What are you saying?
I hear a lot of people say that they don’t have time to worry too much about what their website and marketing products are saying or how they are saying it, because they’re too busy doing – that’s to say, they are to busy delivering the great products or services that their company provides. And I completely get that. The marketing side of things often only really comes to the fore if and when the work dries up – and even then, a lot of small business are more likely to reach for the flier than the digital copywriter.
But here are three reasons why you should consider turning your attention to where, when and how you are talking to the world about your business as well as continuing to do a great job of actually doing your business.
Where are you?
I completely understand that the flier through the door, the poster in the local shop, or the small ad in the local press is a safe stomping ground for many small and local business. But ask yourself this question: the last time you needed a (window cleaner/ car service / new gym / gift….) did you reach for the local paper or did you ask Google? I think I know the answer. And even if I’m wrong about you personally, the statistics clearly show that Google is now the go-to for finding local products and services. So you need to make sure that you are there in Google, showing up, with a clean, smart and effectively functioning site, talking the talk to reel in new customers.
2.When are you talking to your audience?
Maintaining work-flow when you’re a small business can be a challenge. In fact, it is THE challenge. So it’s really important that you stay ahead of the curve here and make sure that your marketing is constantly and actively working for you at all times and isn’t just something that you switch on when times are tough. Fruitful digital marketing is reliant on the cumulative effects of a sustained, active and positive presence online and that means putting something in place that works really well and maintaining it pretty regularly to make sure that you have the best chance of ensuring things don’t slow down in the first place. In digital marketing, prevention is better than cure.
3. How are you talking to them?
And finally. So let’s assume you’re showing up in all the right places, at all the timely times, now it’s time to make sure that what you are saying is packing the best marketing punch possible. For every heading, paragraph and description on your website ask yourself this question: “What is the point that I need to make here?” Perhaps the point is “I’m summing up what I can do” or “I’m letting the potential customer know why we’re the best” or “I’m explaining how we can make a customers life easier”, or even “I’m showing the customer that I am an expert at this”. There should be an answer for every utterance on your site. If you can’t answer this question easily, then consider whether you should remove or re-word that particular section. Every word should be aiming to deliver clarity and paint the picture of a professional service in order to be truly effective.