10 Marketing Tips to get your company growing again
The last 8 months have been a rollercoaster for most businesses trying to find their way through the Coronavirus pandemic. However, as we move out of restrictions and towards 2021, and also with the news of possible vaccines on the horizon, the situation is gradually easing. If you haven’t been doing any marketing it is essential that you start to make your company visible and prepare to start growing again, so please find below a list of 10 marketing tips we believe you can put into action.
We must emphasise though that a lot of these are great marketing tips at any time, not just in a crisis. They are low budget and you can implement them yourself. Saying that though, if you do need help or further advice, as we are a full service creative agency, we can help so please give us a call on 07939 243497 or email info@effortlessoffice.co.uk
Marketing tip #1
Plan, Plan, Plan. Take some time to organise your marketing. Even if your business hasn’t opened or re-opened yet or is unable to trade – use this time to plan. Business WILL start again and your company needs to be ready to start growing again. Hopefully you have been doing that over the last few months – if not – start now.
Marketing tip #2
Be visible. Make sure that your customers and prospects know that you are there when they are ready. Blatant sales messages may not be appropriate right now so keep your messages sensitive and relevant. How can you help? What can you do to get people’s attention in a good way?
Marketing tip #3
Fill your pipeline. By this I mean how can you get your customers and prospects interested in your products or services now, ready to buy when they are able to. Can you capture email addresses, book appointments over Zoom or Teams, send out samples or a leaflet or Flyer in the post, grow a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram community? Make sure that you are ready to start growing again.
Marketing tip #4
Keep in touch with your existing customers and prospects. It does not matter if your customers can buy from you or not at the moment, still make sure that you stay in touch. Send a personal email asking how they are. Don’t sell. Just touch base. Same for people in your pipeline. Show you care. Relationships count.
Marketing tip #5
Solve your customers’ problems. Understanding your customers is always an absolute marketing essential. Right now it is likely that their problems have increased or have changed in some way (did your clients need facemasks before?). Use this time to understand what problems your customers have and how you can help to solve them.
Marketing tip #6
Stop. One of the opportunities amongst the awfulness of the current situation is the opportunity to stop, take stock of yourself and your business. Are you still heading to where you wanted to be when you started out, or is now the time to make a change of direction?
Marketing tip #7
Regular communication. It’s really important to stay visible regularly, particularly if your product or service isn’t an impulse purchase. Email marketing and Social Medai are ways to achieve this. Regularly showing up in people’s inboxes or timelines, means you will be at the front of their mind when they become ready to make a purchase.
Marketing tip #8
Help someone. In times like these it helps to help those around you. Human nature means that if you have helped someone they will want to help you back. Who you can genuinely help. Who can you introduce someone to? Can you send them a useful article? Can you direct them to a networking event or supplier that you trust?
Marketing tip #9
Carry out a customer survey. Every great business has its customers at its heart. The better you can serve your customers – profitably – the more successful you will be. How can you do know what your customers want, why they buy from you (or not), what benefits they are after? There is so much to learn and gain, for them and for you. Try www.surveymonkey.com which is a free tool, or if you want some help, get in touch with us.
Marketing tip #10
Google My Business. If you have a website and are selling to a local audience and you are not utilising Google My Business you are missing a trick. There are still lots of companies who are not maximising it. It is free, relatively easy and hugely helps your Google ranking.
Bonus: Social Media Tips
Don’t sell, sell, sell. Imagine you are at a cocktail party. Don’t just talk about yourself, join in the conversations your customers are having. Talk about what they are talking about.
On LinkedIn – connect with people strategically. Who do you want to do business with? Connect with them. Share some useful advice. Ask if they’d like a chat. Spend time doing this each week and see your pipeline grow.
