THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL

Sorry guys, there is NO MAGIC PILL when it comes to growing a BUSINESS. ??

BUT, there are some CLEVER STRATEGIES you may not know about. ??

With increasing competition, it gets harder and harder for small businesses to attract enough customers and stand out. ??????????

It’s one of the reasons why so many businesses are forced to close their doors within the first five years.

So, what’s the difference between fully-fledged killing it and saying goodbye to your business? ??

Every successful business has a smart marketing plan to attract the right people and get them interested in their products or services. ??

Unfortunately, so many business owners are completely clueless when it comes to marketing. ?????♂?

And some business owners avoid the topic at all costs, finding all kinds of excuses why marketing just isn’t for them (it costs too much, they don’t have time, their business is different…) ????

OR they’re “flying blind”, buying into any strategy that promises to be the solution to all of their problems only to find themselves wasting time and money on stuff that doesn’t work. ?

MOST BUSINESS OWNERS AREN’T BORN MARKETERS. But marketing is a skill that can be learned. ????

One of the issues most business owners face is that there is so much information out there. The daily flow of marketing podcasts, SEO blogs, and latest Instagram tips can be very overwhelming. ??

With so many available strategies and platforms, how do you stay up to date with what will work for your business? ??

HERE’S A TIP ??: Marketing isn’t meant to be annoying, sleazy or convincing. ?? The purpose of marketing is to be attractive, engaging and educational. ??

GOOD MARKETING presents your product or service as the RIGHT solution to the RIGHT person at the RIGHT time. ??

So how do I do ‘good marketing’?

?????? Here’s my #1 advice for business owners looking to improve their marketing results: Put together a simple marketing plan for 2020 to help you stay focused and aligned with your vision.

To help you get started with your planning, here are four things to ponder:

?? 1. Clarity on WHY Your Customers Come to You: This is the most important piece when it comes to creating not just good but outstanding marketing. Instead of talking about the features of your products or services, engage your audiences on an emotional level first.

Ask yourself: What do your customers really want?

For example: A meditation teacher doesn’t sell meditation courses, she sells having more focus, calm and clarity.

This will help you make your marketing so much more compelling and engaging for your target audience.

?? 2. Understanding Your Audience/s: The more you know and understand your ideal customer, the easier it will be to create marketing campaigns that actually work.

Ask yourself: Who would benefit most from your products or services? Where can you add the most value? What does the person you’d love to work with desire and what do they get frustrated about?

?? 3. Becoming ‘Talkaboutable’: With competition increasing, blending in doesn’t cut it anymore. You have to define your uniqueness and become ‘talkaboutable’ to get noticed.

Ask yourself: Why should someone choose to work with you or buy your product over your competitors. What differentiates you?

Here are some examples:

???♂?A hairdresser giving her clients a hand massage while they are getting their hair done.

?? An online retail store including a small surprise gift in the delivery box.

?? A restaurant offering free wine tasting evenings.

It doesn’t have to be big, the magic is in the details!

If you’re unsure about how to find your uniqueness, this post might be useful www./bit.ly/2P9Jaj1

?? 4. Choosing the Right Marketing Channels: Once you have clarity on the previous three elements, it all comes down to finding the right marketing channels.

Ask yourself: Where are your customers hanging out? Are they on social media? Do they belong to an association? Do they read a specific magazine or watch a show? Do they listen to podcasts?

?? This is a great start for your 2020 plans! Going through the four parts above will support you in choosing the right words to speak to your prospects and tap into their emotions. You will also get much better at articulating why someone should choose your product or service over your competitor.

We’ve been lucky to mentor thousands of brilliant businesses owners around the world over the last decade and having a proper marketing strategy has yielded in some incredible results. For example...

… a law practice that quadrupled their business in less than 2 years.

… an event company that increased their conversion rate from 5% of enquiries in one year to 50% in the next.

… A training organisation that increased its revenue by 25% in the first month of working together.

Here at Basic Bananas we use a specific template to map out our marketing plan every quarter and believe it or not, it fits on one page! ????

It’s a slightly different approach to the conventional marketing planning methods you find in textbooks and IT WORKS! ??

I’d love to share it with you, in person, at our upcoming half-day marketing workshop for small business owners.

Would you like to join us at this session where we’ll use our one-page planning template to map out your marketing for the next 90 days together?

If so, you can book your seat here: ?? www.basicbananas.com/australia

We'll be back in these cities soon: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra.

I’d love to see you there! Let’s do this 2020! ??????