You’re not going to suddenly arrive at the point where “everybody knows your name.” Those days, if they ever truly existed at all, all long gone. In the golden days of word-of-mouth advertising before glossy magazines and shiny billboards, businesses relied on providing stellar service so that all who passed through your hallowed doors would, in turn, go on and wax lyrical about fabulous you are.
Fast word a century or so and now, now it’s all about being visible, engaging, contactable, reachable. The hashtag’s power is undoubtedly one of the simplest but most far-reaching marketing gimmicks to have hit the online stage in a long time. (although make no mistake, if you know how to use this nifty little gadget well, you can thoroughly monitor online “noise” around your brand or promotion).
But with so many different and exciting ways to manage your business’s marketing exploits both terrestrially and online, how do you know when you’re doing it well and when is it time for an overhaul?
You don’t have a mobile-ready website.
This is an absolute no-brainer for many of us, but if you’re not wired that way, you won’t know that you need a particular application to make your website make sense for mobile phones – the process isn’t automatic. If this is you – you’re missing out on a significant potential slice of the pie.
Marketing is a contest for people’s attention – Seth Godin
This means that if your internet traffic is “stable,” – it’s not good enough, and you need to work on increasing your exposure. Companies like WEBX360 can offer exciting options.
You’re getting views but no “likes” on your posts and social media platforms.
Social media marketing is a highly integral part of your marketing function. If you’re not converting traffic on your website or social media sites into sales, it’s time to figure out why because you’re losing money – big time.
You’re receiving traffic, but from one channel only.
The online marketplace is exciting and innovative, but it can at times be highly erratic as well. This means that your other channels or online platforms have run dry or have reached their peak based on where they’re at. When this happens, it’s time to overhaul your communications processes and reposition your brand online. Consumers are easily lured away with promises of the latest, brightest and best. Although the price is always a consideration, these days it’s more down to who can offer the most incredible experience?
Your sales leads have dried down, and you’re mining more business from existing clients than new ones.
This is a common problem that most small businesses will run into at some stage of their development. Your sales team has worked hard to build up a network of clients and service providers, and now they’re spending all of their time focusing on what they have to keep their business instead of sourcing new revenue streams. It’s time to shift your focus back to new business and to expand accordingly, and this includes adjusting your “living” marketing document as well.
