When sales slow down, one of the first things many business owners say is:
“We need more marketing.”
So they post more often.
Run an advertisement.
Start a social media campaign.
Send an email.
Redesign the website.
Maybe even hire a marketing agency.
But after all that activity, the results don’t necessarily improve.
Why?
Because more marketing isn’t automatically better marketing.
Before increasing your marketing activity, you need to understand whether your overall marketing system is actually working.
Marketing Is a System
Effective marketing starts long before someone sees your advertisement.
The process looks more like:
Right Customer
↓
Right Problem
↓
Right Message
↓
Right Offer
↓
Right Channel
↓
Lead
↓
Sales Process
↓
Customer
↓
Retention
↓
Referral
If one part of the system is weak, increasing activity elsewhere may not solve the problem.
Step 1 — Know Who You’re Trying to Reach
One of the most common small business marketing mistakes is trying to appeal to everyone.
Your ideal customer should be clearly defined.
Ask:
Who gets the most value from what we offer?
Which customers are most profitable?
Which customers are easiest to serve?
Which customers stay longest?
Which customers refer others?
What problem are they trying to solve?
The more clearly you understand your customer, the more relevant your marketing can become.
Step 2 — Know the Problem You Solve
Customers don’t generally buy products because businesses want to sell them.
They buy because they want a problem solved or an outcome achieved.
Instead of focusing only on:
“We provide accounting services.”
You might focus on:
“We help small business owners understand their numbers and make better financial decisions.”
The second message speaks to the customer’s problem.
Step 3 — Have a Clear Value Proposition
Your potential customer should be able to understand:
Who you help
What you help them achieve
How you are different
Why they should believe you
If they have to read six paragraphs to understand what you do, your messaging probably needs work.
Step 4 — Don’t Confuse Activity With Results
You can measure:
Followers
Likes
Impressions
Website visitors
Email opens
But those aren’t necessarily the numbers that pay your bills.
More useful measures might include:
Leads
Qualified leads
Sales conversations
Conversion rate
Customer acquisition cost
Average customer value
Repeat purchases
Referral rate
Marketing-generated revenue
Marketing needs to connect activity to commercial outcomes.
Step 5 — Build a Customer Journey
What happens after someone discovers you?
For example:
Social media
↓
Website
↓
Free guide
↓
↓
Business Health Check
↓
Consultation
↓
Client
That is a marketing funnel.
Your business doesn’t necessarily need a complicated funnel.
It needs a logical journey.
Step 6 — Follow Up
Many potential customers don’t buy the first time they encounter a business.
They need:
More information
Trust
Proof
Time
Answers
Follow-up
A simple email nurture sequence can turn an interested prospect into a future customer.
Don’t assume:
“They didn’t buy, so they’re not interested.”
Sometimes they simply weren’t ready yet.
Step 7 — Don’t Forget Existing Customers
Acquiring a new customer can be significantly more difficult than serving an existing one.
Consider:
Repeat business
Upselling
Cross-selling
Referrals
Reviews
Loyalty
Customer communication
Your existing customer base can be one of your most valuable marketing assets.
The Marketing Questions Every Small Business Should Ask
Ask yourself:
Do we know exactly who our ideal customer is?
Can we clearly explain the problem we solve?
Is our value proposition compelling?
Do we have a predictable source of leads?
Do we know which marketing activities generate leads?
Do we know our conversion rate?
Do we follow up consistently?
Do we have a customer retention strategy?
Do we generate referrals?
If you don’t know the answers, you may not have a marketing problem.
You may have a marketing measurement problem.
Three Things You Can Do This Week
1. Define your ideal customer.
Be specific.
2. Write down your customer journey.
From first discovering you to becoming a customer.
3. Identify your three most important marketing numbers.
For example:
Qualified leads
Conversion rate
Customer acquisition cost
Start measuring them.
Final Thought
Good marketing isn’t about being everywhere.
It’s about being relevant, visible and measurable to the right people.
Before spending more money on marketing, make sure the foundations are working.
Because if your message, offer, funnel or sales process is weak, more traffic may simply produce more wasted opportunities.
How healthy is your marketing?
Our Business Health Check assesses your marketing alongside the other three pillars so you can see where your business is strong and where there may be opportunities to improve.
[Take the Free Business Health Check →]