How to create an Effective Small Business Marketing Strategy
Let’s just start with a few parameters for my feelings on SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING STRATEGY.
I haven’t researched a bunch of other marketers and found out what they include in their strategies. However, I have been sent quite a few from previous clients. Often, I’ve seen those because they’ve been pretty terrible, and I’m being asked if I can make sense of it 🙂
In my opinion, a marketing strategy for a small business is VERY different from one for a large organisation or company. It should be a LIVING DOCUMENT rather than a printed tome that collects dust. If it doesn’t contain actionable steps for you to take, it won’t help move your business forward.
HERE’S WHY A MARKETING STRATEGY STARTS WITH THE BUSINESS OWNER
When I changed my model of working on a marketing strategy with a client this year (it’s now over 6 sessions, over 8 weeks), I didn’t realise it would help me go so much deeper with a client.
For me, a marketing strategy has to start with what you need. Sometimes this can be covered in session one, while other times it’s uncovered over a series of those precious six sessions. If we don’t know what you want your life to look like and how the business fits into it, I can’t make a plan that’s right for your business.
If we can’t sense check the profitability and ensure that the offer you have for your target market aligns with your goals, I won’t be able to guide you to grow your business the right way.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT IN A SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING STRATEGY
- Your goals
- Your desire for income from the business
- Your desires for profit from the business
- Your why
- Your values
- Your core offers and what fits best with what you do best
- Your positioning
All of this will help shape your message later down the track too (in case you were wondering).
I want to dig deep into your ideal customer
When it comes to a marketing strategy, we need to get your ideal customer right. But I’m not that interested in DEMOGRAPHICS (though they have a place). A small business marketing strategy needs to have information on what they NEED, what they FEEL, and what they VALUE.
Then, we can work out how to show them that what we have will help them fulfil their needs, make them feel something good, and align with their values.
I’m obsessed with messaging
For me, a strategy isn’t complete without working on identifying your brand voice and feel. I’m here to help you write your brand story, which can often be used as the home page on your website too. Plus, let’s make sure you’ve got a content plan that helps you lead people through each stage of the customer journey.
WHAT’S A STRATEGY WITHOUT A SWOT?
Yes! All the old standard parts of a strategy need to be here, including the SWOT analysis. However, for small businesses, they should be more of a “down and dirty” version, as small businesses can chop, change, and modify so fast. The same goes for competitor research.
Then there are the actions…
For me, there needs to be specific actions around what you’ll be doing on your core marketing platform. And then there are regular activities you need to do every day, week, month, quarter, and year. Additionally, there are all the one-off tasks that help you get your marketing set up.
For us, we focus on mindset, money, team, existing customers, and then all the marketing areas from website to digital, to offline, media, and networking. The actions all stem from the strategy.
IF YOU HAVE A STRATEGY, ARE YOU USING IT?
Whether you wrote it with me, with another marketer, or by yourself, dig it out and use it. That’s how it’s supposed to work!
(and now a few extra little bits and bobs…)
If you know your strategy needs help in the content strategy area, well…
FREE CONTENT STRATEGY WORKSHOP around NEW ZEALAND
This is not a “how to create a content calendar” workshop. This is a “how you will get actual paying clients from your marketing content” workshop, where I go DEEP into teaching you. And… it’s FREE!
Come along — three hours of your time for buckets of valuable teaching and asking all the stupid questions you like!
If you’re ready to take your small business marketing strategy to the next level, attend our FREE CONTENT STRATEGY WORKSHOP and learn how to attract paying clients through your marketing content. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights and get your questions answered. Register now and join us for an informative session that can transform your marketing approach.
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For over ten years Rachel Klaver has worked with small business owners on their marketing, with a specific interest in content marketing strategy. She loves playing with language and shares her own marketing catchphrases such as “Be a kind spider” and “You have never killed a man with your face” As a small business owner, often low on time, and with a distinct aversion to admin, Rachel loves helping other small businesses catch the marketing bug. Her insights and personality shine through her weekly podcast MAP IT Marketing, her weekly column in NZ’s national newspaper Stuff, and her content on any platform they let her have an account! You can get in touch with Rachel HERE Rachel is the co-owner of Identify Marketing
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
