Marketing Matters

“Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start.”

By Danielle Owen-Jones, director of Kirkby Lonsdale-based PR agency, Bloomin’ Creative.

As Maria von Trapp once crooned, when you sing you begin with Do, Re, Mi. But when you’re a business owner, one of the most important starting points is marketing.

It’s not unusual to feel overwhelmed by the task of marketing a business. Marketing comes with a host of challenges – customers, cost, time and tactics are just some aspects to take into account. Not to mention making sure that everything you do is consistent and in line with your brand.

It really is quite the challenge, especially when you’re doing everything yourself.

That’s why, every so often, it’s worth taking some time – whether that’s a quiet 15 minutes or an entire Sunday afternoon – and reassessing exactly what it is you want from your business.

Ask yourself, why did you start your business? Was it for a better work/life balance? To share your passion with others? To earn a pot of gold? Whatever your reasons, it’s easy to lose track of them as the days, months and years quickly pass us by.

Take work/life balance, for example (one of the biggest challenges for the self-employed). Are you spending every evening putting all your energy into a demanding social media schedule, but not seeing the results to make those late nights researching hashtags and perfecting flat lays worthwhile? Then don’t be afraid to stop and channel your efforts elsewhere, perhaps your customers are more likely to read an e-book, blog or white paper.

Each and every one of your marketing efforts – whether that’s your website, blog, newsletter, social media or PR – should always take you one step closer to your initial goals.