How has everyone’s 2011 been going? The first month was extremely busy for me. And it got me to thinking about marketing from an entrepreneurial perspective. I run a small, boutique advertising agency and marketing consulting firm, so it can be feast or famine. So, I know too well the importance of consistently marketing myself and keeping my company at the forefront of my customers and prospects minds. So, to that end, I thought it might be interesting to compile a list of easy to do marketing projects that don’t take up too much time but will be beneficial all year long.
Blog, blog, blog — Oops, guess I’ve been delinquent in that department, but I do suggest you blog at least once a month and preferably one to two times per week. I’ve made my New Year’s resolution to blog more often this year.
Social Media — I know I’ve been lax on this one, too. So, I affirm to tweet a few times a week. Fortunately, I have a great tool called Nutshell that gives me a daily synopsis of my followers’ tweets so I know if there is anything pressing that I need to respond to quickly.
Monthly communiqúe with my customers — I started an eNewsletter several years ago and got excellent feedback. If you want to read archived issues follow the link. Everyone seems to be doing eNewsletters so I thought mine should be more about “how to” and marketing tips. It has been well received. And the feedback I’ve gotten is once a month is enough. I know some eNewsletters I’ve subscribed to on a daily basis and I end up never reading them and eventually deleting them. I think we all have too much to read. So, it is important to provide some really great content. I find there is a wealth of content on the Internet that I can repurpose. Sometimes, though, it can get overwhelming. So, I make a list of the topics I think my customers are interested in.
Public Relations — I know I need to practice what I preach. But, I do find it difficult sometimes to come up with something that is newsworthy. I’m sure you say the same thing about your products and services. Again, planning is half the battle. So, I resolve to become more active from a public relations standpoint. From feature articles to press releases, now is a good time for companies to put together a PR plan for the rest of the year.
Networking — How about just plain good old-fashioned networking? I plan to go to at least one networking function a month this year. It’s good to see people face-to-face. Whether it be a business networking event, a church event, or just a social event, networking is the best form of word-of-mouth marketing. Plan out your elevator speech so that you can succinctly communicate what you do for a living.
Reviewing web stats — I admit I don’t review the metrics from my campaigns as often as I should. But, I’ve dedicated myself to reviewing my web stats at least once a week if not more often. It is really important to know where you stood before a campaign and to know if there has been any interest after a campaign. You want to know if you’ve changed anyone’s opinion of your products or services.
So, guess I need to practice what I preach. And I intend to this year. So, make some plans, stick to them, and revamp, as necessary.
Thanks for the great info and the reminder. I too am guilty of knowing the value and effectiveness of newsletters, social marketing, ect but it is quite time consuming. I tend to only get round to it when business is quiet.
Thanks for your comments, John. That is the ultimate dilemma for small businesses. It is a commitment and entails planning. So, let's commit together this year and make it happen.