Finished Year 10? Here’s Why You’re Already a Pro Small Business Marketer.
Finished Year 10? Here’s Why You’re Already a Pro Small Business Marketer.
We’ve all had that feeling where we’ve sent out a flurry of emails, smashed out some posts on social media and done a live video or two only to hear - crickets. We put all this effort in, so what went wrong?
One of my favourite online marketers in the US - Tyler J McCall - put it so well when he says our marketing should reflect what we all learned in High School Science when it came to the Scientific Method:
Ask a question or state an observation
Conduct background research
Create a hypothesis
Test & experiment
Collect & Analyze data
Draw a conclusion that relates back to your initial hypothesis
How to apply the scientific method to your next marketing plan
When we set aside time to develop marketing material for our business, our thought process should follow a similar pathway. I’ll use one of my services, my Brain Dump Sessions, as an example:
Question or observation: What’s a common problem, goal or solution my target market is pursuing?
Example: many regional small business owners want to pursue marketing, but they can’t afford an ongoing marketing manager, nor can they afford to fall down a DIY Google rabbit hole. They just want to know where to start as it relates to their business. They have a lot of questions, and want to use their time as efficiently as possible.
Background research: What evidence do I have to support this?
Example: I’m getting a lot of clients asking me for broad spectrum help across social media, websites, print marketing and more. They don’t seem to be able to bear the costs of paying me as a marketing manager on retainer, but also struggle to find time to do things themselves.
Hypothesis: What marketable solution can I see for them?
My Brain Dump Session is a 45min paid session that gives me the opportunity to talk to them about their roadblocks, discuss goals, look at their current situation and even give them some quick on-the-spot wins. A paid session is better than a free consult because for me, I’ll be willing to offer quick & easy fixes that would actually fall in the category of paid work. And for them, they have money on the table and ‘skin in the game’ - those that are ready to do the work to grow their business will see the investment as worthwhile for getting answers.
Test & Experiment: How can I promote this service in a way that connects with those that need it most:
Example: I can do social media posts that talk about overwhelm in small business, to indicate I understand their situation on a personal level.
I can talk about the different ways a Brain Dump Session could be used:
An assessment of where they are now and where they could improve
A walkthrough of an app or software that could make their marketing simpler
A demonstration of a sales funnel and how it could be used in their business
I could communicate this information across blogs on my website, social media posts and live videos, talking about this concept from a range of different angles over a 30-90 day period. Note that not every post needs to be a direct sale - it’s mainly about using steps 1-3 as a topic or theme, and then creating content within that theme. You could mention the service you’re focusing on regularly, but not every time.
Collect & Analyse Data: How much engagement did this marketing content receive?
How many emails did I get asking about it?
Which posts seemed to get the most likes & comments?
Did I get any DM’s about it?
How many Brain Dump Sessions did I actually book?
Draw a Conclusion: Is a paid consultation with a marketing professional a good way for small business owners to get started in the right direction?
Did I sell enough Brain Dump Session to justify that they meet the needs of at least some members of my target audience?
What were the reactions like from those that purchased? Did they rebook or use it as a way to invest in other services I offer?
What feedback can I get from those that purchased - is there any way I could improve upon the experience?
By following this framework, you can create a 30-90 day plan for yourself (the longer the plan, the more time you have to gather results) that not only gives you a goal for the content you create, but also a topic or theme to help generate ideas as to what to say across your social platforms, emails and your website.
