It is the typical scenario, when budgets get tight and something needs to be cut, it seems the first line item to be adjusted is marketing. Often companies, small business and even non-profits thing that marketing is “fluff” in their budget. It is something to utilize when business is strong and going well, or when there is “extra money” in the budget. Unfortunately, this is the wrong mindset. It could very well take a business from barely getting by to closing their doors. Out of sight-out of mind becomes a real scenario. So how does one plan to continue a strong marketing plan amongst all the chaos of our current world? Here are two key ideas every business should be considering.
Believe it or not, marketing can be a little bit of common sense and a whole lot of planning, implementing and then being ready to make changes on the fly! Sounds like a moving target, doesn’t it? Now more than ever, marketing is a moving target. There are ways to monitor and understand your consumers and ways to pivot your strategies to have the biggest impact.
Common Sense Strategy Notes:
Everyone is online these days and are walking around connected through their cell phones, tablets or laptops. If you are not considering digital strategies for your marketing campaigns – you are definitely missing a key element to your marketing plan. However, digital strategies can also be the most confusing for many businesses. In the past, digital seemed to be a “gunshot approach” and it was harder to measure…that has all changed in today’s world. Everything from your GMB (Google My Business) listing to Google ads can be monitored and measured for success. There are not even ways for you to see where your customers are hearing about you and if they come to your location. A digital strategy MUST be included in your marketing.
One Key Driver:
Many small business owners are amazing at operating their businesses. They connect with their customers and they focus on the internal operations. When speaking to business owners, it seems that they have several people “helping” them with the marketing. They may have someone monitoring their SEO, someone else handling their Google ads and someone else doing their social media and website. Unfortunately, this could end up causing more harm than good over time. Multiple people working independently could be wasting dollars. So how does one navigate the multiple tasks with success?
The key to success is having one main person in the driver’s seat of your marketing plan. Someone that is knowledgeable in multiple aspects of marketing and can be sure that the key players are all moving simultaneously towards the same goal. One person/business to keep communication open and making sure that the experts are meeting and hearing what the other is doing on a regular basis. Strategy and focus are key. Constant monitoring and having the ability to change direction, if needed to keep the marketing dollars that are being spent creating the biggest impact for your business.
