Foreword
This is not an exhaustive or definitive list, there’s no end to learning and these pages will grow and change over time. Use it as a guide to help you get started on your journey of marketing. I hope it helps bring some clarity and simplification to your processes.
I want to make clear, there is nothing wrong or bad about marketing, it’s necessary and good! But there is a lot of mixed messaging, particularly in the language that’s used, that makes for icky feelings. Sell sell sell! The hard-sell, customer hooks, target your customer, persuade, tactics, hack etc. Read more about that here.
This guide aims to help you feel good about marketing.
For the sake of simplicity I won’t be delving into paid advertising, CTRs, CPCs, data analysis or anything else that requires a bit more complex thinking. I’ll try to provide the groundwork for you to explore those areas yourself, with a new-found pair of love lenses 🙂
Starting out
Like a tree is willing to bend, you too should prepare to be flexible. In the early days you will change and your business will change. So let go of any rigidity and embrace the freedom and scope that a willingness to bend gives you. Keep an open mind in terms of what you’re offering, it might not be what you originally planned for
Know your offering & craft your unique message around it
In order to know how to market, you should have a solid idea about what your offering is. It might (and probably will) change along the way, but it usually won’t be too far off from where you started, and your intention (to help) will likely remain the same.
If you’re still trying to figure out what you can offer, have a read of A tool to find your purpose.
Crafting a simple message which describes your business is a great place to start your marketing. Let’s use the example of a mobile hair dresser who caters for people who struggle with mobility.
Saying ‘I cut hair for people’ is too broad and it won’t speak to the people you’re trying to help. Let’s add more, by being more specific…
‘I cut and style hair for people in their homes, who really want to feel great but struggle getting to the salon.’
This simple one liner tells us 3 vital pieces of information:
– what you do ‘cut and style hair’
– who you do if for ‘people with mobility issues’
– what they will feel (they’ll feel great!)
A person reading this will know immediately if they’re in the right place. They will know whether you’re what they’re looking for without having to dig much deeper.
Over to you! I’ve created an easy tool where you can plug your own words into a sentence and see what you get as a starting point.
Who is your ideal customer?
AKA identifying your ideal customer. Not everybody needs what you have to offer, so getting clear on who you can help will really help you remain focused. It’s also SO MUCH easier to write in an engaging way to a specific audience over everyone in the whole world.
You might be thinking, ‘I’m a masseur, everyone gets tight muscles!’ or ‘I cut hair, everyone has hair…’ but not everyone would be the right fit. Appealing to everyone is too broad and will only lead to headaches.
If you’re already in business you probably have a clear picture of the kind of person suited to your service. If you haven’t yet had any clients/customers then you have to do some thinking.
Write it out
You might find this called a ‘customer persona’ or ’empathy map’. Basically it’s a description of the type of person who would be well suited to what you have to offer. Having this acts as a guide on how to tailor your messages and what kinds of topics you should post about on social media.
Personally, I’m not interested in adding gender, age, hobbies, what they’re thinking.. who they’re in love with etc! I like to keep things simple or my mind boggles.
For the following questions, I’ll write who I think my ideal customer is, as an example.
Who are they?
Individuals with their own business in the wellness industry.
What do they want?
Simple and practical ways to market their business so they can grow and thrive. Want to market ethically, without compromising their integrity.
What barriers do they need to overcome?
They don’t know much about marketing, maybe find all of the information overwhelming, don’t know where to start. They manage everything themselves in their business so have very little time to spare.
What motivates them?
Physical and mental wellbeing, helping others, honesty, transparency and ethical practices.
When you’re thinking about what to post on social media, or what to write about on your blog, referring to your ideal customer persona can really help you come up with ideas that remain relevant and interesting to the people that matter.
Here’s a printable version you can stick above your desk 🙂
Create a 1 page marketing plan
A marketing plan will help you to visualise what steps you can take to reach your goals. At the very least, it will keep you on the right track with your marketing efforts.
I like 1 page plans because anything more than that and I glaze over!
Let’s take a look at what it involves.