5 Things your business should be doing right now

Before life gets back to normal and we forget all this even happened (is that possible?), we need to make sure our businesses are prepared to take off and start rolling in the revenue again.  What are the most important things we should be doing now to make sure we can hit the ground running when we are ready to start up again? Here are 5 things your business should be doing right now:

1. Update or create a website - A website is your storefront online.  Having a crappy online presence is the same as having a beaten down storefront with cracks in the windows and a sign hanging crooked from one rusty nail. Repaint, replace the windows, set up a table and chairs outside so people can hang out in front of your brand. Build a great website that is simple, easy to navigate and has a clear call to action if your visitors want to contact you. Update the content regularly to show you are busy making things happen. This doesn’t have to be expensive!  This is one of the best investments you can make during this totally virtual time.
2. Regularly post on social media - If you are not already on social media then invest some time and create some profiles. How do you choose which ones to be on?  You don’t have to be everywhere! Understand where your target audience hangs out and make sure you have a presence on those platforms. Once you create a quality business profile on these platforms make sure to post engaging content regularly - 3-5 days a week at least! Create content that either entertains or informs your audience. Share trending content from others and engage with other businesses or people that post interesting content. Before you know it, your followers will increase and you will have a larger audience by the day. Your brand will be at the forefront of their minds when you are ready to send out an offer or ad and they will be ready to buy. 
3. Blog - If you don’t have a blog section on  your website please make one now. This is not only good for your potential customers to show that you have knowledge about your industry and that you can be trusted, but it's also great for your ranking on search engines. Search engines rank websites higher on the SERP (search engine results page) if they update their content regularly. Once a week is ideal and the best way to do this is to have a blog.  Blogging can also give you content ideas that can be posted on social media as teasers that will then link back to your blog on your website. This drives more traffic and gives you ideas to post on your business pages. It's a win win. People love free information and when they find out that you are the source of free useful information they will trust in your brand enough to buy from you. So keep blogging!
4. Play with some paid ads - Pay per click ads on either Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn are a great way to generate some quality leads.  All of these platforms collect so much information on their users that honing in on your detailed target audience is super easy.  Once you have your ads in front of your ideal customers they will be clicking away.  Don’t be afraid of the cost! You name your daily budget and you can start and stop the ads any time you want. Now is a great time to try some of these ads as the entire world is in front of a screen. Make sure to think about a clear message, have great creative and a clear call to action. Ask yourself what is your goal? What message and creative do you need to achieve this goal? Once you see you are making traction with these ads you will be running them for every campaign! They are actually fun! 
5. Create a simplified marketing plan -  Marketing plans to some companies sound scary and big.  They don’t have to be. A marketing plan for startups and small businesses needs to be simple.  Don’t boil the ocean. Start with a puddle or a pond. First you need a goal. And be specific with your goal. Don’t just say I want to increase sales.  How much do you want to increase sales by? Where will you try to do this? For example, I want to increase sales by 10% by running facebook ads that will generate leads. Once your goal is established, find out where your target audience is and decide on the channel to deliver your message to these people. Maybe it's at trade shows, social media, networking events, email marketing, cold calling, direct mail, kiosks in malls, etc. The list goes on for ideal channels to deliver your offer or message to your target audience. Once you have decided on the audience and the channel, you need to decide on the message. What is your goal? Is your goal to get their email to get them on a list so that you can nurture them as a lead and maybe send them a series of follow-up emails?  Then you may want your message to be something of value for free. A free download or video or report, for example. If you offer something free simply ask for their email in order for them to receive it. Now you have them on your contact list and you can nurture that lead until they are ready to buy. Maybe your goal is to sell all your inventory of a product you have excess of. Create an ad with a stimulating offer like a discount or a 2 for 1 deal. Give out a free membership for a week.  Lure them in so that when you make an offer to them they can’t refuse it. Start with 2 channels, take small sprint campaigns that last a few weeks only. If they don’t work, move on and try a new message or a new channel. Fail fast, pivot the ship and always measure, measure, measure. If you are spending money on a campaign that is not measurable, Stop!! Find a campaign you can measure and calculate the ROI as you go. Marketing plans don’t have to be scary or expensive!
   
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