This time of year it seems everyone in the entire marketing universe is writing an article on their predictions and advice for 2018. Some of it is helpful (anything telling you that video is the way to go, and how to get the most out of the ever-changing Facebook algorithm has to be worth reading). But if you are running your own business some of these articles can seem pretty unachievable and frankly irrelevant.
Small business owners are incredibly knowledgeable about their product or service, and know instinctively how to market it. But they are also realistic and working within limited means: they don’t need big brand owners telling them how to spend a six figure marketing budget.
I work with small business owners a lot, so here are my four simple (read relevant and doable) new year’s resolutions for the small business owner.
- Get to grips with your analytics. If you aren’t sure what is working in your existing marketing programme, log in to your social media account, website or email marketing platform and take a look at the numbers. Check out what is working and let this help you plan your marketing campaigns in 2018.
- Invest in great content Tell the stories about your business and your products, show how you solve problems and share your opinions. Use images, infographics, blogs and video. Plan your campaigns in advance, and measure what works.
- Get out there. This feels a really obvious thing to suggest but many small business owners fail to make time to get out of their shop or office to talk to people about their business. If face to face networking is too hard (breakfast meetings clash with the school run!) or inappropriate (your customer base is spread far and wide) maximise social media networking and engagement.
- Try something new If you’ve never made a video on your smartphone, tried a Facebook Live, run a Tweetchat or a social media takeover, maybe this is the year you should try it! All of these tactics are low cost, accessible, and fun to try as part of your marketing strategy.
Whatever your marketing intentions for 2018, have a happy and successful New Year!
