Got A Marketing Department? Yes, You Do!

Sometimes I hear myself say stuff like, “My marketing department will contact you.” Marketing department? Uh, excuse me? Who exactly do I think that is?! Well, it's pretty much me and a few trusty staff and freelancers. I don't claim to be a one-woman show. But when it comes to promoting my business, I'm in charge and I hire the help I need to accomplish what I want. This is how many a small business owner operates. We all have our own approach and have found the marketing tips and tricks that work for us. And since I'm all about sharing, that's what I'm talking about this week.

So about that marketing “department”... yeah. That word tends to conjure up grandiose images in people's minds: cool building, expansive city view; people with large art portfolios in hand; interns carrying lattes; people with sleek, yet funky offices (all to themselves). Sound familiar? It should! Because I've just described every marketing or advertising office in every movie ever made — ever. Nice to look at, but totally unrealistic, right? That doesn't remotely resemble the workspace of most small business owners I know. You know what does sound familiar? Nondescript building. AC occasionally on the fritz. People sharing cubicles. Me getting my own coffee. And a room with a view? How about a nice brick wall? Now that's what I'm talking about at my office! And btw, I like it.

You might think I'm suffering from a case of office envy. And true, all that movie set–styled office space staffed with marketing extras are enviable in a way. But since I don't throw events for my clients in my office, none of it matters! I choose not to spend money on things I don't need to get the job done. All that would do is cut into my profits.

Marketing Tips That A Small Biz Owner Can Use!

OK... I'm seriously digressing away from my topic this week. I started talking about fancy schmancy marketing departments as a segue into how we small business owners do marketing for real. We don't need an entire staff of experts to promote our business and get more clients. We just need to be smart about how we allocate our resources. One obvious way is to take full advantage of social media (like I'm doing right now). Want something more sophisticated than Facebook? There are plenty of tools to help you manage and schedule your online content. If you need help figuring out how to do that, maybe you know someone you can barter with? They teach you some new skills and you trade that for services, goods or marketing tips that can help them. Sounds like a win-win to me!

It's always a good idea to develop a marketing plan that maps out your message, how you intend to communicate it, and what you hope to accomplish. Once you have that in place, your efforts will go from haphazard to strategic. You'll be in a better position to analyze the results, rather than spending money and not having a clue if what you're doing is working. If you produce a traditional printed marketing piece, including some kind of special offer makes it easier to track its effectiveness. Same for anything you put online. And never forget the power of the personal touch in small business! You are often the face of your brand, the relationship your clients value. So use that to your advantage. Partner with other businesses that complement yours by piggybacking services. Both businesses will benefit with an increased customer base and visibility. Another win-win... that's what I'm talking about!

Be Oh So Quotable This Week!

Oh by the way, do you feel like you're too busy? Or like you're always working but not much is getting done? Your solution is right here in this FREE Chaos To Cash guide!

I always say running a business means the work never ends! Ain't that the truth? I bet your to-do list is a mile long! Make sure that the items at the top of your list are the things that relate to being more profitable. Everyone is so proud of being so "busy"...But Are You Making Any Money? Don't be too busy to focus!

Check out the summary of last week's business tips and motivational quotes from my Instagram page which you hopefully got to see in real time! If not, let's make sure we're following each other on Instagram!! So...here is this week's roundup of Instagram images of My Top Business Tips and Motivational Quotes.

Marketing Tips – Tip #1:

Love this? Pin it to your Business Tips Board.

"Every person holding a smartphone is on your marketing team. Empower them to share visual content about your brand." – Donna Moritz

Marketing Tips – Tip #2:

Love this? Pin it to your Motivation Board.

"Consistency beats out all of your competition." – Amy Porterfield

Marketing Tips – Tip #3:

Love this? Pin it to your Quotes Board.

"Consumers relate to people not brands." – Carlos Gil

Marketing Tips – Tip #4:

Love this? Pin it to your Motivation Board.

"Marketing should tell a story so compelling, others will want to retell it." – Joel Comm

Marketing Tips – Tip #5:

Love this? Pin it to your Business Tips Board.

"If your content marketing is for everybody, it's for nobody." – Joe Pulizzi

Let's talk! I'd love to hear some of your favorite marketing tips!

Are you a one-person marketing dynamo? Do you have a few marketing tips that you'd like to share? I would LOVE to hear from you! Anyhoo...I publish these business tips and motivational quotes to get you fired up for your work week!

And hey, want to eliminate frustration and increase cash? Discover 8 simple ideas to get clients, identify the three types of clients and create your sales system. Get it here for FREE!

And, if you want more business tips, get my book, But Are You Making Any Money? or contact me to really take your business to the next level!

xoxo M

‍