…doing the same thing everyone else is doing!
If you are struggling or if you’re looking for a few ways to improve your local marketing, Here are five actionable steps to propel your business into the limelight and set you apart from the competition:
1. You are the difference.
Think about your favorite local spot – what keeps you coming back? Chances are, it’s the personal connection, the friendly faces. Even if there were a cheaper place to go, you’d still choose them because you like them.
Now, why would that be any different for your business?
Whether you want to be the face of your business or not doesn’t matter. It’s your personal brand and the people behind the business that truly sell the products or services. You undoubtedly have plenty of competitors, and what makes your business stand out is YOU! So many businesses want to ignore this fact, but it’s true. We’ve got more choices than ever for where we are going to spend money. And the biggest selling point is the people.
Take Action: Make a “behind the scenes” video or photo of you working today and post it on your favorite social media channel. Add a caption in there about something you tell your clients to do that you yourself have trouble doing. Here is an example of mine.
2. Are you telling stories?
Old sales pitches don’t cut it.
Nobody wants to be sold to anymore. People are tired of it. It’s everywhere. We see almost as many social media ads as photos of our friends.
But since the dawn of FOREVER, stories have been told, and they never go out of style.
Take Action: Here are two simple stories to share about your business on social media right now.
#1 Tell us why you started your business. What was happening that really made you mad enough in your field to make you want to change it and be the difference? Type it out and include a unique photo of you or your business, or just be a “talking head” on video.
#2 What is the internal problem you help your potential client/customer solve by choosing to work with you? (For example, if you mow lawns, the external problem you are solving is they need their grass shorter. The internal problem you are solving is giving them more time to spend with their kids. They get an entire afternoon back since they don’t have to mow and trim!)
3. Are you “stopping the scroll” (or the page flip if you’re advertising in a magazine)?
Gone are the days when a photo of you or your building or product is enough.
Stock photos…ewww. Just stop. It’s way overused, and you aren’t doing the same thing everyone does anymore. Right?!
It has to be eye-catching, obviously. I don’t mean that it’s just a “good” photo. Your photos should evoke that subtle head tilt – the universal sign of intrigue. You want folks to see and interact with your post or ad, so you have to give them a reason to.
Take Action: Be different.
That doesn’t mean you have to be funny or silly. Be you, but be different than your competitors. It could be something as simple as using an image that’s upside down. Put your camera in a work bag, take a video or photo as you open it up, and pull out your favorite “work tool” that helps you solve your client’s problem.
The possibilities are endless when you aim to be different!
4. Are you actually telling them what you want them to do?
If you take a look at your website, ad, or social media post, do you tell those who visit or see it what to do next or how to get in touch with you? Is all that information correct? Has it been updated, and is there a clear, unmistakable call to action?
Take action – Updating your Google My Business page is important for local marketing. I’m sure Google has made changes since you last visited it. Make sure there’s a button to buy from or book you visible as soon as you log onto your website. If you don’t have one…holy moly, fill out that form below and let me help you! If you’re an online-based business, update your social media information with a distinct call to action.
5. Are you visible in the same places your ideal clients are?
Have you ever heard people complain about how someone got a part in a movie or a job because they had a connection?
Duh! Of course, you have. Let’s not try to pretend that’s not how the world works.
It’s not about what you know but who you know. In-person connections are still very crucial to business.
Take Action: Find two places your ideal customer would hang out and put it on your calendar to visit or join. I’m not talking about stopping in and trying to sell them something. That’s cringy. Your goal should be to make a few connections.
Sponsor a small local group event that contains your ideal client, and then SHOW UP and NETWORK. Don’t sell, network. It’s a dirty word, but it works!
BONUS! Are you sitting back, whining, and complaining that no one supports your business? {Whomp Whomp…}
If you have a good product or service and you market it, people will buy.
You are an expert at the service you offer. You are not an expert in marketing, so are you asking someone who is?
Not your cousin Jill or your best friend Bob (unless Jill and Bob own a marketing business, that is). I mean the actual experts.
You don’t know what you don’t know, and sometimes, it’s hard to step out of your own head and see past what you know and LOVE about what you do. Let someone else help you see where the issues lie.
Take Action: So… ASK ME! – send me a message right through this form, and if I can’t help you, I promise I’ll connect you with someone who can!
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