Feb 12, 2020
Hey there podcast family, welcome to episode 59 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.
Thank you for lending me your ears today – I know you have lots of choices, so I sincerely appreciate me being one of them!
If you’re a first time listener, super super welcome, I am so pleased to have you here. I am your host Jenn Donovan, and, it’s my job, via this podcast, social media and everywhere else actually, to make your business life simpler.
Business can be lonely and hard and complicated and it’s hardly ever easy, but it should be simple or at least simpler, so that’s my commitment you to on the Small Business Made Simple podcast!
One way I help to make your life simpler is by having a group of like-minded business owners all in one stop. To ask questions, get answers and enjoy the journey of business! If you haven’t joined the Like Minded Business Owners Facebook Group, then hope over there after this episode and join! Simply search Like Minded Business Owners in Facebook or come to the show notes for the like. Show notes are at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/59
www.facebook.com/groups/LikeMindedBusinessOwners
I recent ran a networking evening, I’ll do a podcast episode all about that in coming weeks – because there was some amazing things that came out of that, but I had a question posed to me, from someone who was there (actually someone asked them) and I just can’t get it out of my head – so now there’s a podcast episode all about it.
That’s one way to answer I guess!
The question was
How do I let people know about my business, if they don’t read my local paper and they aren’t on social media?
BOOM!
What a spectacular question? Yes?
What percentage of the population do you think we are dealing with here?
I actually say, not much. After all is you believe the stats, around 95% of Australians are using social media, especially Facebook.
So, the question might be more like, how do I get people to notice my business if they aren’t that ACTIVE on social media (or haven’t already found me on social media) and don’t read the local newspaper.
That’s the question I am going to answer.
Because I believe, actually I SEE, so many small business owners making these mistakes and rather than fixing mistakes, look for other ways to fix the problem. Which puts them on a constant search for something that they will probably never find.
Most of my answers to this question will only require time, not money, not all of them, but most of them so don’t think I’m going to say, “run ads”.
Although if you are interested in running Facebook ads, my Facebook Ads for Beginners course is a great start! You’ll find that in my shop at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au
Now if you have been in my world for any length of time, some of these answers or examples of how, are going to be SO familiar to you.
It’s like the drum that I beat – the stuff that I crow about ALL THE TIME.
But other answers I hope will give you a tip or trick you perhaps hadn’t thought about, or maybe you have and I’m just going to push you over the edge to actually do them.
Ok, first up
- KNOW THE BASICS OF MARKETING
- who is your who,
- what is your niche, what do you want to be famous for?
If you can’t answer these questions, then you can’t market effectively.
If you can answer these questions – then yay you! Just remember to always be listening to the market.
This has been a HUGE lesson for me in the last 12 months – listen to my market rather than trying to find the market I thought I was looking for or what I thought they were looking for.
Hey, that’s another good topic for a podcast!
When I sat down, really sat down, and looked at who I was attracting and what they wanted, I shifted my business – not entirely because I still have awesome men as private clients, but the reality is that my monthly business hub is now a Women in Business HUB, and I’ve started a Women in Business quarterly networking night.
And guess what? That’s what people wanted and now it’s full steam ahead.
So, lesson, you might know who your who is, and what you want to be famous for, but it’s a moving constant. The only constant thing is that it’s moving.
Be ready to listen.
- GO WHERE THE MARKET IS
You’ve got to know the first bit I just spoke about, but when you know that, go where your market is – where do your ideal client/customers hang out.
Figure that out.
Don’t do Instagram because you like it – do it because your prospects hang out there.
Don’t dismiss LinkedIn because you don’t “get it” – if your people are on there, learn all you can and conquer it.
If your people are in Facebook groups – then get in there, give enormous value and make them love the crap out of you!
Again, learn to listen or in this case observe.
Is this easy? Maybe not. Maybe it will take research – so grab a wine and research! Or a coffee if it’s day time!
- SPEND TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA
If there’s one thing I can guarantee, or at least 99% of the time, you cannot put up a post and expect the money to start rolling in.
Except of course, if you’re in my Buy from A Bush Business group! That group is insane – one post can net $15K – but that’s a whole different topic and story.
I digress but check it out. Go to Facebook and search Buy From a Bush Business and join up. It’s so insane – almost 200,000 members as we speak …
Ok, but onto topic – you can’t put a post-up on Instagram, throw a few hashtags at it and think people are going to buy or even notice.
You can’t put something up on Facebook once and think that everyone’s seen it.
And I know you’ve heard all this before.
It’s called social media. It’s for being a little social or a lot social.
Statistics tell us know that we should be active for more than 10 minutes before we put up a post and at least 10 minutes afterwards.
I’m not sure the 10 minutes thing is accurate, but I totally agree with the premise.
To think that we can just post and ghost, and still get traction is not really thinking the whole social media platform through properly.
I’m gunna say, you know it’s coming ..
H2H people
Human to Human
Interact with people. Comment, like, give advice, share a story, give a tip or trick or share a connection that will help. Be strategic about it.
You know, just like you would in real life.
You wouldn’t walk into a party, throw your brochures at everyone and nick off … no you’d stay, talk, nurture, explain, chat and so forth
Start thinking like this on social media and I 100% guarantee you, you will start attracting more people and more of the right people.
Which leads me a very good segue into point 4
- NETWORK
If you want more people to know about your business, then get out there and tell more people!
Network ask to speak at your local Rotary or Lions Club or CWA. Go to business meetings, join a chamber or a hospital board – get out there and let people know who you are.
If you don’t have a networking group, then create one yourself – just like I did. If you need some help with that, sing out or listen into Kellie Briggs podcast – Business Networking by Design. She’s brilliant and gave me the inspiration to start my own networking group.
Stop waiting for people to find you. Stop waiting for people to stumble across your website or your social media. That’s slow growth.
The people you meet whilst out networking, they tell people who tell people.
What’s that saying, it’s one of my favs – if you want to go fast go along, if you want to go far, go together.
- BLOG OR START A PODCAST
Writing blogs or starting a podcast is down the same lines as networking – it’s all about getting people to know you, know your voice, your values, your expertise, your brand.
There’s a reason why people who consistently blog or podcast build their businesses faster.
Or even better, put yourself out there to be a guest on someone’s podcast, just like guest blogging but better!
- EMAIL MARKETING
This is a huge one. If you haven’t listened to episodes 9 and 10 of this podcast – then once you finish this one – go listen to them. www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/9 and socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/10
They are all about email marketing and getting your emails opened and read.
People really underestimate the value of email marketing.
Everyone seems on board with social media but people are hesitant at sending out emails and yet statistics tell us that you will have a much bigger and better response to 1 email than you will to 1 social media post.
And stats don’t lie!
If you aren’t gathering emails from customers, then you are only making half a sale. If you are gathering them and not using them to re-market to someone who already knows, likes and beginning to trust you, then you are simply leaving money on the table.
Everything, everything in your business is easier when you have a list to market too.
You don’t need a big list – just a well nurtured list to be successful.
If you do one thing differently this year and you don’t have an email list already – then please please start building one.
If you’re looking for amazing templates and a really beautiful and cheap email provider – have a look at Flodesk.
I’ve changed over to there (mostly) and it’s so so gorg!
I am in love!
It doesn’t suit all brands, but if you are targeting women, then it’s a definite look at thing!
Go to http://bit.ly/loveflodesk and check it out. Link in the show notes at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/59
- COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS
Find other businesses that compliment yours but aren’t in direct competition and do some collaborations with them.
I had a kitchen shop back in my retail days, we collaborated with clothing stores, the local chemist, the jewellers – they all had customers just like mine but sometimes different – so we ran events together.
But you don’t have to do events together – do an Instagram take over. Take cover each other’s Instagram for a day and do some stories or posts about your business on their platform.
Write a guest blog for someone else.
Offer to put brochures in each other’s businesses or sell something of their’ s through your shop or online store.
Exchange email lists and do a collaborative series of emails to each other’s lists.
Collaborations are as old as time itself. Helping someone else get what they want, whilst getting what you want.
My kids did it all the time. You watch out for Mum whilst I get the lollies and then we’ll share them – you know the tricks – it’s same same in business!
Business isn’t easy. Anyone in business will tell you that. And most people, if they’re honest will tell you that going into business for themselves was the best and the worst thing they’ve ever done!
So never do it alone. It’s too hard. Find your tribe and share your story.
Hanging out with like minded people, financial collaboration or not, it will be the best thing that you’ll ever do for business!
So, there’s 7 ways to get your business noticed pretty much without too much cash injection or capital.
Other ways (because I’m an overachiever) would be
- Facebook Ads
- Google Ads
- Posting into Facebook groups – other peoples
- Running online competitions
- Running a “top fan” competition
- Doing giveaways instore or online
- Walking the streets of your business district and introducing yourself to other business owners and letting them know what you sell so they can send referrals
- Give referrals to others – give, give, give and then they might just return the favour
Oh, my goodness I could go on and on – but I won’t. I am sure you can come up with others that I haven’t mentioned or perhaps even thought of!
If you do think of some more, hope into the Like Minded Business Owners group and let me know. I’d love to hear about them.
And hey, it’s another way to get your brand out there!
See what I did there!
Ok, that’s all for episode 59, that’s enough!
I’ll be back next Thursday with another great episode to help you simplify your business in 2020.
If you’re enjoying this podcast, can I ask you to do me a favour or two
- Subscribe to this podcast – I have some exclusive content coming up for those who do!
- Could you share with this a friend? Another superstar business owner who’s doing the daily grind and would appreciate someone making their business simpler, and
- If you’re looking to share some love in February, the love month, I’d love you to leave me a rating or even a review if possible.
See you next week on the podcast for episode 60. But in the meantime, let’s hang out on social and get social on social – you’ll find me on Instagram, Facebook and my fav LinkedIn.
But whatever you do,
……..remember small business peeps, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!