3 Simple Marketing Tips

(That Small Businesses Often Forget)

Do you have a product or service you are working to sell? Maybe you are wanting more people to take an interest in your biz and you’re not sure what next steps to take next. When it comes to connecting with customers, I notice time and time again how many small businesses skip right over the essentials of marketing and jump straight to more intricate strategies for appeal. But marketing doesn’t need to get fancy or complicated to win over new customers– the best idea is to start with the basics and build up from there.  

At its core, good marketing consistently addresses these three questions:

WHAT? WHY? WHERE?

WHAT— 

What are you selling?

Have you ever experienced the frustration of coming across someone’s biz page and can’t seem to figure out what they are actually selling? You’re drawn in, you love what the seller has got visually going on but for the life of you can’t figure out what it is they are actually selling. This seller has a problem. One you don’t want to have. Even if you completely adore their content, and the message they represent, they ultimately won’t make a sale from you if you don’t know what it is they are offering.

In every business the WHAT message needs to be clear. It should be apparent from the moment a person lands on your social media and web pages what the specific goodness is that you are offering the world. How to do that? Include a simple description of what you sell in your bio, say it throughout your posts, have it stated at the top of your website. The message of what you bring to the table needs to be clear, concise and apparent at all times to visitors and returnees.

WHY— 

Why would people want it/need it?

This is another key element that so many small businesses skip over. You want to let people know why what you are selling is so great— why they would want it for themselves. If you can’t onboard your customer, then you won’t see a return from their visit.

What does sharing this look like? If it’s a food product you are selling then explain the health benefits, share about its unique elements or flavours, give ideas and recipes for ways to use it. If it is handmade home decor items, then the why might be conveyed with images showing ways to display it, inspiration around how it was made, materials used and interesting aspects. Share testimonials, inspiration, and personal anecdotes of how it can bring joy or fit a certain lifestyle. The same ideas apply for selling services. You want to be always aware and looking for new ways to connect what you do to being valuable and relevant for somebody else.

The thing is, you likely already see the incredible value of what you are selling, but others may not yet. So you will have to tell them about it. Highlighting the WHY in your messaging (in your social media posts, in talking about it, with advertising, on your website) encourages potential customers to begin to see what you see— how amazing your product or service really is!    

WHERE—

Where can they get it?

This is the clincher— that final and pivotal key to turning a sale. At this point, the customer has seen what you sell and is compelled by the why to purchase it, but if he can’t figure out where to go to actually complete the sale– then the whole thing ends in a bust and he’ll still end up walking away. You don’t want to make that mistake.

Always make buying simple and easy for visitors. Have the links to your shop or website clear and prominent on your social media pages. Direct visitors where to shop in your posts or emails (use phrases like ‘click link in profile to purchase’ or ‘head over to our website’ in your posts and messages, use active links and ‘buy now’ buttons on your website and emails). The goal is to quickly and easily direct people where to go to make their purchases. 

The truth is, in today’s digital world people won’t waste their time fiddling around and trying to figure out how to obtain something. If it isn’t easy and direct to connect with, they’ll lose interest and click away instead to the next guy. You as a biz owner have to do as much of the work for them as you can– making buying from you simple, clear, inviting, and as streamlined a process as possible. Consider it digital customer service.

Again,

GOOD MARKETING ULTIMATELY ANSWERS THESE THREE QUESTIONS:

WHAT great thing you are selling? 

WHY they would want it/need it? 

WHERE they can go to get it right now for themselves?

Good luck and happy marketing!