12 Ways to Up Your Marketing Game

Ok movers and shakers…this one’s for you

We’ve compiled a list of 12 quick and easy steps you can do to up your marketing game and start kicking those goals! Try implementing these ideas, perhaps one a month over the year or, if you’re keen just smash ‘em all out at once!

1. Spruce up your Website's SEO

Yes you can do this yourself and it's not as hard as you think!

One simple thing you can do today is jump in and make sure every single one of the images on your website is titled correctly (no IMG.0345.JPG will not do) and include extra keywords in the alt text box which should include your business name, location and more to help google find you!

Having SEO descriptions for each page of your website is crucial for optimising your online presence. These brief summaries appear in search results and provide a preview of your page's content. Well-written SEO descriptions with relevant keywords can improve your website's search engine visibility and attract more targeted traffic. Don't underestimate the impact of SEO descriptions in driving organic traffic and maximising your website's performance.

2. Plan your Social Media Content

Really Think About Your Content and Plan it at Least 1 Month in Advance.

No more posting on the fly people, plan what you want to say! And remember, quality over quantity, engaging over monotonous. Have fun with it!

To learn more about what to say on social media read this blog post.

Top tip

Use scheduling tools like Planoly or Later for Instagram and the scheduling tool in Facebook to pre-schedule all your content in one go!

3. Install the Facebook Pixel on Your Website

You know those ads that follow you around once you’ve visited a website? Well that’s because of this nifty thing the Facebook Pixel! Even if you’re not running ads yet, installing the pixel will build up your retargeting audience for future - its free and really not that hard. Give it a google.

4. Invest in Some Fresh Brand Photos

You really cannot put this off any longer and no iPhone snaps do not cut it sorry.

Plan what shots you need, think about what promotions or events you have coming up in the year and plan a key shot around this to use when you need it. With smart planning you can get over 12 months worth of content out of one branded shoot! 

5. Tweak, Refine and Refresh Your Branding

Great branding separates the good businesses from the great and over time, your great brand could be looking tired. Review your brand colours, are they consistent across all your touch points. Do they need a refresh? Do you love your logo? Could it do with some TLC?  

6. Step Away from the Boost Button!

Teach yourself a little bit about Facebook Advertising, enough to get you moving away from that little tempting boost button. If you’re not getting the results you hoped for on Facebook Ads, the boost button is why. 

7. Plan your Email Marketing 3 Months in Advance

Not sending emails? It's time to start! Email marketing is a goldmine, and if you haven't delved into it yet, you're already losing out on valuable leads. Email marketing is a powerful tool that allows you to directly communicate with your audience. It provides a personal touch, and with the right strategies in place, it can yield impressive results for your business.

Planning your email marketing campaigns in advance is a crucial step for success. By mapping out your email marketing strategy for the next three months, you can ensure consistency, relevance, and effectiveness in your messaging. This allows you to align your emails with your overall marketing goals, create compelling content, segment your audience, and schedule your campaigns strategically.

8. Audit your Customer Journey & Refine It

Planning your email marketing campaigns three months in advance is crucial for success, but it's equally important to audit and refine your customer journey.

Put yourself in your customers' shoes and identify any pain points or obstacles in their purchasing process. Streamline the customer journey by updating your website design, optimising forms or your checkout process, and enhancing the visual appeal of your emails and landing pages.

TOP TIP

Invest in some branded custom templates so every touch point with your customer is professional and a true indicator of what working with you is like. Unfortunately in today’s visual world, businesses and brands really are judged by their covers.

9. Create a Custom Audience in Facebook

Do this by uploading your customer database into Facebook and then target them with some Facebook ads - they already know who you are and like you so give them some attention! 

Then take it a step further with a Facebook 'Lookalike Audience' which helps find similar people, extending your reach even further to people who may actually be interested in you!

10. Jazz Up Your Website

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but your website should not be a set-and-forget platform. Google rewards websites that regularly post fresh content (which is why blogging is so important!).

Let's be realistic and start by rewriting some pages on your website, swapping out the images for fresh ones, and changing the headlines on your front page, services page, and about page.

11. Engage with your Social Audience

Use your social media channels, especially Instagram, for what they were built to do - be social! Start a two-way conversation with your audience. Engage and comment on other posts that are relevant to you or your brand, and genuinely show interest. Please don't just comment on anything and everything for the sake of it, and avoid generic comments like 'great pic' and 'so cute'. Be authentic in your responses, and with consistency and commitment, you will see results.

12. Follow up your Leads

Did you know that unanswered leads are costing you money? Yes, of course, you did. But it's amazing how many small businesses leave them sitting at the door. We understand that small businesses are busy, but this is important - it's money you're leaving on the table!

Let me hit you with a fact: 80% of sales are made between the 5th and 12th follow-up contact (source: HubSpot).

So, it's crucial. Set up a system that works for you to ensure that these leads are followed up with regularly (tools like Zapier or Boomerang for Gmail are great for CRM purposes, and email marketing is excellent for nurturing) until they either become converted customers or closed customers. All the best marketing in the world will be useless if you don't have a system in place to capture and nurture the leads that your marketing efforts are bringing in. The best part is, once it's set up, it's done!

Still need Help with Marketing?

If you’re still feeling a little lost, overwhelmed or simply can’t keep up with it all - we’ve got even better news. We can help you get back on track and reach your marketing goals with our services - so you can focus on doing what you do best and leave marketing to us!