Does Marketing Scare You?
Recently we attended a workshop that included new small business owners, many of them creatives.
The question was asked “How do you feel about marketing?
Right away many of the attendees either yelled out “Ugh” gave the thumbs down, grimaced and one person said, “I’d rather be working in my studio.” I am sure many of you can relate to this. You know you have to do it but what you really want to be doing is working and creating your art. As the moderator said, “If you do not market your business then what’s the point.” You have to do it and it is crucial to the success of your business.
The importance of marketing for your business is that it makes the customers aware of your products or services, engages them, and helps them make the buying decision. Furthermore, a marketing plan, a part of your business plan helps in creating and maintaining demand, relevance, reputation, competition, etc.
Marketing informs the customer about your product and why they need it. You love what you make, but now it is time to let the buyers know why they need it in their store. Do you have a website? If not, make that a priority so people can learn about your business and buy products.
Marketing sustains your presence. You can’t do it just once, you have to continuously market your brand and keep in front of your customers. This can seem overwhelming especially if you are a one-person show. Try and schedule time each week and remember you have a specific audience. Do not try and sell your brand to everyone, narrow the focus, and concentrate on reaching that group.
Marketing allows you to engage with your customer. Now more than ever you can engage in many different ways other than in person. Now in the digital age, you can engage via social media, email, and video. Pick one or two of the social media platforms that you feel the most comfortable managing. Do not feel like you have to do every single one. Concentrate on a couple and do those well. Some like Facebook and others prefer only Instagram because it is all done on your smartphone. You pick what works well for you and what you will stick with. We split our social media duties, then we feel we do each well. Add your website links to your social media bios and use relevant hashtags.#marketing #creative #selling.
Email is one of the most effective ways to communicate and market your brand. It is cheap and you can reach many existing and potential customers quickly and efficiently. Try using Constant Contact or Mail Chimp to assist in sending mass emails as well as organizing your contact lists.
Here’s a simple list to develop a small business marketing plan:
Set reasonable goals
Understand your target market
Describe your goods and services in words anyone can understand
Decide on your unique sales proposition
Set your budget
Track results
