April 14, 2021
Marketing 101: Where to start for optimizing your business
As a business owner, do you ever get the feeling that people don’t even know your business exists or they don’t “get” what you do and how you can help them? That gap is a fundamental business problem and one that can be solved in one word: marketing. But where do you start?
Let’s begin by defining what marketing is. In its most basic form, it’s building relationships one interaction at a time. It’s communicating in multiple ways and in multiple places what your business does, what problem it solves, and even what customers or clients can expect when they work with you.
Consider that business success rarely happens by chance. It’s very much dependent on the success or failure of relationships that you build. So, the strategies and tactics you use to build relationships are going to have a big impact on the success of your business.
How do you create opportunities to build relationships and market yourself? There are so many ways… word of mouth, networking, social media, email, video, search engine and content marketing, just to name a few. It can feel overwhelming for the new business owner.
Whether you realize it or not, you are marketing yourself and your business in some way all the time. Combine that with the fact that marketing strategies and tactics are always evolving, and it becomes clear why and how it’s so important to the success of your business.
Marketing starts with why, what, and who
To really get your head around marketing, you first need to get crystal clear on why you’re in business (beyond making a profit), what you’re selling, who you’re selling to, what problem your product or service solves, and how.
For example, I know I’m in business because I want to help people. I do that in my financial services business, as the facilitator of Pittsburgh Women’s Mastermind, and as a business coach for women. As a financial services professional, my fundamental “product” is peace of mind. My clients are people who want to get their financial house in order and secure their future. I have witnessed many times how working with them to solve that problem lifts a massive weight from their shoulders.
Your marketing message
Once you’ve answered the above questions for yourself, then it’s time to figure out the message you want to communicate to your target audience. You can’t rush this. You and your business are unique and crafting a message that captures that takes time. Your messaging needs to:
- Show that you truly understand your audience’s problem – and that you have a solution.
- Communicate in a relatable way that mirrors the way your audience talks.
- Build an emotional connection, the basis for almost every purchasing decision.
- Be authentic and original.
I know… so not easy! But it’s necessary at a time when everyone has marketing messaging coming at them all the time – on their phone, their computer, the television, billboards, radio, magazines, etc.
Just remember that attention spans these days are short… seconds only! Keep your message concise, clear, and compelling.
Effective marketing needs consistency
Here’s another critical part of a strong start in marketing: you have to make sure your message – visually and in words – is consistent. That includes the colors you use in your business logo and the tagline you present with it.
Way, way back in the 1930s, the movie industry created what today is called the Marketing Rule of 7. It says that prospects need to encounter an advertiser’s message at least 7 times before they’ll take action to buy.
The point here is that marketing is about consistent messaging that, in time, becomes memorable. To take it a step further, consistency also applied to how you do business – the level of service you provide, the quality of your product or service, and – if you’re aiming to establish your business in multiple locations – consistency across locations.
Consistency lets people know what to expect from you and to believe it’s safe to trust you to deliver on those expectations – as long as what you provide is relevant to them and solves their problem.
Social media is a great starting point
These days, marketing through social media is not just an option, it’s almost required. By using social media, you allow your business to visibly get out in an expedient way that connects with your target audience. While you may want to start your marketing on just one or two platforms, a really robust marketing plan will include a mix of messaging on:
- YouTube
Social media as a marketing tool is beneficial because it can be quick to execute and inexpensive (and often free). Of course, you can still reach people in more traditional ways – print ads, mailed flyers or brochures, etc., but be prepared to pay for expenses such as design, printing, ad placement, and mailing.
If the thought of trying to figure out how to create and post marketing messaging on social media gives you fits, you can outsource it to someone who’s more comfortable working with the technology. Or maybe you just can’t bring yourself to record a YouTube video. One option is to record your voice and use screen shots as the visual element in your presentation.
There are workarounds that can feel less scary and overwhelming, but just remember that starting and succeeding in business means you need to engage in marketing. Take baby steps if you must but start putting yourself out there. The more you do, the more your business will grow.
Marketing and a willingness to network
What else can you do to market your business? Attending a networking event – either online or practicing proper COVID protocols in person – is a great option.
I know business owners who love in-person networking events and others who would much prefer to avoid them. As the COVID pandemic winds down, in-person networking meetings will get bigger and more prevalent. Walking into a room where you know absolutely no one can be a terrifying prospect for some personality types. But, have courage! The more you go, the more people you start to know.
Remember what I said at the beginning? Marketing is about building relationships. They don’t happen overnight and, just like friendships, business relationships take time to build. But you have to start somewhere. Networking is a great place to start.
Start sharing emotion through marketing
One of the best methods for business marketing is word-of-mouth… friends, family, or colleagues sharing information about a great experience at a business. Statistically speaking, it beats out any other type of marketing or advertising.
That points to your existing customer or client base as a primary source to build your business. That also means you need to create an experience that is worth talking about, and you need to have a system in place to encourage and track referrals.
What’s worth talking about? Above-and-beyond exemplary service or a result that exceeds expectations. Novel approaches to solving the problem that gives social currency to the person who has referred you. A buzzworthy doing-good cause connected to your business.
The emotion that people convey about your business matters. To explain what I mean, think of some big, global brands – Coca-Cola, Disney, Ikea, etc. You can immediately visualize their logo, certain colors, or maybe a price point. But you also have an emotion that you associate with them. Depending on your relationship with that business or one of its products or services, the emotion you feel may be positive, negative, or neutral.
When it comes to your business, do you know what emotion bubbles up in the heart of your customers or clients? To make the most of word-of-mouth marketing, find ways to ensure that emotion is powerful and positive.
Absolutely you need to start planning your marketing
With all that we’ve talked about here, let’s not forget the need to insert some order into what could be chaos. Starting a marketing plan for your business helps you focus your marketing efforts, follow through on them, and measure results.
Marketing plans must be fluid. Circumstances change and opportunities or threats can appear unexpectedly. Rigidly sticking to a pre-conceived plan after a new development has suddenly changed your competitive landscape doesn’t make sense.
Remember when COVID hit in March of 2020 and businesses were scrambling to adapt? Not that we expect or want to confront that again but planning out too far ahead doesn’t give you the agility to respond to out-of-the-ordinary events. A monthly or quarterly plan at most is a good timeframe.
If you’re just starting out, start small. Get active on just one or two social media platforms where your target audience hangs out. Plan and create what you will post and precisely when, using social media scheduling tools.
Line up attendance at an online or a small in-person networking event (And, if it’s in-person, don’t forget to bring your business cards!) Prepare your elevator speech – a 30- or 60-second explanation of what you do in your business and what problem it solves.
Marketing and a strategic mindset
Management guru Peter Drucker famously once said: what gets measured gets managed. This is true for marketing efforts, too. When you know what’s working (and not working) you can use that knowledge to adapt your marketing plan accordingly.
Did a certain Facebook post attract a lot of interest and ultimately purchases? Figure out why and replicate that. Did traffic on your website drop off after you revised content? Study what happened and try another tactic. Were you a hit at an online networking event? Line up attendance at more of those!
Business marketing is a strategic effort. You don’t drift along, randomly “hoping” for customers or clients to show up. You take intentional action to generate specific results.
When you start marketing, don’t expect everything you do to yield positive results right away. It takes time to learn what works for you and what doesn’t. As you tweak and revise, try new things, and continue to gain experience in marketing your business, you’ll gain proficiency and make progress.
Remember: your message is key – why you’re different, how you help, and what problem you solve. If you haven’t started to market your business yet, get going! Plan your work, work your plan, and watch what happens!
Looking for a Masterclass on Marketing for your business? Check out the From Start-Up to Success Marketing Masterclass E-Series course that covers the key areas that are identified as being game changers for business owners. When you know what you want to offer, how to write about it, and how to reach your target audience you’ll be on your way to more sales. Take your marketing to the next level!
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