Business owners are required to be a jack-of-all-trades: finance officer, sales and customer service expert, R&D and supply manager, HR and technology specialist, not to forget the all-important marketer.

Without consistent and quality marketing, potential customers just don’t know who you are or why they should buy. Here are some basic marketing principals and practical techniques that business owners can manage themselves…

• Identify your strategic imperatives. What are the 2-3 things that are going to sell the right products/services to the right people and grow your business? If a marketing idea doesn’t fit into one of the imperatives, then don’t do it. You haven’t got time to deviate and do lots of little things. Fewer, bigger, better is the key.
• Define your audience. Who are they, where are they and what media are they consuming? When you can define these things, you will know what communication channels to use. It’s no good being on Facebook if your audience is on Snap Chat. A common mistake many business managers make is to assume that their audience is just like them. You will make more money if you have an objective definition of your audience, and target your messages towards them.
• Capture a database. Invest in a system that can capture any potential interest in your product or service. It takes 17 touches before a consumer will buy. You need to re-appear in their buyer’s mindset, and you can’t do that unless you can contact them directly. We use Agile CRM, others are Salesforce, HubSpot and a raft of others.
• Plan your activity. A simple one-page table of activity for a set period of time will help you to keep on track with your strategic imperatives and begin to build momentum. This is how you build consistency and can trust that your efforts are being spent on the right things.
• Invest time into your website. A website is never finished. You should look at it several times a week, and click through it as a potential customer would. You have 10 seconds to connect with a new user. Make sure the important stuff is prominent on your home page, and that it is easy for them to either buy, or contact you.
• Know when you need a professional. Marketing is not just marketing anymore. It is a complex web of niche skills and you won’t be able to do it all. If you need to improve your Google results or want to advertise, call a professional. Quality – not quantity – will convert to sales.
• Love your current clients/customers. Be proactive in your contact with them and reward them for their loyalty. Really flex your listening skills to hear what matters to them. If you don’t ask, you simply don’t know.
• Word-of-mouth is the cheapest and most effective form of marketing. If your clients are happy, if your team is proud, if your prospects are interested…they will tell others. Think of your own consumer behaviour. Have you ever made a purchase because someone you trusted put you in touch? A referral program could help here, plus exceptional customer service.
• Measure the results. Each month, record the data that you can and look for trends. List what worked and what didn’t. You may be able to start marketing attribution, that is tracing exactly what marketing initiatives resulted in sales. Reflection and reporting will inform your strategic direction.

Marketing can be a lot of fun. It’s very much a case of test and see. Be prepared to fail and adapt. If you’d like to talk about your marketing options, we can put you in touch with a Marketing Manager we work with here at AdviceCo. With more than 15 years of experience in global consumer and national professional services companies, she can help you to work through your ideas and opportunities. Enquire here.