Is your business heading in the wrong direction?
Even if it isn’t right now, it will be someday. It happens to every business. The marketing techniques that worked last year, or last month, are no longer as effective as they used to be. Feels everything that can be thought of has been given a try, but it doesn’t work.
Things are stuck. But, the good news is that it doesn’t need to be that way. When a business gets stuck and stops growing, there are things that probably aren’t happening that can be kicked back into high gear.
Here are some of the most common things that cause a b
You Don’t Have an Email List
This one’s a biggie – may be good to consider making this the first question to ask new clients:
Do you have an email list?
Many would be amazed to discover how often people don’t have the proper lists. It’s so easy to do and email marketing earns great returns. There is also nothing that can prevent personnel from skipping email marketing as a method of growing a business.
The great thing about it is that it’s very easy to build a list. All that’s needed is to come up with a lead magnet that’s designed to appeal to the desired target audience. It could be a short report or eBook, a cheat sheet, a tip sheet, a value-packed video, or even a template.
Then, you create a landing page around your cheat sheet, advertise it, and boom! You’ve got an email list.
Once an email list is up and running, it will nurture leads and potentially transform them into paying customers.
Dialing in Your Marketing Strategy
Let’s face it – most small business owners don’t have a ton of time for marketing. They might set aside an hour or two to deal with it each week, but it’s often the first thing to get pushed aside when the
Understandable with the limited number of hours in a day. H
If it’s been a while since you revamped your marketing strategy, here are some tips to help get full efficiency back on track.
- Analyze your current marketing campaigns to see which ones have stopped working. If you’re not getting a great conversion rate, then keeping a campaign running is a waste of your money.
- Come up with some killer content that’ll appeal to your target audience. It could be a video, a blog post, or an infographic. Just make sure that it’s irresistible and actionable.
- Build a marketing campaign around your new content. Use whatever platforms will allow you to reach your target audience. They could include Facebook ads, Google AdWords, or even native advertising.
- Test each element of your campaign and track the results. Testing can be time-consuming, but it’s truly the best way to fine-tune your campaigns until they’ve delivering the results you need.
Most importantly, make tracking campaigns an ongoing concern. When a campaign stops delivering stellar results, make a change immediately.
No Existing Referral Program
If existing customers are not being asked for referrals, it’s creating a further big mistak. Referrals are a great way to attract new customers. They’re free (or pretty close to it) and they allow for turning valued customers into ambassadors for a brand.
It doesn’t take much to create a successful referral program. You’ll want to start by deciding how to incentivize referrals. Customers are more likely to help out if there’s something in it for them. It could be a free product, an occasional discount on services, or even a cash incentive. Figure out what’s most likely to appeal to them.
Next needed is informing customers about the referral program. If the business has employees, get them involved. Make sure every existing customer knows about the program. Once new referrals begin coming in, make sure to deliver incentives immediately.
Brand Messaging isn’t Consistent
What do people think of first when they hear the brand name? If the answer to that question is unsure, it’s a sign that the brand messaging is falling short of the mark.
Consistent brand messaging is one of the cornerstones of great marketing and business growth. If a brand message is diluted, then it’s time to tighten it up.
Let’s start with some of the most common ways that a brand message gets diluted:
- Your brand message has evolved but you haven’t had the time, money, or inclination to update your website to reflect the changes.
- You’ve updated your website but haven’t bothered to update your social media pages and other online content to match.
- You’ve added new products that have expanded your brand beyond what your website says.
The key is to identify how a brand has changed, refine the message, and then standardize the branding across all platforms.
Not Using Social Media to Your Advantage
How is social media being used? If there are irregular leads from social media, then it is probably not being used to the best advantage.
Social media posts should also be engaging and shareable. That means that you can’t simply post a sales pitch and call it a day. Social media content must be:
- Tailored to your target audience
- Valuable and actionable
- Designed to be shared
Every post put out should include a specific call to action. Not every CTA should be sales-oriented. Some can encourage readers to comment or share your content. The key is to use every social media post as a way of expanding what it reaches and attracting new customers.
It’s time to get unstuck…
If your business isn’t growing, it’s your job to find out what’s holding you back. The five strategies here can get you back on track – and get a stream of new customers headed your way.