New Years marketing resolutions already busted?

Wow.... its already February and some of my own 2015 business objectives are well on the way to becoming a reality (yay me!) .... but there are a few that AHEM* seem to have been pushed aside...like this blog (*awkwaRD*)

So many times we start the new year with really clear goals and laser focus on what we want to achieve... then all of a sudden we find our selves sitting behind our desk counting the days until the Easter holidays.... you hearing me? 

But losing your marketing mojo isn't the end of the world...it just means you have to (once again) REFOCUS and get your mind back to improving your small business, making your goals more realistic, more business specific and in some cases.....less alcohol derived hahahaha 

   

So how can you get  back on track and maintain the motivation to make 2015 the year that you wanted it to be?... here are 3 things that can improve your success in meeting your small business marketing objectives in 2015... 

1. Fix the problem child

What part of your small business marketing is under performing? What was the marketing thorn in your side in 2014? Time to look at it through fresh eyes, spend some time analysing the root of the problem and find a solution!

Break off the ties that bound you in 2014 so that you can start working with a schedule that provides more time for marketing that will work, or have the ability to grow at a greater rate. Prune the dead wood so that new growth can emerge.... no fruit grows on a dead branch and watering a dead plant is simply a waste of time. Letting go of an aspect of your marketing can be hard, especially when it may have been your pet project, but harden up and make the tough call.....every part of your small business must provide a return on investment (ROI) within a realistic time frame...if it isn't...don't let it take up all your time and affect projects that will have more impact!

2. Create something new

What projects can you start developing to get your marketing mojo back on track? With some extra time in your schedule from fixing the problem child... get to work creating a new project.... get a new marketing campaign planned for your social media accounts... keep it fresh...do something that you haven't tried before to reinvigorate your creative side. Having a new "toy" will have positive flow on affects into your regular everyday work..... get refreshed creatively and take your small business ahead with something innovative.    

3. Keep moving Forward

Each step gets you closer to your goals.... look at your current marketing objectives and remind yourself of the awesome feeling you will get when at the end of the year all your marketing goals have been met and that you achieved what you set out to do. 

Keeping on track is much harder than simply setting the course, marketing strategy demands that you adapt and adjust your plans in order to meet your goals.... A plane landing at an airport cannot move the runway....but it CAN change direction and adjust to the conditions so that it lands successfully.... 

Unless you have set totally unrealistic goals...don't move your goal posts  so that you can achieve them more easily.....think outside the box...innovate and create an environment and conditions that will allow you every chance to meet your marketing objectives. 

So get inspired...your plans for 2015 can be salvaged with some refocus and strategic thinking.

Don't get discouraged and give up on your plans, a bit of determination might result in huge results to celebrate at the end of the year. 

I would love to hear how you have kept yourself motivated and on target to reach your marketing goals in the past or for this year.... feel free to comment below and share your experiences with everyone....We also post small business marketing tips and advice regularly on Facebook so don't be a stranger, if you like the blog our Facebook posts shouldn't be missed.    

 

 

 

 

 

Small Business Touchpoints

A thin business card is like a limp handshake and an unanswered social media comment is like walking into a business and getting completely ignored by the staff.

Sometimes the things described above are the first impression a customer receives from your business, and these days first impressions can come from ANYWHERE... so managing your touchpoints and creating positive first impressions is what this post is all about.      

Touchpoints?

EVERY part of your business that a customer comes into contact with is a touchpoint. Your Answering machine message, brochures, email signature.... your vehicle access, choice of toilet paper and EVERYTHING in between.

If a customer sees your brand or anything about your business it means they are already SEARCHING for a product or service that you may provide.You need to properly manage these customer contacts. You need to make your touchpoints consistent with your brand AND your touchpoints need to be geared towards meeting the needs of your target audience. 

"Customers are looking for confirmation,

 that what you offer

is going to meet their needs." 

Because every business is different, touchpoint selection changes as well. An online business relies heavily on providing easy site navigation and usability, a retail store utilises in-store displays and customer service; each have there own unique touchpoint requirements. If your customer reaches a touchpoint and thinks that your business may not meet their needs they will simply walk away and purchase somewhere else.... if your touchpoints lack impact customers have plenty of other options available to them, they won't even bother to walk through your door even if you do have products that meet their needs.

Real World...

A quote from a plumber can be hand written or it can be an opportunity to display their logo and relevant promotions to the customer... and although only a small aspect of a business, with proper analysis any touchpoint can have more impact.

EG:  Your plumber comes around to do a quote on a bathroom renovation. When you receive the emailed quote a clickable promotion for kitchen renovation plumbing is found  at the bottom of the email with a few short testamonials. 

This indicates that...

• the plumber does regular renovation work
• combining bathroom and kitchen plumbing may lead to a greater discount
• the plumber has experience
• positive testimonials indicate the plumber does a good job   

The plumber also benefits from...

• greater awareness of additional services
• direct marketing to generate future sales
• click through onto the business website
• increased customer engagement

Do your emails contain links to your current promotions?  If your prospective customer is already engaged make the most of it!

A word of warning... 

Badly executed touchpoints will turn customers away. Following up a positive customer service contact with 10 automated promotional emails will undo your customer service efforts and lead to instant distrust. A hand written quote may seem unprofessional compared to a printed quote on company stationery... on the flipside... some people may perceive a hand written quote as more genuine and personal ...it all comes down to your customers perception!

Now is the time to sit down and write a list of ALL the ways YOUR customers come into contact with your brand. Analyse each touchpoint and note how a customer would perceive your brand via that point?...are your touchpoints as good as they could be? If your touchpoints don't match up to your brand its time to get to work, prioritise the list and make that first impression count. 

 What innovative ways have you used to create memorable touchpoints? 

What are your thoughts on Touchpoints for your small business? 

Feel free to comment below.     

  




       

3 quick steps to plan your social media

Placing random updates on social media is like facing Roger Federer's serve with a blindfold on... more often than not your going to miss your target.  



So establishing  structure in your social media will allow you to create better quality posts and find it quicker and easier to create and curate relevant content.

Now for those of you who are new to this blog please understand that this 3 step plan is a BARE MINIMUM  for small business who don't have a social media plan and don't have a clue where to start. It can be daunting trying to establish a starting point, but planning your social media isn't rocket science and this post is all about simplifying the process and getting SOMETHING happening, which in my opinion is better than NOTHING.  

So here it is in 3 easy steps to help those of you who are scratching your heads trying to keep up with all your social media accounts.

1. Remember the big picture

Now it should be said at this point that your social media should be a part of a larger
online/offline strategy, you really need to have a "big picture" approach to your marketing. Social media is simply another channel for communication. Your social media message should be consistent with all of your current communications or at the very least compliment them. 

Integrating your promotions across all your communication channels will provide a  more comprehensive broadcast of your current message. Imagine a choir of 30 people all singing 10 different Christmas carols at the same time, each song would be indecipherable. Now picture that same choir singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" together, all the voices complimenting each other to create a powerful and easily understood message. 

Your marketing is far more powerful when all the voices work together, your website should echo your current offline promotions, with your social media providing context and relevance by fleshing out your message. 

2. Break it down

Small bite size pieces makes a huge task seem easy.

1. Have a theme established for each month, this should coincide with any advertising or promotions you have going at that time (see point 1). 

2. Break each months theme into weekly topics. 

3. Each weekly topic gets broken down into its key points and VOILA... you have something to work with!

  

3. Fill the Gaps 

Now you have some structure, its time to flesh your plan out. Having a plan that determines your content allows you to focus your online search, minimising the time spent down the Google search rabbit hole and provide you with more meaningful and relevant ideas to post.  Not only that but now you may feel inspired to create more of your own content knowing that it is apart of a bigger picture and has a greater purpose than simply posting another random inspirational quote.



Real World
OK... ...lets plan December for a Florist and flesh it out as an example. 
Obviously the December message will be all about Christmas and the holidays, I've geared the weekly topics into sales type ideas, Flowers as Presents, Christmas Flower arrangements and Flowers for Parties. Lots of images to compliment each post will give the updates a more natural delivery, remember that social media is a communications channel, and keep the tone relevant to your brand.  




Week 1
Flowers as Presents

Monday: Establish the Blooming Christmas presents topic...

Tuesday: Flowers in season for Christmas...5 images 

Wednesday:Christmas promotion linked to website: Enter the draw to win $250 worth of Christmas table bouquets by simply ordering flowers as a gift for somebody else.

Thursday: Message: Delivering right up until Christmas Eve...Christmas delivery image

Friday: Message: We deliver to nursing homes...image of elderly lady with flowers 






Week 2
Flowers for the Christmas Table

Monday: Message: Christmas order deadlines...don't miss out...image of a Christmas calender

Tuesday: TOPIC: Table arrangements for Christmas...4 images of table settings.

Wednesday: Announce winner of promotion

Thursday: Beautiful table decoration ideas, picture posts all day

Friday: DIY Christmas arrangement video... 
  
   

Week 3
Flowers for Summer Parties  

Monday: Message: Last minute table flower ordering... image of the promotion winner picking up flowers

Tuesday: Message: Planning your flowers for new years...

Wednesday: Summer party ideas...8 images of summer dinner party ideas to inspire
 
Thursday: Message: Christmas delivery times

Friday:  Perfect party flower arrangements...4 images of summer table arrangements

SO...

• Planning your social media will save you time in the long run 
• Giving your social media direction and focus will develop better content, more likes and increased leads  
• Please remember this is a quick 15 minute plan its not going to be perfect...but it is better than not having a plan at all.

Do you already have a social media plan in place?

 

How do you keep on top of your social media updates? 

Id love to hear from you, feel free to comment below. 

NEXT WEEK: I continue on the Social Media trail and discuss the huge range of social media options available for small business other than Facebook.

(Image from "http://www.freeimageslive.co.uk")

"Cry Poor Syndrome"

“I can’t justify spending money on a website yet”

“Last Christmas was a slow one so we had to halve the marketing budget”

It is an epidenmic growing at an alarming rate, in fact its been present in small business for as long as i can remember...what I call the “Cry Poor Syndrome”... owners too “poor” to spend money on their business.

The other side of cash flow

Every business owner needs to control their business spending; cash flow management is a top priority for everyone. But you have to remember there are two sides to ever story and concentrating too heavily on where your money is being spent and not on where its coming from is the root of the "Cry Poor" problem. Just as your outgoings need to be managed, your revenue streams need to be managed just as meticulously.

Please correct me if I’m wrong,  but all your income is generated from your customers is'nt it? Your customers essentially put a roof over your head and food on the table...they paid for your nice car and your family holiday.  Without them your STUFFED. So you need to find a balance between being thrifty and being a tight ass to make sure they still put money in your till and not someone elses.

How do you attract more customers?

What can you do to bring in more customers?

Planning helps; a marketing plan in place allows you to know who your target market is and how to effectively communicate to them. If your not willing to invest in marketing, are you guessing your target market? Is your advertising really reaching them and making an impact? Customers can be fickle, and if your business isn’t in plain view...or cannot be heard customers will head to your competitor instead... 

"I can't justify spending money on a website..."

Thats OK your competitors already have, and they are getting the rewards.

 

If you dont have a website, or a website that is mobile phone friendly, how many people will find you?  Can you still justify not having a website while your losing sales? And im not talking about purely online purchasing here, im talking about the woman from Lismore heights looking online for a $2000 wedding photography package, or the guy from Goonellabah who is comparing $1800 HDTV's. So how much money will end up in your competitor’s pockets before you stop crying poor? 

"...we had to halve the marketing budget."

If last christmas was a bit slow, how effective was your advertising? Would halving your advertising have a positive impact on this coming christmas? If you stop communicating with your customer, they will stop listening. But then they start listening more to your competition who are still communicating with your customers; but now they have the customers undivided attention.

SO.. 

• Keeping business spending under control is very important... but a balance needs to be found in order to maintain your current revenue which is provided by your customer. 

• "Crying Poor Syndrome" can cripple your business and prevent it from reaching its fullest potential.  

 Cut too hard into the marketing budget, or skimp on your website and you will find a steady number of customers purchasing from the busines down the road.Its not because what they sell is any better or that the products are any cheaperIt's because while you have your lights turned off to save electricity, the competitors have left theirs on...and they are attracting all the moths.  

Does Social media always work for small business?

Without a doubt social media is the most cost effective way to establish ongoing contact with customers. It allows new and existing customers to have direct interaction with your brand and enables you to provide something them with something of VALUE, even when your doors are closed. But what if social media was actually harming your business...?!

Here are a few reasons why you really need to look at the viability of social media for your small business...

1. Social media may not be a good fit for your business.

Every marketing guru in the world just pulled out the daggers...but please hear me out.

Social media works extremely well for businesses that are SOCIAL in nature... florist, hairdressers and cafes are a perfect match for sites like Facebook, Instagram and Pintrest, kind of makes sense, customers meet there...they are social places, there is a never ending supply of what i call immediate content...that is..... general content that most demographics can relate and engage with.....like this pork belly photo (YUM).

But a local accounting firm that specialises in business taxation....should be spending more time creating  engaging and informative email updates that better meet the needs of their target audience; busy business owners. Managing social media accounts may be a waste of company resources (although Linkedin would definately fit in this case).

Your target audience should be at the

 centre 

of what social media you choose

 for your business. 

Real world....
Define Design Deliver is not on twitter because small business owners who i talk to are simply not on twitter...most small businesses in the northern rivers and (as a guess) most of regional Australia DON'T HAVE TWITTER...so why spend time managing content that won't be seen by my target audience? The hour spent managing my content each week is better spent calling a past client to touch base or take the time to introduce myself to a new business...i hope that all makes sense now...(you can put your daggers away).


*** NOTE ***
Since this post we have created a twitter account for the Define brand...it is going quite well, although it must be said that our overall business strategy has changed which created a need for a global business voice. I.e. Twitter   

 You can find us here...  @DefineLismore 

2. Social media takes time... and time equals money

Let’s not kid ourselves, social media is not an easy task. The amount of time and effort required for social media is definately part of the reason more than 70% of Facebook business accounts are inactive.

Quality content is what you should always strive for; quick updates are okay, but they need to be supported by structured content. Ask yourself, what are you able to achieve without a clear social media strategy and well planned updates? 

ALL your posts must be consistent to your brand message, focused on your target audience and they must provide VALUE. Simply broadcasting a message is not enough anymore. Your social media needs integration into your overall marketing plan so that ALL your communications complement each other and meet the objectives of the business. If your running a newspaper promotion....you should utilise social  media to boost engagement with the promotion, regularly post links to the promotion page on your website and maintain a consistent message delivery.

3.  Social media needs consistency

Consistent posts maintain attention, but if your business gets busy, social media is usually the first thing to go. Why should customers follow you if you don’t regularly update and the value you aim to create is sporadic? Without consistency your social media account could actually do more harm than good.  

The other big no-no is that small business really needs to reconsider using social media if they regularly fail to acknowledge follower comments in a timely manner. Not responding to a Facebook message or ANY social media comment, share or mention is the same as if a customer walks into your store and you completely ignore them! Social media requires planning and foresight, but more importantly it requires you to understand that it is an important communication link that needs to be maintained. Getting back to a customer enquiry needs to happen within 24 hours; feedback should always be acknowledged and complaints should always be addressed ASAP.

So... 

Social media is here to stay, but it really needs to be viewed as PART of your overall marketing strategy (both online and offline)...Social media is not the be-all-and-end-all. Social media can play a positive role in your communications strategy and it is certainly great for maintaining customer relationships, but time, planning and management are required in order to make it truly effective. Small business really needs to develop the marketing fundamentals of social media in order provide customer engagement and lead generation. If you can’t commit the time and energy into your social media maybe it’s time to get a professional in to manage your social media accounts ...or look at dropping your less productive or wayward accounts in order to increase the quality of your content overall.