When I launched my Free Personalised Marketing Review, I wasn’t sure what people would ask.
I wondered if I’d be answering questions about TikTok, AI or which email marketing platform they should be using. Instead, the questions that arrived in my inbox were much more interesting.
They weren’t really about social media at all. They were about how to make marketing work for their businesses.
There were a few themes that came up again and again.
How do I market to different audiences without confusing everyone?
This question popped into my inbox more than once. One business was trying to speak to schools, professional services, charities and networking members. Another had residential customers for one service and commercial customers for another.
This is a really common challenge.
The first question I ask in these cases is: which audience do you want more of?
So where does your profit come from? Which customers do you want to attract over the next 12 months? If you had more enquiries tomorrow, which ones would you be hoping for?
Once that’s clear, it’s much easier to decide where to spend your time and energy.
LinkedIn might be a priority for one audience, while Facebook works better for another. email marketing, lead magnets, networking and follow up might become much more important than posting on every social platform.
The marketing becomes clearer because the business objective is clearer.
And what about the rest of the audiences? I’m not saying ignore them, but I would say for you to focus on getting the marketing right for one target client first before moving on to the next.
How do I get more clients?
This is a BIG question and I’m probably not going to be able to answer it in a short marketing review.
There isn’t a single tactic that works for every business. I’d want to understand who you’re trying to attract, how people currently find you, what happens after someone enquires and where the biggest opportunities are before suggesting where to put your focus.
I always start by understanding the business before suggesting the marketing.
Which content is working?
Understanding social media insights and creating more content that generates enquiries rather than likes, is key when posting on platforms.
Your insights tell you which posts people are spending time on, sharing and interacting with. Rather than guessing what to post next, I’d start there.
Then I’d think about what happens after someone engages. Can you encourage a conversation? Would a tool like ManyChat help move people from being a follower to using a lead magnet and adding them to your email list? How can you help the person take the next step?
Is my marketing saying what I think it’s saying?
I got asked: “Is it clear what I do? I don’t really feel like I have a strategy.”
I’d start by asking what they’re trying to achieve. Then I’d look at the content they’re already putting out and group it into themes. Are those themes supporting the business goals? Or are they pulling people in different directions?
I’d also be looking at everything someone sees when they discover the business for the first time.
Does the LinkedIn profile match the website? Does the website explain what you do? Does the brand reflect where the business is today?
And are you repeating the messages that matter? Most people won’t see every post you publish.
Why does my marketing feel like it’s not getting anywhere?
This question came from someone who had already created a lead magnet and a monthly offer, but still felt like nothing was happening.
My first instinct is to look at the bigger picture.
In this particular case there are two very different businesses with very similar names being run by the same person, which could easily confuse potential customers.
I’d also suggest they look at where they were networking, who they were meeting, how they were following those conversations up afterwards and whether they were putting themselves in front of the right people in the first place.
It’s all about priorities
Looking back at these questions, people need guiding on their priorities. They need clarity to understand their customers and they need to know where to spend their time and money.
That is what strategic marketing is.
It’s also why I enjoy working in marketing consulting for small businesses. Every business is different, so the answer is rarely a generic marketing tip. It’s about taking a minute, asking the right questions and finding an approach that fits each particular business.
That’s what a good small business marketing consultancy should do.
Got a question of your own?
If reading this has made you think, “Actually, I’ve got a question like that,” then I’d love to hear it.
That’s exactly why I created the Free Personalised Marketing Review.
You tell me what’s on your mind, I’ll spend some time looking at your business and send you a personalised video with where I’d start.
Sometimes, the answer to one good question is all you need to get your marketing going again.
