Tracks 1-5: General
For any marketing plan, you need to understand who your Target Audience is. For a successful marketing plan, you need to have an understanding of who your Ideal Client is inside of that Target Audience! Learn how to Communicate with Your Ideal Client here.
Once you know what your Ideal Client likes, you can design your company’s brand with them in mind. Branding is about more than your favorite colors: it’s about communication! Contrary to the popular saying, people do judge books by their covers, so you may as well make your company’s cover appealing. Learn about Your Business’s Visual Signature here.
When it comes to planning your marketing strategy, a Roadmap can be a game-changer. It helps keep you organized and gives you a way to easily see what comes next. A Roadmap also makes it easier to use Content Marketing strategies, which help you reach more people with less effort. Learn Why You Need a Roadmap here and The Benefits of Content Marketing here.
Our final tip for all small business owners is to work with professionals. Out of all people, we small business owners know how hard it is to do everything ourselves, especially since we may not have the skills to do it all well! Imagine how much time you would have to do what you love if someone took a daunting task off of your plate? Plus, bringing others in to help you get off to a good start helps you build your community. Learn about The Benefits of Working with Professionals here.
Tracks 6-9: Social Media
A big part of the advice we give and the work we do involves social media. In order to create a successful social media strategy, you need to understand the purpose the platforms serve! Social media can feel like a waste of time, but if that’s how you approach your strategy you’re not going to get results. Learn Social Media’s Real Purpose here.
Many small business owners believe they can make progress and increase their page’s engagement just by posting consistently, no matter what their posts’ content is. Then they get confused when they don’t see results. This can be a result of posting nothing but sales. Selling on Social Media Isn’t Enough. Read our blog to learn what to do instead.
Once you know how people - and brands - interact with social media, you can start building your strategy! There can be a lot to consider even after you learn about your Ideal Client and where they’re spending their time, so we created an Ultimate Guide to help you create your plan. Pair this with a Roadmap and a Content Marketing strategy and you’ll be golden!
It’s important to remember, especially if you’re relying on organic, non-paid content, that posting alone won’t get you results. Even consistent, quality content will not guarantee any improvement on your engagement rates or follower count. The fact is, the algorithm is not your friend and it was never meant to be. You need to include real-life action in your social media strategy. Learn more about The Harsh Truth here.
Tracks 10-13: Networking
One often-overlooked tool in any marketing strategy is networking. We love networking, which is why we’ve created groups all over the Portland area to help members build relationships! Speaking of relationships: that’s what networking is all about. Beyond handshakes and business cards, networking helps people build lasting bonds. Learn how here.
Did you know you can network online? No, we’re not talking about the Chamber of Commerce meeting that got moved to Zoom. Networking in-person has many benefits, but taking those same skills to the world wide web can help you reach new audiences (sometimes more specific to your location), build even more relationships, and bring new attention to your brand! Learn how to give those Digital Handshakes here.
If you’re an introvert, you know how difficult networking can be. Small talk can be really taxing, especially if your social battery is drained! Extroverts, whether they know it or not, can also have a hard time with networking, but for different reasons. Networking can be difficult for anyone. What’s important to remember is that no matter who you are, you can be successful at networking! Check out our tips for Introverts AND Extroverts here.
Speed Networking is a big genre of networking that usually has its own separate, planned events. They’re designed to create opportunities for quick, meaningful conversations that help you expand your network. But with only a few minutes to make an impression, it’s easy to be intimidated. Learn how to Thrive at Your Next Speed Networking Event here.
Encore!
We know you loved our Greatest Hits for the foundations of any small business marketing plan, so we prepared an encore for you! Check out AI Isn't Bad, but AI Isn't You, The Power of Online Reviews, and the Secrets of SEO.
As the year winds down, it’s the perfect time to reflect on your marketing wins and plan for the year ahead. We’re hoping our Greatest Hits collection will inspire your next steps and create success in the coming year. Whether you’re looking to fine-tune strategies or try something new, check out our website to see how we can help you! We have more blogs covering topics even deeper than what we’ve listed here (like advice on specific social media platforms), free worksheets, networking groups to help you build your community, or we can help you one-on-one when you schedule a consultation. From foundations to small details, we’re here for you!
