Dee’s marketing blog: 2010 – Your year to make marketing happen

Dee Blick is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the world’s largest marketing body. She has 26 years’ marketing experience gained working with blue chip organisations and SMEs. Dee is the author of the bestselling book; Powerful Marketing on a Shoestring Budget for Small Businesses. In the last five years Dee has won six awards for her published work and has featured on the BBC as a marketing entrepreneur. Dee writes for a number of business publications and she is an active blogger and twitterer.

There’s no denying it, for many small businesses, 2010 will bring its fair share of challenges and opportunities. Whilst some businesses will struggle, many more will go on to achieve spectacular results. It’s time to put the doom and gloom behind us and to focus instead on growth. Here are six marketing on a shoestring tips to get you started.

1.     2010 is the year to push out of your comfort zone. Shrinking violets will not grab the spotlight and attract the attention of potential customers. What this means is that if you find yourself making statements such as; ‘I don’t do early-morning networking because I’m not very good first thing,’ or, ‘You wouldn’t get me speaking about my business in front of an audience’, then you should replace this with ‘I’m going to give it a good try’. Don’t assume that simply repeating last year’s marketing efforts will be enough this year.

2.     If you want to achieve marketing success without spending over the odds, then you must allow sufficient time to market your business. The principle behind marketing on a shoestring is that you invest your time, passion and energy instead of huge sums of cash. If you can start by devoting one day a month on marketing then you’re off to a good start. This could mean working at the weekends or in the evenings. Grab your diary. Book those marketing slots now.

3.     Find your inner creative. Invest in a flipchart pad and some colourful pens. Write down every idea that you have about marketing your business. Okay, you’re not going to commit to all of them, but when you allow yourself time to think creatively you will be amazed at the quality of your ideas. Find an armchair. Sit and daydream about your business.  A few weeks ago I found out that I’d won another award for an article where my inspiration for the content and the headline came when I was sitting in an armchair with a cup of tea…thinking.

4.     Be consistent and tenacious.  In both good times and challenging times you should be marketing your business and communicating to both your existing customers and potential ones. Results come in thick and fast when you commit to marketing for the long haul. Why? You’re building a pipeline.

5.     Don’t part with a penny on any marketing activity until you’ve done your sums. When offered an opportunity to market your business, through for example advertising, E-marketing or networking, ascertain how much it’s going to cost you, and how much business you will need to make it pay. If the figures staring back at you are pie in the sky, then saying no is the sensible conclusion.

6.     Before you start marketing your products or services to potential customers ask this question: ‘What are the real deep needs that I am satisfying and have they changed in the current economic climate?’ Always remember that people buy from you based on needs and your ability to satisfy them. Their needs may have changed in the last year. By asking this question, you can develop meaningful, relevant and powerful messages that will grab attention. Don’t second guess why people buy from you.

You can look inside a virtual copy of Dee’s book and read the 16 reader reviews on www.amazon.co.uk.

Click here to read our previous guest blog.

Tags: Advertising and Marketing, blog, Dee Blick, entrepreneur, marketingdonut, powerful marketing on a shoestring budget, small business, sme, success

Posted by Dee Blick on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 5:55 pm.

Filed under Feature, Features, SMEs, Starting a Business, Tagged as: , Advertising and Marketing, blog, Dee Blick, entrepreneur, marketingdonut, powerful marketing on a shoestring budget, small business, sme, success.