How much time are you spending working on your business?
Yes, I know, you’ve been busy working in the business – providing goods and services to your customers, managing the finances, possibly hiring some staff. The responsibilities of a small business owner are limitless.
Yet, it’s still vitally important for the future success of your business that you carve out time to effectively market your business.
I’m not talking oodles of time. Really. You can do it in as little as 15 minutes a day.
Let’s face it, most of us spend that amount of time surfing the ‘Net or reading celebrity gossip. So why not transfer that time into activities that will promote your business?
Like many small business owners – myself included – you’re probably so involved with the day-to-day functions of your business that marketing ends up as the last item on your dreadfully long to-do list.
You can keep marketing front of mind every day with these simple tips:
- Set your schedule
Social media is important for your brand, but it can be a time-wasting hub that, if left unchecked, sucks up all of your time. Even the busiest entrepreneur can set aside 15 minutes once a week for social media. The Facebook scheduling tool is perfect for selecting optimal days and times for posts. Services such as Hootsuite are great for scheduling on Twitter and LinkedIn. Scheduling allows you to set a few days or weeks’ worth of content at once without having to physically post when you would like your followers and fans to see it.
- Write it down
You need not be a professional writer to write about the goings on at your company. As new items or services are available, write a blog. Over lunch, make note of important information or up-and-coming things you’d like to share with your customers. Think about what you would tell a new customer and spin your thoughts into a 300-word blog post. Several 15-minute interludes and you should be well on your way to having some great new content to share on your Website, as well as social media.
- Survey the masses
As you travel down the road leading to new customers and increased sales consider asking those you’ve already met on the journey what they like (and don’t like) about your business. Do the products and services meet their needs? What else would they like to see? What do they think of your competitors? The answers may surprise you – and will surely guide you in the best direction. Take a few minutes and decompress from a challenging customer experience by recounting the lessons learned, complaints lodged and formulate questions to pave the way to finding out how your customers rate you. Surveymonkey.com is a great source to get started.
- Keep in touch
Use email marketing platforms such as Mail Chimp to communicate with your customers on an ongoing basis. A link to a recent blog post or special offer could serve as the bones for an email newsletter or shorter form email communication. It’s important to share regularly, not just during times when you might be pushing special offers or seeking new customers. Let your customers know that you care enough about them to keep in touch.
For more tips on how best to manage your time while marketing your business, call Theresa Katalinas at 215-519-8833 or email katalinascommunications@gmail.com.
