Critical Marketing Strategies All Small Business Owners Should Master TODAY!

Is your small business marketing strategy doing its job? I thought mine was … but it wasn’t!

I thought we had marketing down pat for our OBL program – until I met Sam Hurley.

She’s an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience as a senior marketer and strategist. She helped lead the way in the media industry during the early 2000s as transformations occurred with the internet and social media. With Sam’s insights, I found gaps in my marketing strategy that I didn’t even realise existed!

So I’ve put together a blog in case you are making the same mistakes.

These tips were game changers for my business – and I’m sure they’ll benefit yours too.

Lessons learned from talking with a highly skilled small business marketing expert 

FACT #1: Most small business owners are missing this ONE critical skill

There are so many things to balance as a business owner, it’s no surprise that we fall behind on mastering the latest social media platform or producing excellent content.

The only “skill” that most of us lack is confidence.

People can be taught almost anything if they’re willing to learn – even creativity. So it’s crucial to trust your team, believe in their abilities, and be confident about your strategies … especially your small business marketing strategies.

Sam’s hot tip: You don’t want to take a willy-nilly approach – your decisions should be data-driven and strategic. Take control of your actions and be deliberate about each decision you make. This leads to my next discovery…

FACT #2: Data plays a massive role in business

These days, data is everywhere. There are literally thousands of tools you can use to derive insights about your customers, their buying behaviours, your industry, and the various marketing strategies that you use.

We should use those tools to make informed decisions. Look at key indicators, like how many people open your emails, who clicks through to view products, and what leads to a purchase, and to draw conclusions about what’s working and what isn’t.

Sam’s hot tip: Set objectives – such as “sell 100 dresses this year” – and work backward to achieve them. This involves figuring out what data you need to look at to achieve the overall goal, keeping track of those metrics, and making adjustments to reach your objective.

FACT #3: A successful small business marketing strategy has several key components 

While confidence is a huge factor in your marketing success, there are some other ingredients necessary for marketing success and that you can’t move forward without. These include:

• Proven methods
• A vision
• A differentiator, and
• A strong “why”

Sam’s hot tip: Once you have these figured out, craft your marketing around a great customer experience. Provide your customers with all the information they need to make informed choices at each step in their journey, and make sure they’re taken care of from start to finish.

FACT #4: Finding and keeping your clients is key

In order to find new clients, you need to understand your target market inside and out. Speak in their terms, address their unique needs, and regularly test your messages and strategies to make sure you’re resonating with them.

Sam’s hot tip: Focus groups are another excellent tool for gauging your customer’s preferences, interests, and needs. If you can’t get customers together in person, hold these groups online or send out surveys. Asking for feedback is a great way to retain customers too, so don’t be afraid to ask away!

And finally…a bonus tip for those who are just getting started 

The early stages of starting a business are often the hardest. There’s so much to figure out, and it’s easy to get discouraged if your marketing efforts don’t pan out as you expected.

Sam’s hot tip: As long as you know what makes you unique, you can shine among your competitors and carve out a spot for your product or service. Whether it’s excellent customer service, a unique buying experience, a highly specialised product, or something else, use that differentiator as a foundation for your small business marketing.

For the full story, tune into the Online Business Launchpad Podcast

To learn more from marketing expert Sam Hurley, listen to episode 26 of the Online Business Launchpad podcast. Remember to subscribe for future episodes with other business experts.