If you operate a small business or practice it can be difficult to determine a cost effective way to stand out among the larger businesses or firms. The goal of our weekly newsletter is to provide you with back to basics marketing strategies and website trends and ideas specifically aimed at helping small businesses and professional practices become more visible among all the “voices” competing for your prospects.
Consider your website. While it is your most important marketing asset; driving prospects to your website can be challenging. With a 1) plan and 2) persistence, you can successfully use your website as your primary marketing tool. We will be discussing this in more detail next week.
Consider your marketing strategy. Trying to fit into a one size fits all marketing strategy; one that seems to work well for other businesses, is a recipe for failure. It’s so easy to be tempted to spend money on digital marketing strategies that promise a good ROI. Not that this is not a viable option but you have to make sure it’s right for you! Your strategy should reflect your business objectives and “personality” (a reflection of you as owner or principal).
Consider the SWOT analysis. This chart will help you evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and it will help you plot your marketing road map. You likely completed a SWOT analysis when you started your business or practice. Now, take a step back and reevaluate your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in terms of marketing.
Consider this. There are many forms of digital marketing and they can be implemented singly or as a unit to determine which one works best for you. Just because certain marketing strategies are promoted and it seems like all the other businesses are using the same strategies, doesn’t mean they are the strategies you should be using. You have your own special area of expertise and sometimes, in order to stand out you have to NOT do what everyone else is doing! We know that sounds counterintuitive but that’s how we end up getting lost in the crowd.
“Smart brands don’t just ride trend shifts. They start them.” – Ann Handley