How to avoid a marketing meltdown and grow your small business like a pro

I heard from one of my sole trader clients the other day and it got me thinking. They have a solid, steady stream of business but it has mainly grown through word of mouth. They have a website and make a continued effort on social media but with little engagement. They are ambitious and want their efforts to reap more reward. They want to target new audiences and bring new business though their branding and marketing and rely less on repeat business and recommendation. Sound familiar? And now, to top it all off, they have marketing envy from one of their competitors.

Suddenly, all the ideas are bubbling at once: email campaigns, newsletters, subscriptions, updates to the web design and content and a slick social media image. They want it all. They are suffering from, what I term, Marketing Meltdown.

Having a clear idea of what you want your brand to be is incredibly important. But when you are a small business with a limited budget, sometimes you need to prioritise your targets and tackle them in turn.

How to avoid Marketing Meltdown:

1. Planning

It is important with any project to have a clear idea of what the end target is. A good way to know what you want is it look at what your competitors are doing. What do they do well? What are they not so good out? What can you realistically achieve in your budget?

Write everything down so that you can consider which bits you would like to focus on. You could create a mood board for colour and fonts that appeal to you. You can look at the types of messages you engage with on social media – are they informative, aspirational, aesthetically beautiful, comical, inspiring? And then think about what you want your style to be. This should be consistent – but not restrictive by any means - going forward.

Think about how regularly you will reasonably be able to post on socials or send a newsletter, for example, and ensure you stick to that. Consistency is key.

2. Execution

The finish of your work must look professional if you want anyone to take you seriously and it is a lot easier to achieve than you might think. If you really want to grow your business, you can no longer rely on recommendations from your network. You are in the real world now. And it is brutal.

When someone lands on your website, they will decide in seconds whether or not you are someone they trust. It is imperative that the first impression is impressive. I am talking: using a consistent, suitable font across your website or social media; using high quality images that show what you do; using a consistent colour palette. Look at your competitors for inspiration and then put your spin on it. If you cannot afford to pay someone to build you a site, then use one of the many affordable templates and spend some time working out how to use it fully.

You words need to be clear and accurately spelt and punctuated; this is the minimum requirement. Paragraphs should be aligned consistently and with purpose. It helps to break up large chunks of text with images, lists or subheadings, as this is more inviting for the reader. Avoid repetition and clichés. Write meaningfully about what you know. Remember that you are the expert here and people are looking to you in inspire them, inform them, entertain them.

Don’t forget to include contact information and an online enquiry form and ensure that these are easy to find and/or complete.

These tips are crucial for the website but also every bit of literature that is produced by you: leaflets, social posts, emails, merchandise. Everything needs to match. Everything has to be formatted exactingly.

Once you think you are almost there, why not seek advice from some people that you trust for honest feedback about the look and content of your work? And if in doubt, ask yourself, would you buy from someone that presents themselves like you? Often you yourself will know if something is not quite right.

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When it comes to all things marketing, it can become a little overwhelming, especially for a sole trader or small business with limited funds. You may have to accept it will take a little longer than you would like: but do persevere. Because if you want people to take you and your business seriously, there are some non-negotiables that you will just have to ensure are met.