#ReviveYourMarketing – Don’t Put All of Your Eggs in One Marketing Basket

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, the work you are passionate about is your main driving force. However, marketing is an essential element of any successful company and cannot be overlooked. I know, you are busy and don’t have time to focus on marketing. However, the blunt truth is, if you want to grow you can’t afford to not participate in marketing.

So, you dip your toe into the water and you try something. It may or may not be achieving results. That means going back to the drawing board and adapting the technique or trying something new entirely. What I’d like to encourage each of you to do is to try different marketing methods at the same time. Don’t put all your money into the one marketing avenue you think will work. Right now, you aren’t really sure what will work. You have probably done some research and gotten a ton of advice – but the real test is actually trying it and analyzing the results.

Why You Should Diversify

There are many different reasons why diversifying your marketing is a great idea.

• 1.     Your audience doesn’t all hang out in the same place. Everyone gravitates to a different area of the web. By selecting only one method or channel, you eliminate any potential client who doesn’t use it.
• 2.     Websites change, adapt and disappear. If you have invested all of your marketing into the next, great, trendy website – what will you do if that company collapses? What will you do if it is taken over or changes direction? You’ll have to start all over. No one should be dependent on just one approach.
• 3.     The more channels you participate in, the more you build your online web presence and establish credibility. The search engines are more likely to rank you higher if they see your name come up multiple times – from multiple sources. This will also establish your digital marketing equity and increase your brand online.
• 4.     Focusing on more than one source will help keep your content and promotional materials interesting and fresh – for both you and your audience.

Types of Digital Marketing

Here are just some of the more popular options in digital marketing in 2016. There are more marketing methods available than this blog post could possibly cover. The idea is not to try to master them all. No one has time for that. Plus, many of the techniques may not work or connect you with your ideal target audience.

-       Social Media Marketing – SMM covers a lot of territory. This could mean focusing on a single Facebook Business Page, a LinkedIn Profile, a Pinterest account, or keeping up with Twitter. Often the best strategy is picking multiple platforms and cross posting information. Do some trial and error to find out which ones work best for you. Or, better yet, hire an expert to help you narrow down the platforms and teach you the best way to schedule content.

-       SEO – SEO stands for search engine optimization. The Internet is a big place. If you want people to find what you are putting out there, SEO is the method to use. If you optimize your website, social media, and other online content in a way that makes is accessible and appealing to the search engines – you will rise in search ranks in record time! There is both an art and science to SEO but, if you can make it work for you, it’s some of the best free marketing available.

-       Content Marketing – Another way to establish your brand online is by producing content. Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing regular and consistent online content to attract new followers or customers. If you combine content marketing with solid SEO techniques, you will achieve even better results.

-       Influencer Marketing – Becoming an online influencer, or expert, is way to organically grow your following. By regularly producing content, participating in interviews and live streaming, and making your presence known online – you will generate an audience that will become brand ambassadors for you. They will share your content and refer their circles to your online sites.

-       Email Marketing – For many marketers, list building is the first step of marketing. If you aren’t tracking and building a list of people who interact with you, do business with you or are interested in your content – then you are throwing away valuable permission-based marketing opportunities.

Narrow It Down

I’m going to suggest that you pick at least three different methods that will help you reach your ideal client base.  Some of these will appeal to you. Others will appeal to your online followers. Do what is best for your brand and easiest for you to maintain. Consistency is important when it comes to digital marketing. If you get overwhelmed, you will walk away and accomplish nothing. Don’t do that. You need an online presence these days. The focus should be on working smarter, not harder.

As always, if you need help getting starting or advice on which direction to head into – the team at The Social Media Advisor specializes in assisting small businesses with their online branding and presence. Give us a shout so we can help you #BeAwesome.

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don't get left behind ~ 

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a "#BeAwesome" Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them. 

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars.