To create a small business marketing strategy you need to know your values, be familiar with the customer journey, and the categories of customers. Your content will be determined by these three things.
Are you ready to create a small business marketing strategy that will convert potential clients to paying clients?
What needs to be at the core of your small business marketing strategy?
Marketing is not linear, and you need to decide what works for you. As a result, Nicky created the 360-degree marketing program. Her method has 9 modules, but all nine do not apply to everyone. Individuals should choose three of the 9 for their marketing strategy, the three that work best for them. And note, these are essentials of marketing, not fluffy tactics.
For example, a younger business is wise to choose these three:
- Business authority and point of view – what can you say about your business that is true and aligned with your values?
- A diagram that explains your business.
- Understanding of your customers so you can map them to your business.
When you think of success, think of what success means to you. Success means different things to different people.
Read about the 4 Ps of Marketing.
Your values and marketing your business.
Ask yourself what. . .
- are my values.
- is my purpose.
- is the hill I’m willing to die on – things I won’t accept?
When you aren’t aligned with your values, you aren’t going to feel fulfilled, and you aren’t going to be able to serve your clients the way they want to be served.
Discover your values.
Website for James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.
Review a list of core values and choose 3 to 5 that you are not willing to waiver on. These will become the core of your marketing strategy, messaging, and communicating what differentiates you in the marketplace.
When deciding on your values, Nicky suggested putting them in sentences and adding a verb.
For example:
- Which means that I . . .
- We demonstrate this in our business by . . .
Don’t choose values that anyone could add “UN” in front of. For example, unreliable or untrustworthy.
Your values are more than a list of words on a wall. Express how you embody them day-to-day in your business. Your values should shine through all you do and say, live them.
You should demonstrate your values in your marketing plan content, on sales calls, etc.
To create a small business marketing strategy you must understand the customer journey
Be aware of where people are on their customer journey. Know what you do at each point of their journey.
Customers need to go from not really knowing you to being nurtured by you, to a willingness to engage with you.
Two parts to the customer journey
Your content strategy is part of your marketing plan.
The first part of this journey is education. And this is not about you. Educate your customers that this market exists and that you are aware of the problem they have and that there is a solution for them.
The second part of this journey is differentiation. Differentiate yourself from everyone else in the market. Your unique personal brand is the foundation of differentiating yourself.
Education, awareness, and differentiation, and being there when they are ready to buy. These will help you stand out online.
If no one has heard of you, they won’t buy from you. And if you haven’t marketed yourself and they don’t understand how you solve a problem for them, they still aren’t going to buy from you.
Customers fall into 4 categories
- Yes – sell them lots of stuff
- Don’t know – educate them
- Maybe – differentiate for them
- No – don’t waste your time
It truly is about the customer and the perception they have of you (personal brand) and how they feel once they come into your community.
You are not going to be a fit for everyone who comes into your community, and they are not all for you.
Your goal with marketing is to build relationships to build trust because trust determines buying practices. You do this through differentiation.
Marketing is about transformation
Nicky emphasized it is also about a transformation. What is the transformation you are taking your customer on – what will they experience after having you in their life, that they couldn’t do before? You can then link this to currency – time, money, and stress. For example, you’ll have more of this and less of that.
A small business marketing strategy always goes back to relationships and trust.
Success is what you determine your success to be. You see so much bro marketing, but at the end of the day, success can be helping people achieve results and make an impact. It isn’t always tied to large amounts of money.
Operate in your sphere of integrity and zone of genius. And operate in a sphere of abundance. You can share wisdom and ideas – they are the only things you can give away for free that you get to keep. The more you give, the more you get.
Only do the marketing activities that feel good to you. But sometimes you do have to step out of your comfort zone, for example, creating videos. Stretch your comfort zone but don’t break it. If you break it, you won’t continue doing it or be consistent.
Do what works with your own skill set but keep in mind you are focused on your customers and where they will see your content.
There is so much more to digital marketing than social media. Nicky and Robyn both prefer LinkedIn.
Go where your people are and give them what they need by differentiating yourself so that they see that you are the one who can help you.
Nicky likes to ask people to reflect on what she’s said. Doing this will give you insight as to whether your content is resonating as well as give you the voice of the customer.
Marketing is a state of mind.
About Nicky Dibben
Nicky is the founder of Invention Marketing and the creator of 360-degree marketing. She is a CEO advisor and CMO in one. She works with companies of all sizes, especially CEOs of tech companies.
