email campaigns – these are all pretty standard marketing practices. But again, when you make them unique to your business, you create better brand awareness.
Do you always ask a question at the end? Do you do a monthly giveaway? Do you share a personal story? Do you always end with a joke? There are options upon options.
PR is also great. Do you subscribe to HARO (Help A Reporter Out?) They send queries to your email from journalists looking for experts to discuss a variety of topics and you can submit to be quoted in well-known media outlets. And there are queries coming in daily, so you will always have an opportunity. You can also reach out to people to ask to write a guest blog on their website or have them do one in return. Or even reach out to your local newspaper or magazine for some press. Traditional marketing, non-traditional marketing. You need a mix of it all.
A flower looks lovely all alone, but it’s a whole different feeling when flowers are put together. A much more cohesive approach.
Think about your marketing budget and make plans as far as what you can do for free (like organic social media posting) versus paid (such as ads or sponsorships) and make a plan that aligns with your goals.
Delegate!
Someone on your team might be fantastic at creating Canva graphics or editing videos. Maybe you have a strong writer on your team to collaborate with you on blogs or an up and coming photographer looking to take photos to promote their work that you could use in your designs.
A win-win for all.
Just as the floral designers arranged their flowers to create something beautiful, you need to arrange your marketing plan. Your bouquet of marketing ideas! And it’s ever-changing.
Think both short and long-term.
Plan out your content, especially your social media, and keep it consistent.
Look at your stats and determine what is working and what is not working.
Establishing yourself as an expert in the field takes time. So be ready to play the long game. Your goal is to be top of mind when someone is looking to hire someone like you, or buy a product you sell, etc.
And remember, only a fraction of your audience sees what you are doing on any given platform, so it’s perfectly fine to cross promote and share the same content across your socials and your list.
Pay attention to your cash flow and adjust your marketing as your goals change.
If you want to talk about marketing strategy in the next quarter, feel free to schedule a virtual coffee with me for a free discovery call.