Ultimately our goal is to be remembered and called on when someone in our circles needs our services.
I’ll admit, I'm guilty of assuming a friend or family member is just gonna call me up and ask for brand or graphic design services because, duh, that's what I do! That is hardly the case. We do have to keep an active narrative of staying front of mind, and ensuring we are communicating clearly what we offer and what we are working on. If we don't mention it, people don't know about it.
For many of us, the services we offer are not something people need once a week, or heck, once a year -- maybe what you offer is like a wedding venue, and someone like you only needs you once and you need to drive referrals and stay front of mind for your social circles to share your name.
SO let me be upfront and say you don’t need a million dollar budget to have top of mind marketing.
A few things you could consider incorporating, and bonus if you can manage it all:
EMAIL MARKETING
I put this off for years, and after sparking this in my own businesses.. I have driven a direct line of communication to past clients and potential clients. It’s been said email marketing generates $38 for every $1 spent. It does take time to craft the written word, and some mental energy but don’t use that as an excuse. Even right now with this blog, batching is key. Spend a day a week and do emails. 2 hours of work and once you schedule you are locked in to reaching your people. Show up for this audience as a leader, share tips, myths, mistakes about your speciality. This is one of the best ways to help them remember you and the value you provide to your community and clients.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media seems like a no-brainer but honestly it works. Many customers find and vouch for their service providers and product owners on social media these days. Consumers stalk, and we need to put ourselves out there. Algorithms suck, and are ever changing. Don’t stress out hearing all the buzz of what you should be doing. Stay consistent and show up for your audience to rely on you. Perhaps it’s 2x a week, perhaps it’s 5x a week -- write your own social prescription RX and just stay consistent, if you skip, don’t take double, just take the next dose. And don’t forget to use partner tags on the photo/video, location tags and hashtags, it’s the best way for strangers to stumble onto your account and give you a follow.
LOYALTY OFFERINGS
Got a client who refers you often? Treat them, send them a card or some cookies -- or a quick email letting them know you appreciate them. Acquiring new customers can cost 5x more than existing customers (Huify). 65% of new business comes from referrals (Review 42) - say thank you!
BE THE PURSUER
If you build it, they won’t always come - and if you offer something you think everyone needs, it doesn't mean that’s the truth. I highly recommend thinking about relationship-driven marketing. How can you support and help others (Karma!) in your business journey? If you see a promotion or an awesome gig a peer had, congratulate them. If you meet someone new on a Zoom or in real life, do a followup and say it was nice to meet them. Don’t wait for others to reach out to you, make your own momentum.
FOLLOWUP
We all have room to improve our personal approaches to reconnecting with inquiries and hellos with social circles. In my client management software, I have notes with dates of when we last connected and weekly scheduled follow ups. There are many CRMs (Client Relation Management tools) out there that automate things like this, but the costs can add up -- you can always add calendar times so you don't forget easily.
If you feel like you could benefit from a one-on-one brand audit from me, I would love to have the opportunity to give you personalized feedback and strategic insight. Reach me at hello@kaleighwiese.com