Marketing Makeover

By Drue Lawlor, FASID
Director of Coaching at Gail Doby Coaching & Consulting
Photo Credit-@bakerbroductions

“Marketing is a contest for people’s attention.” ~Seth Godin

It’s a brand new year and the perfect time to look back at 2018, evaluate your marketing plan – what was successful and worth repeating as well as what may need a marketing makeover!

Ask yourself a few questions first to have clarity about your business before you start that makeover.

Do you know what you want? If you haven’t mapped out a plan then your marketing efforts may not help your business.
What is your message? If your message is confusing, then your marketing will probably fail.

Who are your ideal clients? If you don’t know your target audience and where to find them, then you will waste time and money building relationships that won’t increase your business success.

And finally, are your messages consistent? Does everything that comes out of your firm communicate a consistent brand message.  Now it’s time to focus on how to reach your ideal clients to share this newly remodeled brand. Remember rather than thinking about how you can “sell” your prospective clients, think instead of what you have to offer that can help them.

Invite a few existing ideal clients to lunch, wine, coffee, etc., tell them you value their opinion and want to be sure you are marketing to clients like them – and would they be willing to help you brainstorm ways to do that. Often people are complimented that you would ask for their input. Have an agenda, as people appreciate those who value their time. Have some possible ideas already on your list to start the conversation and brainstorm ideas to reach similar clients. Don’t forget to add asking for referrals!

Partner with a business with similar ideal clients to share an event (real estate firm, financial advisors, etc.) – with a purpose and that is results oriented – so that you are able to capture their contact information.

Partner with a non-profit that both you and your ideal clients support and have an event to benefit that group. Or gather a group of individual artists, partner with a wine expert and combine the two to create an event.

And remember, for any event you produce or are part of, you want to be able to showcase what you do – you might incorporate vignettes at the site of the event – a cozy reading corner, an intimate dining area, an amazing pet corner, etc. Or, the latest colors/fabrics/finishes, etc.

You also want to capture the contact information of those attending these events, so you might include several events a year in your marketing plan and if they share your contact information with you, you will keep them informed of upcoming events – as well as add them to your email list for other design news.

As a final point, remember that your brand and marketing makeover includes your website and the face of your business on social media – make sure you are easily recognizable for your brand in every area of your business.

Brand consistency is essential for catapulting your business into the limelight.