Every month I make sure I create time to review my marketing activity and monitor the progress of my mission to help 1,000 businesses.
During April I helped 5 new businesses bring my total to 292 businesses helped. I know what you are thinking… only 5? Five sounds like a low number when there’s still 708 to go and only 8 months of the year left! But this month I have been focusing my activities on servicing my existing clients and converting some potential customers. (I can’t say too much about them but there are some exciting proposals in the works.)
Attract. Convert. Keep.
I’m content with 5 because there is more to marketing than reaching new people. We know how important it is to retain customers – bringing 5 new customers on board but losing 10 existing customers through neglect is not a scenario we want to experience in our businesses. It also costs between 3 and 20 times more (depending on which study you read) to bring in a new customer than it does to keep an existing customer.
I’ve been working on some enjoyable projects like launching Klaxon Media’s new website with a fantastic video competition – you could win a 1 minute video to promote your business - just head over to klaxonmedia.com/blog to enter.
Marketing Pipeline
It can be a tricky balancing act because it is all too easy to neglect marketing during peak times in your business. Especially if you offer a one to one service and you feel like you don’t need the extra customers coming in... But once the marketing dries up so does the pipeline. Once that rush dies down or that one big project comes to an end then the pipeline is empty. You have no enquiries or expressions of interest to follow up. No warm leads to nurture and convert into a customer. You have to go back out on the hunt of cold targets.
Which is why it is always a good idea to have some marketing activities in operation whether it’s a monthly email, a Facebook ad or face to face networking, these things help to keep you visible and front of mind.
My principal marketing efforts throughout April were focused on networking. Networking is a long game, not a quick fix. I don’t expect someone to hire me just because they met me earlier in the week. But it has been great for raising my profile, in addition to the being a guest speaker at the York Meet Up in May I’ve also been invited to be the guest speaker at two Networking Every Wednesday events, to give a marketing talk at the Greedy Wordsmith Birthday Roadshow and to be a marketing expert adviser at the Pocklington Pop Up Business Café. So I’m not too worried about that 5 because my opportunity pipeline is strong.
Find out where I’ll be networking and speaking in May here.
Marketing Planning
April for me was also about planning, budgeting and laying the foundations for the year ahead (my financial year starts in April). If you need help getting your head around budgeting download my annual review template and be first on the list to receive a copy of my Marketing Budget template next month.
