Autumn focus for marketing
I’ve back after summer and raring to go.
September is no doubt a busy and important one for so many business owners. I know it can be an overwhelming month with so much to catch up on, the transition to Autumn and winter and preparing for the year ahead so I thought I would share my six top tips to help prioritise your marketing for the month. I often get asked about priorities and one of the hardest things to decide as a business owner, is deciding what not to do.
Marketing encompasses so much and it’s so easy to go down a rabbit hole and spend your time in areas that will have a limited impact and instead focus on the more fun and creative elements.
So here are my top tips to help you prioritise tasks and set your marketing up for the rest of the year:
- Relook at your content plan and calendar for the rest of 2022 to check it is relevant and topical given the current economical climate. Tap into trending topics and cover pertinent topics that would help your prospective customers. For example, you could write blogs on cost saving measures, sustainability and trends for next year.
- Update your website to ensure it feels autumn/winter focused and again is relevant and up to date considering imagery, messaging and offers
- For those in business to business this is traditionally a busy and important time, look at any quick wins, particularly with existing clients. Consider referral programmes and cross-selling other products and services your clients may not be aware of - this is relevant to all businesses regardless of the sector you operate in. Increasing customer retention by just 5% can increase profits from 25 – 95%.
- Ensure you keep chasing for client testimonials and where possible, they are generated in Google. You don’t want a long gap with reviews, there needs to be a constant stream, so build this into your client programmes by automating. Aside from the huge credibility that reviews provide (customers are said to spend a third more if a business has a positive review), they are estimated to make up 10% of the ranking factors in Google.
- Start planning and executing any Christmas campaigns now. Read one of my most popular blogs 10 Christmas marketing ideas for some inspiration. Any festive campaigns should ideally be live in October.
- Lastly, there are a lot of grants available for small businesses, particularly for investment in sustainability, e-commerce and digital, so it is worth looking into these to see if you’re eligible. smallbusiness.co.uk have brilliantly captured 150 of the most relevant grants for small businesses.
Keep calm and carry on
Do not give up now. This is a critical time and a lot can still be achieved. Equally, don’t feel you can’t change or mix up your marketing at this point of the year. What is key is keeping the momentum going. Even if you decide to focus on one aspect of your marketing or a particular group of your customers.
If you would like a chat to discuss your marketing and creating a new plan for next year then please get in touch. Alternatively, browse through my 100+ free blogs on marketing planning for your small business.
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