As everyone returns from holiday and the children head back to school, this time of year somehow feels like a fresh start and a new beginning. Now is the perfect time to refocus and try to drive business for the remainder of 2017, and start to think about what 2018 might bring. We talk a lot about building your marketing strategy and plan, to enable you to connect with your ideal client in an efficient and economical way, so let’s start there, by assessing where you are in achieving your goals:
- Assess your success so far
First thing’s first. Review your marketing strategy to date and see if you have achieved everything you wanted to in 2017, or are at least on track to do so. This should give you a steer on the areas that need improvement and could benefit from particular focus between now and the end of the year. Don’t forget that objectives are something you are aiming for, if you have smashed them already, congratulations, or if they require some tweaking due to business influences then understand why and make a conscious decision to head in a different direction.
- Tools for small business success
For many businesses, Q4 is the busiest time of the year. There are many tools out there that can help you to manage your time effectively and also help you get organised. So, to avoid feeling overwhelmed here are a couple of suggestions, or click here to read our blog from January this year, that may help support you and ensure that you continue to engage with your ideal client, even when you are busy.
Social media planning: I’ve said it before, but there really is nothing more time-saving than planning your social media activity in advance. Not only does Hootsuite allow you to plan across multiple channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+) in advance, it enables you to measure your content’s success. Haven’t tried it yet? Take an hour or two this week to schedule three months’ worth of posts in Hootsuite (or similar tool) and then sit back and relax. There are of course other tools out there that can help such as Buffer, Tweet Deck, etc, the key is to find the right tool that works for you and your business.
Keeping ahead of the competition: It always pays to be aware and compare what you’re doing with other, similar companies in your industry. Keep up to date with industry news, reviews and releases by setting up Google Alerts. It’s quick and simple to do, and opens up a wealth of knowledge and insights for you.
Advertising: If you’re not already, now’s a great time to start advertising on Facebook. Recent changes to the Ads Manager app means you can view and compare the performance of multiple adverts, making it easier to hone the type of copy/imagery/layouts that work best with your audience.
- Re-assessing your customers
Online customer behaviour changes all the time, thanks to new ways of browsing, searching and purchasing services and products. To some extent, you can address changes in your customers’ online behaviour by keeping your key words up to date. Check out this handy SEO tutorial here.
Taking this opportunity to re-assess your customer search behaviour could help you develop strategies for Q4 and beyond (at this stage you should also be thinking ahead to ensuring a quick start for 2018). For this, I recommend using the Google Keyword Planner, which can help you optimise your website and other content for:
- SEO success
- Enhanced visibility
- Meeting customer needs
- Ask for help if you need it
If you’ve tried all of these actions and require further help or support in connecting with your ideal client, please do email me at: sophie@rimumarketing.co.uk to arrange your FREE 60-minute consultation! We look forward to hearing from you.
Wishing you a successful Autumn!
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