Hello! This month, we welcome a guest writer, Meg Brown of Miss MegaBug,LLC. Since this month's newsletter will be covering HSA's, which we know can be a bit dry, Miss MegaBug is here to give us another perspective on how we can help our businesses Thrive! - Ryan
By Meg Brown of Miss MegaBug, LLC
Whether you’re a newbie entrepreneur or a business veteran, marketing can be confusing and downright overwhelming.
“How often should I post?” “Do I really need to be on TikTok?” “How much should I spend on advertising?” And where should you even begin?
Take a deep breath - we’re going to break this down step-by-step. (And I promise I won’t badger you to post an Instagram reel 4-7 times a week. We don’t do unrealistic marketing strategies here.)
Step 1: Determine your target market
Your target market is the particular group that your offers (products/services) are geared towards.
Many business owners find it helpful to create an ideal customer profile that details the demographics (age, gender, marital status/children, income range, if they live in an urban/suburban/urban setting, etc.) as well as their qualities, such as their favorite media, daily routines, and dreams.
Don’t be afraid to be specific and niche down.
You could also create an ideal customer avatar complete with a name. The point is to know your customer inside and out. This allows you to connect with them, understand (and solve) their pain points, and determine which marketing platforms you should be on.
Step 2: Pick your platforms
Before the digital age, marketing was pretty much advertising, public relations, and word-of-mouth.
Now there’s email, websites, and a plethora of social media outlets. And you don’t have to be on all of them.
Remember your target audience? You only have to be where they are. (So if baby boomers are the majority of your target audience, you can skip TikTok.)
I do recommend that all businesses have a website and an email newsletter. Email is actually more effective than social media and allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Step 3: Set your frequencies
There are marketing “gurus” out there who will tell you that you need to post multiple times a day and spend hours interacting on each platform.
I disagree.
Quality is more important than quantity, and consistency is the most important factor. It’s better to start with a slow, manageable frequency and be consistent than to post four times one week, seven times the next, and once the following week.
To determine a manageable frequency for each of your platforms create a list of all the platforms you’re going to use (blog, e-newsletter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) and write the frequency you plan on posting in the next column. If you plan on posting certain days, you can write them in a third column.
You can also create a duplicate page with your ideal frequencies. Start slow, and when you’re confident you can increase your frequency, then do so.
Psst! Here are five ways to save time on social media.
Feeling better, or do you just want to hire someone to manage your marketing for you?
I get it, but hiring out can actually take more time and lead to less of a connection with your audience. And connection is essential when a potential customer is comparing you to a competitor.
Bonus: How much should I spend on marketing?
Marketing is essential for growing your business, and now it’s easier than ever. That’s why I recommend businesses take advantage of free marketing channels before diving into advertising – especially Facebook and Google ads.
It can be tempting to boost a Facebook post to grow its reach, but only do so if your post is promoting a timely offer, like a sale or upcoming event.
Whatever money you do spend on marketing and advertising, be sure to keep track of it and save your invoices. You can write these expenses off and reduce your tax liability!
While creating an effective marketing strategy can feel like throwing darts, going in with a plan and tweaking it as necessary will help you hit that bull’s eye.
About Meg Brown
Hi there! I’m Meg. I believe that you have what it takes to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true- and am here to help!
I teach online business and marketing courses for solopreneurs who are overwhelmed trying to start or grow their businesses. Take a look at my Marketing 101 course. It dives deeper into the topics covered in this blog post!