Marketing for any business, unless you have a dedicated marketing team, can be difficult to ensure is always carried out. For a small business owner especially, it can be difficult to step back and work on the business rather than in the business. Staff shortages, customer complaints, financial issues can all result in the owner being drawn back into the day to day running of a company, letting the long-term business plans fall to the wayside.
If you’re struggling to get started on your marketing campaign here’s a few easy pointers you can start with to hopefully give you the nudge you need to get your marketing ideas off of the ground.
1. Situation Analysis
This first step is to carry out an analysis of your company, products, overall service and what makes your business stand out from your competitors.
Target audiences are extremely important when it comes to selling a product, you must figure out who is most likely to buy your products. Your marketing message must be crystal clear and precise so that people understand quickly what your product does. You should also have a good understanding of who your competitors are, what they are selling and how, so that you can compare and offer better value. To gain a good understanding of target audiences visit: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-a-target-audience-2295567
It is important to establish your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are features that exist within your business, whereas opportunities and threats are outside factors. To figure out your company’s strengths compare how your products are superior to others, what do you offer that gives your business a competitive advantage. On the other hand, weaknesses can vary between unexperienced employees to fitting in an overall market.
2. Target Audience
Establishing who your target audience is, is an important factor when developing your marketing campaign. Your ideal audience normally falls within these categories; age, sex, family, salary and geographic location. It is important to know your target audience because it will need to be clearly shown in your marketing campaigns.
3. Make a list of your objectives
If you start a marketing campaign, what do you want to gain from doing it? Keep in mind these four points when creating your list:
- Specify
- Optimism
- Realism
- Short and Long Term
4. Research Marketing Tactics
There are many ways to promote your business, for example; advertising, public relations and direct marketing are great to increase word of mouth about your business. Social media is a great way to spread news, so if you are trying to promote a product or restaurant/hotel asking an influencer to promote your product could be hugely beneficial. You can also use any of these methods:
- Host an event
- Live stream
- Paid Advertisement
5. Finalize your Marketing Budget
Having a budget will prevent you from overspending, of course when first starting a business there will be times where you will have to borrow money, but don’t go to out of your depth. Marketing is crucial for the success of your business, and with so many different marketing avenues now available, you should be able to find a route to market without breaking the bank that gives you a return on investment. If you are unsure of where to start contact an experienced digital marketing company who will be able to offer you advice as to the best way to promote your business.
You can also visit the Small Business website for further support: https://smallbusiness.co.uk/the-essential-guide-to-small-business-marketing-2542147/