Our clients specialize in a variety of industries:
Massage therapy.
Overhead crane safety.
Home renovations and remodeling.
But recently, they all have one thing in common besides being small businesses: they’re feeling the pressure to keep up with new trends in marketing (especially with recent advancements in AI and new trends in advertising).
But trying to be everything, everywhere, all at once can backfire and cause burnout in the long run.
As a small business owner, you need to be strategic and intentional about which marketing channels you use. But before choosing your platforms, you need to know your audience, your brand, and your objectives.
In this blog post, we’ll share some tips and examples to help you create an intentional marketing strategy for your small business.
The Benefits of Consistency and Intentionality: A Sweet Rose Client Case Study
Our client Laser-View Technologies is a distributor of industrial safety equipment for overhead cranes. LinkedIn is their only social media platform, but they use it consistently.
They post once a day, every day, and have seen a 58% increase in new Organic Social users over the past year. Additionally, their engagement rate on LinkedIn is 5.34%, which is 2.18% higher than LinkedIn’s average of 3.16%.
Their Organic Search traffic has also increased compared to last year. If we look at the traffic to their top visited blogs, they’ve seen a +96% increase in visitors coming from this channel compared to this time last year.
They also send out a monthly newsletter, write monthly blog posts, and regularly attend trade shows, conferences, and in-person events to promote their new products.
In today’s day and age where more often equates to better, people often forget that there is value and simplicity in consistency. Laser-View Technologies’ success is a great testament to the idea that you don’t have to be posting on every social media channel or incorporating a ton of channels into a campaign in order to reach a new audience. Sometimes all it takes is knowing where your prospects hang out and staying consistent in how you engage with them over time.
Potential Pitfalls of Chasing Trends
It’s tempting to jump on the bandwagon of every new platform or trend that emerges, but trying out a new channel without a clear plan or goal can backfire and damage your brand reputation.
For instance, we had a client who wanted to start a podcast because “everyone else is doing it”. They recorded two episodes, promoted them on social media as a new series, and then abandoned the project. They didn’t have any long-term strategy in mind which resulted in them dropping it down the line.
In our current era of easily accessible, binge-able content, people can go literally anywhere to consume consistent, reliable content. If you’re going to start publishing on a new channel, you’ve got to be able to consistently commit to it.
Before investing in a new avenue, make sure it’s something that you can balance with your current strategy and that makes sense from a longevity perspective. Chasing trends without a strategy can hurt your small business marketing efforts in the long run.
So How Do I Decide Which Platforms To Use?
If you’re unsure of how to choose the right marketing channels for your small business, start by asking yourself the following questions:
- What’s my current strategy? – Tools like Google Analytics can help you review how your current audience is finding you and engaging with your existing content. This can help you determine where the gaps are and what new opportunities are available for getting in front of new audiences.
- Who is my target audience? – There are tons of resources out there to help you identify who your target audience is and which platforms they’re hanging out on. Additionally, creating a buyer’s persona can help you think about people you haven’t gotten in front of yet.
Getting intentional like this can also help you avoid giving in to FOMO or FOBO. You don’t have to be everywhere or do everything. You just have to be smart and strategic about the channels you invest time in.
At the same time, if you really think a particular channel would benefit your small business, ask yourself what it would look like long term. Is it truly a sustainable way to stay in touch with your audience?
Diversify Your Content Channels
One of the easiest ways to diversify your marketing presence is to repurpose your content. This way, you can reach more people with the same message and save time and resources.
Additionally, have a backup plan in case one of your channels becomes inaccessible. This can happen due to technical issues, policy changes, or legal restrictions. By incorporating multiple channels into your overall strategy, you can diversify your touch points and avoid losing contact with your audience if one channel goes down.
Finally, you should be flexible and adaptable. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to let it go and try something else. You should also stay updated on the latest trends and best practices for each platform. The key is to be agile and responsive to your audience’s needs and preferences.
Choosing the right marketing channels for your small business can be a challenge, but it’s essential to your success. By following these tips, you can choose the right channels for your audience, brand, and goals.
If you’re struggling to assess where your audience is and which platforms to include in your small business marketing plan, our team can help you determine what’s working and where new opportunities are for engaging with your audience! Contact Sweet Rose Studios today to get started.
