Helpful tips on how you can find your feet after lockdown
Getting on Track After Coronavirus
Getting your small business up and running again after the lockdown can seem like a daunting task. It often feels like you’re starting over from ground zero when it comes to finding new customers and clients, but the good news is that it isn’t. There might be a lingering sense of hesitation in the air for a brief moment as we all emerge from our cocoons, but the reality is that the whole world is eager to get back to our normal lives, which means now is the prime time to up your marketing game to entice back your usual customers while simultaneously attracting all the new consumers that, due to lockdown, have –until now, been in their homes and computers to digitally “window shop.”
Marketing Audits
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by it all, the perfect way to get back into the swing of things and get your business back on an even better track than it was before the lockdown is through a marketing audit. Professional marketing agencies, like Peppermint, can assess where you are and, perhaps more importantly, where you can go to attract the best clients, discover opportunities you may have missed, and achieve the best return on investment.
Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
There are many ways marketing can attract and retain more clients but keep in mind that every business is different and that while some strategies work wonders for some, others aren’t worth the investment. That’s why we recommend speaking with us first. Like you, we want to see your marketing budget used in the most efficiently way possible, so that you can stop worrying about business economics and get back to doing what you do best. Our experts have the experience and know how across a range of industries to understand what works and what doesn’t -especially in times like these, and can get your business back on its feet faster, more efficiently, and with minimal stress.
Some of the strategies we might recommend are:
Facebook Advertising: A relatively easy and inexpensive way to boost your business is through Facebook ads. There’s a huge audience and plenty of potential to get your product viewed by the exact people that want it. Like all marketing strategies, though, there are good and better ways to accomplish this. Read more about five costly mistakes often made when advertising on Facebook (and how to avoid them) on our blog here.
Increase your Google ranking: With 77,000 searches happening on Google every second, there’s no better way to bring traffic to your website than through strong search engine optimization (SEO), or the process of improving your rank on search engines so that your company is seen first when people search for key words related to your product, service, or business. Successful SEO is achieved through a number of different strategies, which you can read about in more detail here, but the ultimate takeaway is that SEO is directly linked to the quality of your website and the content within it, so understanding your product, your client, and your goals are crucial to achieving this extremely important aspect of a digital marketing strategy.
Run a Coupon Deal: Hesitant customers sometimes need just a little extra push to get them through the door for the first time (or the first time after a while away). A great way to do this is through a coupon deal, that offers your product or service at a discounted rate, knowing that they’ll keep returning to you again and again later. Look into a coupon ad through Groupon or CoolDeals, which can be a great marketing investment, no matter what you’re selling since the experts there can not only office advice on the best coupon to offer depending on your customer but will push your business, product, or service through their marketing channels too.
Offer Staff Incentives: No one knows your product better that your staff. And a referral from a friend is the best form of advertising. So why not combine the two and provide your staff with an incentive such as paid time off, gift vouchers, charity donations, or other compensation to staff that can refer a new customer or client to you?
Hold a Photo Contest: Use the power of Instagram by running a photo contest! Let your followers get creative with how they feature your product in their own lives for a chance to win a great prize! It requires only a few seconds on your customer’s part, but you gain a host of organic advertising at a next to nothing price. Video contests and sweepstakes are variations on this marketing strategy that you could consider, too.
Loyalty Programmes: Rewarding your customers for their repeat business is a great way to tip the scales in your favour with them, especially when you’re up against a lot of competition. A bar for example, could offer a free pint after every 10 pints purchased. A kids play centre could offer a free entry after every five paid entries.
Creating Your Brand Identity
Keep in mind that for any of these marketing strategies (or any marketing strategy for that matter) to be as effective as possible, you need to first create a strong brand identity that you can use consistently across all your marketing channels. It should be a unique reflection of your business identity that inspires confidence in who you are and what you do. If you’re not sure how to achieve that, speak with our banding experts who would be happy to help.
Getting back on track after Coronavirus doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive!
Our team of experts can offer you the strategic help you need to develop your business, market your brand, and reach your target markets successfully and cost effectively.
Peppermint is a full-service creative design and digital marketing agency in Estepona (Marbella), Málaga that helps businesses build brand awareness and increase sales through integrated campaigns both on and offline. Our knowledgeable experts powered by imagination, creativity, and enthusiasm and have a track record of success across a range of industries and for businesses, small and large alike.