Running a small business enterprise can be tough. Your role encompasses what would normally be spread across multiple departments in a larger organization. One of the biggest struggles for many, however, is how to effectively manage marketing. You need to establish a brand identity and promote your product in ways that enhance this – and, once you’ve made it to the big leagues (whatever your personal interpretation of that is), you still have to fight to keep your position. Below you’ll find five tips that will make the marketing minefield a little easier to navigate:
Outsource It
Firstly, accept the fact that not everyone is cut out for marketing. Maybe you’re too busy, or you’ve never been exposed to that kind of role. Maybe you just don’t want to deal with the stress. Before you embark on the promotion of your business, have a serious think about whether you want to do it yourself or let someone else, such as a brand design agency, manage your marketing. There are various upsides to both options but if you don’t think you can pull it off, outsourcing is definitely the better option.
Know Your Product
The first step of any good marketing plan is knowing your product. This may seem weird – you created it, after all! – but we’re not just talking about the physical item or service here. We’re talking about the story behind it. This is imperative to your brand identity, so make sure that whatever you come up with rings true and showcases your hard work in the best possible light.
Research Your Market
Having crafted the perfect brand identity, you now need to know who your customer is and how best to reach them. To do this, you need to have a clear idea of who your product is tailored to, what competitors are already in that space and what your point of difference is.
This step is often referred to as market leader research. Essentially, it’s time to dig up all the dirt on any competing brands and really get to know your target demographic on a personal level.
Identify Key Spaces
Now that you know who you are, who you’re for and where you want to be, it’s time to work out how to get there. This is where the external marketing begins. Go back to your target demographic research and objectively work out where they spend most of their time.
As an example, there’s no point in marketing an automotive product on the interior of public transport. Work out what key spaces you need to occupy (social media, Google Ads, a company blog) and then populate them with quality content. You need to make sure every piece is on brand or you’ll lose credibility, so set a publishing schedule that works with the rest of your business.
Confidence is Key
Find out what works for you and stick with it. You made this fantastic product or service and, given time and the right tools, the world will see that too – but not if you shy away from the spotlight or play down your achievements. It doesn’t matter if you got where you are by doing everything yourself or employing an agency to help you, what matters is that you’re here and you’re killing it.
One final thing: no matter how good you are or how far you’ve come, there’s always going to be adversity. It’s an unavoidable part of business. How you manage this, however, will determine whether you can maintain your success. Stick to the above tips, stay true to yourself and your business will flourish.