Written by Adam – not AI 😀
So, you’re running a small business. Juggling paperwork, accounts, bills, payments and the fun one- invoicing! Aside from doing your actual job, ‘what you do’, as a small business owner there is a lot to juggle. If you are fortunate to have staff, then delegation of responsibilities is a luxury you can afford.
Whether you are working on back or front of house, you need to wear many hats- marketing is one of those hats. We are going to focus on this hat today, since we are a marketing agency.
Every business knows they should be on social media to stay relevant, but then the challenge arises what to post… Paid advertising? Sure, sounds good, but then again what do you post? Need a website? Of course, there are lots of options available: pay an agency, do it yourself, or use a website builder.
In truth, when it comes to marketing your small business there is so much noise in the world and the options are plentiful. But, what is important is making a solid start. “Where do I start?” – at the core of the business! Grab a pen, paper, keyboard or tablet – get your business down in the trusty word. Establish who you are, what you stand for, what you do, who your customers/followers are, how people access your product, where you sell it and the problem it solves.
By committing your business to word, you are defining your parameters and setting out your stall. Once you have done this you have created your foundations to take your next steps. Getting your foundations right is one of the most important things you can do. This sets the scene for everything that follows.
When starting out, the temptation of jumping into Canva and creating visual masterpieces are tempting. However, without strong foundations, your marketing can appear to be thin. So, if you are starting a business, get some words on paper that communicate what you do, how you do it and who with.
It is only then that the real work can begin – spell checking… By this I mean developing the rest of your marketing, website, socials, flyers, banners, out of home advertising, you name it! That is where you go next. Establish the core of what you do and then, as someone described it, “do the fluffy stuff”.
Finally, words are important! But, are you able to accurately explain to for instance, an 11 year old child, what you do so that they understand it? This is a good measuring stick to make a start.
Enough words now, time for some marketing!