Content.
Even if you are providing services to your clients, you need to create and develop good content! It’s essential to building trust, establishing your authority, and providing value to your audience.Many of my clients struggle to create content. To avoid writer’s block, think about the questions people ask you about your products or services, then create content that answers those questions!
When fitting content into your overall marketing plan, it’s a good idea to plan 3-6 months’ worth of content in advance. Decide how many posts you want to write a month. Then, using a spreadsheet, write down that number of post ideas.
As you write your blog posts, repurpose them into emails or social media posts to save time. An easy way to do that is to reuse the introductory paragraph from your blog post! It’s already written to draw the reader in.
Digital Marketing.
It’s more important than ever for businesses to be visible on marketing platforms. If you are new to social media, I always recommend starting with one or two platforms. You can expand from there if needed!
When selecting your platforms, consider your ideal clients or customers. Where do they hang out online? If you are going to work with professionals, LinkedIn and Facebook are excellent choices. Hoping to work with bloggers or creatives? Try Instagram and Pinterest.
Beyond a social presence, these platforms offer you the opportunity to create targeted ads that connect you to your ideal customer QUICKLY! It’s possible to grow email lists, create engaged followings, generate leads, and see success quickly if you are willing to “pay to play.”
Branding.
Branding is more than just pretty fonts and colors. It’s how people feel when they interact with your business. Do you make people feel confident? Welcome? Serene? Intense?
You want to think through the message you want to convey to people with the colors, fonts, and messaging you choose. Search Pinterest for ‘brand board’ and you will find hundreds of collections people have put together to convey their unique brand!
While it’s totally fine to not invest in professional-grade design work right away, taking a few minutes to put a brand board together in Canva can really help you create a cohesive, memorable look that will make you recognizable and more trusted.
Events.
Whether you own a local business or one online, attending industry events is really important to network and further your business! Even if an event is virtual, show up as if it were in real-life.
Comment, like, interact, and send messages of support to other attendees, whether in-person or virtual. Follow the business pages of people from the event and share their content! If you enjoyed the event, make sure to tag the group or page owner in a post. Snap a photo of you on a Zoom call and put it on Instagram Stories. Networking and sharing other people’s content is the key to success!
At the beginning of the year, I have my clients think about the top 4-6 events they want to attend throughout the year. We work backward, putting the events into our quarterly marketing plan. From there, it is easy to plan to order marketing materials, arranging travel, and networking in advance of the event.
Public Relations.
Don’t underestimate the value of PR in your business! Customer service, giving back to those around you, referral programs, client appreciation gifts, and your entire client experience all matter. Make sure that you develop systems for giving back and showing those you work with that you care about them.
A company’s climate and culture can do more damage to their marketing than almost anything else. No amount of digital marketing or blog content will make up for a company culture known to be toxic.
Create a positive, uplifting business that thrives off of generosity and appreciation. You will attract more clients and customers and set yourself for long-term success.
