5 MINUTE MARKETING

“Marketing is just about doing some sales and a bit of promotion.  I don’t have time to do much more as I am juggling everything else” is a protest I hear time and again from owners of small or medium-sized enterprises (or SMEs).  It’s true that in a small business without a large workforce you often have to juggle roles and marketing can get pushed to the bottom of the long “to-do” list. 

In fact let’s look at the “to-do” list:  calling possible clients, arranging company collateral with the correct logo (branding), networking over lunch, updating the website, doing accounts and responding to general enquiries.  It may surprise you that aside from the number crunching, the rest is all about marketing.

Many small enterprises advertise in the local press and/or put up a website to gain a cheap online presence but never get around to putting together a formal marketing plan.

A formal marketing plan?  That sounds scary I know but just ask yourself a few simple questions about the way you market your products or services.  Some areas you’ll be confident in, others will be muddled or unclear but that’s good.  Only by identifying the skills gaps and areas where your knowledge is lacking will you be better at marketing.

Start at the basic level – what kind of marketing are you doing now?  Have you tried social media, direct marketing, direct sales or even some research?  How good is your customer database and how well do you use it to your advantage?  If you’ve been doing some campaigns without actually checking they’ve worked then they need improving or scrapping.  How do you know they’ve worked?  Measuring hard sales and profits and, unless you’re a charity, not much else.

How do you find your skills gaps?  If you protest “I don’t know if my social media works I am not an expert” then that’s a skills gap you can fill. There’s lots of help out there in areas of marketing you’re not confident to take on.

Help is at hand

One option is to hire an expert and that’s great for a fresh unbiased look at your business and they have skills and expertise to give your business a boost.  However, the downside is unless they are a life-partner their skills go when they do at the end of the project.  An alternative is you – or another member of your team if you have one - get some more skills yourself.  You don’t have to spend years at college, there are plenty of short courses available on everything from copywriting to digital marketing skills. 

How about being mentored by one of your peers?  A business mentor is a great way to gain valuable advice if time and budgets are tight.  You can draw on them when and where you need it as often as you like.   

So next time you’re looking at your “to-do” list with despair take stock, ask questions and get some advice.

Have any questions or need any help?

Contact us:  Ann Prayle: Greyson Marketing www.greysonmarketing.com