SME Marketing Consulting Southampton

(First appeared in Second Opinion Marketing e-bulletin November 2010 - subscribe to the e-bulletin here )

We’re fast approaching the end of 2010, a great time to reflect on your marketing successes and make some commitments for next year. This list of ideas for marketing your business is designed to have at least 1 or 2 approaches that every business can benefit from. Take a look – I’m sure you’ll find something you can use.

1.Keep things simple
If you are a small business you will be constrained by time, budget and probably people resource when it comes to marketing, so it’s really important not to be over ambitious. Set a simple marketing action plan – this might be to run 3 marketing campaigns in the year, one focused on each of your products; or at a more practical level it might be to produce 12 client newsletters each year. Once you’ve set these simple goals then breakdown the steps you need to take to make the campaign or the newsletter happen. Get a timetable together and decide who will do what. Breaking down the tasks into bite sized chunks and diarising those tasks will mean they are far more likely to be completed.

2.Launch something new

It can be a new product, a new service, added bonus, a new form of communication with clients, a new approach to pricing or a new customer recommendation scheme. All of these ideas provide you with an opportunity to communicate, to let existing customers know and to broadcast more widely. They provide something to talk to your network about and something to create incentives for staff around.

3.Use the creativity and knowledge of your staff

Ask your staff for their PR and marketing ideas, involve them and get commitment, you might be surprised how innovative they can be and what great ideas they may have to help you raise profile, venture into new markets or enhance your offer to existing customers.

It’s worthwhile setting a few basic rules around the brainstorming – by being clear about what your goals are and any constraints you might need to work within – but get them involved – they should know your product and customer base better than anyone else, so they have the best opportunities to see those golden nuggets that you might be missing.

4.Create a buzz

Look at the best free communications vehicles to reach potential clients and influencers. There are plenty out there now, from Twitter and Facebook to LinkedIn and blogging software. 

The rules are the same whichever method you use:

• Create a good profile and clear positioning for yourself (or your business)
• Connect with like-minded people who will be interested in what you say 
• Have something useful to say, add value, don’t sell
• Show your personality 
• Update /post regularly
• Welcome feedback
• Create a dialogue, make it a two way communication

5.Reward your customers...