Wednesday, February 5, 2014

6 Tips for Marketing Your Small Business

To ensure your business is attracting customers, you'll want to make sure you know which parts of your marketing you can do in-house and those you should outsource to the marketing experts.

What it takes to market your small business

In a normal situation, you wouldn't hire a plumber to install your light switch.  So why would you as a business owner, try to create a logo, program a website, design a brochure, manage numerous social media profiles, create eye-catching email messages, measure Google Analytics, write and publish articles online, generate links to your website, design postcards, edit and publish online videos, select the best photography that represents your companies brand, write a press release, conduct research and stay in tune with new marketing opportunities… need I say more?  In a nutshell, creating and maintaining a working marketing plan takes the BEST (balance, expertise, strategy, tenacity) marketing consultants, and that's exactly how Oevae Marketing Consultants was born.  As Muhammad Ali once said, "It's not bragging if you can do it."

Chances are, if you wanted to be a marketing consultant, graphic designer, or Internet marketer, you wouldn't be reading this post.  On the opposite hand, you probably are very good at doing what your have been trained to do. You are intelligent and capable of learning new things, but those things should be in your field of expertise.

Catchy and unique marketing solutions for small business brands

Over 13 years ago, we noticed that many small business owner's were capable of producing a basic brochure using Microsoft Word or Powerpoint, create a website using a click and build platform, and even sketch a logo.  However, all of these pieces of their branding puzzle did not fit together to deliver a consistent brand message to consumers.  Most attempts left the business owner frustrated and using what they had until they found a source to create something better, and many called upon Oeave to create catchy and unique marketing solutions.

Here are 6 tips to help you become effective at marketing your small business:

1. Get the know-how.

Knowing what not to do when it comes to marketing is as important as knowing what to do. Let’s face it, the evolving world of marketing can be pretty tricky to navigate on your own. So ask an expert before you go jumping into building that click and build website.

2. Make your customers priority number 1. 

Understanding who your customers are, what makes them like your company and what they really want or value, and obviously staying in touch with them after you hand them the receipt, keeps you in their mind as a prominent source.

3. Know your target market.

‘Everyone,’ I repeat, 'everyone' is not your target! Targeting your marketing activities directly at the people who need and want your service or product is the secret to creating quality enquiries and getting prospects to open their wallet or tell their friends about your business through social media.

4. Remember that marketing is not advertising. 

Don’t make the common mistake of thinking that advertising and websites are the only two ways to attract more business. Your small business can be marketed in literally hundreds of ways, so it's a smart decision would be to schedule a discussion with a marketing expert to know what you can do and then eliminate the ones that won’t work, or that you can’t afford, now.

5. Set sales goals and targets. 

Marketing really is about numbers. Marketing efforts that won’t directly or indirectly bring in new business have absolutely no point. A marketing consultant can help you define what your realistic goals should be in terms of revenue, expenses, profit, number of enquiries and, of course, number of new sales.

6. Memorize the four P's of marketing.

Getting your product, pricing, placement strategy (distribution) and promotional strategy moving along and working together is crucial to good marketing.

Do it right the first time.

Wayne, a friend of our founder told a story about his success as a Regional Manager of a popular grocery store chain.  As the regional manager, Wayne would often be called upon to visit a store that was losing money. Wayne's responsibility was to keep that from happening.  Wayne said inevitably, he would uncover the same issue at every location - the store manager would have instructed an employee to repair or create something that they did not have the expertise to do effectively. Therefore, when the problem persisted, the store manager would repeat the process. This pattern would cost the store more money and ultimately become a reflection on the store managers inability to generate a profit.  Wayne said, "I would analyze the issue, call a professional to do the job, and solve the issue for good."

The truth about marketing.

Mounds of time, effort, and money are saved in the long run, if you connect with experts to do what they do best.  At Oevae, we become a virtual marketing department for our clients.  We know that you need no-nonsense marketing strategies to secure a greater return on your money. We apply clever marketing plans and ideas without breaking the bank, or your back.  There's no one-size-fits-all solution. Every small business is different — the marketing plan and tactics for a Speech Therapist are entirely different from those of a Wedding Planner. However, the process of building a plan, sticking to it and applying the time and resources it needs is the common secret to success in marketing.

Make a brand difference.™

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