Do you ever wonder if there’s a real person behind blog posts you read? Well, at least on this website, I assure you there is. To prove it, here’s a dorky picture of me from long ago:
As a small business owner, your budget and time are limited. You don’t want to sink a whole bunch of time and money into something for little or no return.
That’s why I’m sharing five smart marketing moves for your small business. And the first one explains why I shared that picture above.
Number 1: Show ‘em you’re human
Digital marketing allows you to develop a brand and model it after bigger companies. You can make yourself look like a big corporation on the surface even if you’re a one-person small business. But is that what you want?
Some of the largest companies grew the most when the person at the top was the face of the company. Apple’s best moments came each time Steve Jobs donned his signature black turtleneck to introduce new products.
Maybe you run a restaurant and have a cool color scheme that makes for great pictures of your plated dishes. But who is making the food? Who is serving the food? And where do you source your meats and veggies?
Your customer will ask these questions, why not get ahead of them? Share your values, proudly feature your employees, and give your customer a face to go with the company.
Number 2: Set your goals and see them through
I recently shared with you the importance of making a marketing strategy for your business. This way you can determine what’s working and should continue, and what’s not that you should abandon.
Some business owners prepare the strategy only to put it away. Then they get distracted each time something new comes along, like a new social media app or a popular trend.
Stay calm. You have a strategy. If you set SMART goals, you have a deadline and metrics to review. If you swerve in another direction, you will distort the results.
If you have some bandwidth or budget for things that come up, you can take small actions to test other things. What you should not do is toss out your strategy and goals in favor of trying a new trend or application.
Number 3: Meet your community
Whether your business has a physical location or not, you and your customers are part of a community. And getting involved will help you greatly.
Find the community where your target customers spend their time and get involved. Find your customers, talk to them, get to know them well. They will know you and turn to you when they need your help.
Build a community for your customers. Engage with them and keep them coming back. Run special promotions, deliver content to entertain and assist them on their journey, bring them to your physical location for drinks and fun.
Find a community to support you as a small business owner. If you have a brick & mortar location, it can be other businesses in your area. But you should also find a larger community of fellow business owners to help you out as you grow and jump your own hurdles.
Number 4: Make content to your strengths
You know yourself. You know your team. When it’s time to create content, focus on the strengths of you and your team. If you can’t stand being in front of camera, don’t do it. If you hate writing, don’t promise a blog or weekly newsletter.
Now, that’s not to say you shouldn’t do these things eventually. A blog drives traffic to your website in the long run and video accounts for most social media engagement today.
The key is knowing where you are today. You may have lots of testimonials and customer reviews you can use to post on your social media feed. If writing is your thing, embrace it. Take to text-friendly platforms like Twitter (er, X), Threads, or LinkedIn.
Finally, think quality instead of quantity. If you can’t post every day, don’t. Consistency is more important than frequency. You’re better off making one post every week that informs, teaches, or entertains your audience instead of daily forgettable posts.
Number 5: Understand long- and short-term tactics
Not everything you do as part of your marketing strategy will deliver quickly. You should understand the expected results and when you will see the results of each tactic.
- Long game: Industry events, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), content marketing
- Short game: Paid ads, live webinars, weekend promotions
Even if you’re a young business and In need of immediate revenue, your strategy should mix up short and long plays. You’ll need both for a business that outlasts your competitors.
Your move
Building your business takes time. Make smart decisions on how to promote it and bring the right people to you.
If you need additional content marketing help, contact me today to set up an introductory call.
Your friend,
Jose