Marketing is essential to get the word out about any small business, but it needs to be supported by a brand that has a clear message and reasons to buy. I think you'd be surprised to find out how many small business owners have trouble coming up with something that differentiates their product or service.
Over the past 20+ years I’ve developed (and continue to develop) my small business marketing philosophy. This comes from working on the front lines with almost 100 small business owners.
Below I share an overview of the topics I discuss when I first meet with potential clients. In the best case scenarios, the answers to these questions help determine the optimal marketing approach based on their goals, objectives and budgets. Sometimes, though, I find small business owners that haven’t thought about why they do what they do, or what makes their products/services unique. And, when they do have something they feel differentiates their company, many times it's the same thing their competition says sets them apart.
By conducting my Marketing Assessment with potential clients, I find out who they are, what they’re doing, what their hopes are for their business, and what they want to accomplish with marketing. Following is a high-level outline I use for these discussions. Click here to download a more detailed version so you can see additional details about what I try to find out with my Marketing Assessment. Every month I will highlight one of the topics below and review it in more detail.
Who are they and why are they in business?
How would they summarize their business?
What makes their business unique or what is their competitive advantage?
Who are the customers for their product/service?
How are they currently marketing their business?
What kind of marketing do they think they want and why?
Check back in March when I'll share why I believe the reason entrepreneurs start or own a business is important. Remember to sign-up at the top of this page to receive notifications when I post new blogs.
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