Want to feel more confident marketing your small business? Try these 5 things
Want to feel more confident marketing your small business? Try these 5 things.
I hear it all the time — “I know how to use social media but I don’t know how to market my business.”
It’s more than just using social media. It’s about the bigger picture. It’s about the value you deliver to your clients and customers, the experience they’ll have working or buying from you, and the quality of work you provide.
It’s also about knowing how to communicate that in a clear and concise way. Those are the building blocks for finding confidence in marketing your small business.
And, here are 5 things you can try right now to start feeling more confident in marketing your business.
1. Develop a unique selling proposition
Your unique selling proposition is what sets you apart from other similar businesses and brands. This short statement communicates who you serve, which needs you’re meeting, and why you’re the best choice.
Think of it this way - it’s your elevator speech for your business, but trimmed down to cut out the excess to get at the crux of what you do. It’s your 5 seconds to stand in the spotlight and convince your ideal customer/client to stick around.
Like Mailchimp says,
“The process of creating a USP forces you to think about how exactly you benefit your customers and why they should buy from you, not a competitor. It can help you clarify your offerings, the channels you use to reach your target audience, and of course, the messaging you use to communicate your benefits.”
They lay out a helpful recipe for whipping up your own unique selling proposition — follow this to get your own unique selling proposition in the works.
Our company/product/service is:
For: your audience
Who need: your offering
Company/product/service: your company or offering name
Is the one: your unique differentiator
That: unique benefit that you offer
Unlike: competitors in your category
Summary: your company or product name is the unique offering and benefit
Here’s an example for Well Kept to give you a glimpse of it in action. Our company is:
For: Self-employed women
Who need: Support in marketing their businesses
Company/product/service: Well Kept
Is the one: Marketing and photography studio
That: Builds and becomes brand family while focusing on the big picture
Unlike: Other marketing studios
Summary: Well Kept is the only marketing and photography studio that builds and becomes brand family while focusing on the big picture.
Try out your own in the comments below! Or, share with us on Instagram so we can take a peek at what your business is all about.
2. Daily affirmations for small business owners
Give yourself the gift of support and grace.
Daily affirmations may not have been the piece of advice you thought you’d see in a marketing for small business article, but here we are. Without getting all woo-woo on you, it all starts within.
If you don’t believe in your work, who will?
And, for my skeptics out there - there is science behind affirmations.
From Positive Psychology,
“One of the key psychological theories behind positive affirmations is self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988). So, yes, there are empirical studies based on the idea that we can maintain our sense of self-integrity by telling ourselves (or affirming) what we believe in positive ways.”
It takes practice and it takes consistency. With those, you’ll start to see a difference in how you think and feel. Here are a few short affirmations to get you started.
My work is meaningful and provides real value for my community
Success comes naturally to me
I choose joy in my work and life
If you prefer to have something that provides guidance in self-affirmations, I love using my Grounded Minds affirmation cards. It feels so good when I pull a card, each one sheds light in its own way and uplifts my day.
3. Source customer/client testimonials
There’s power in validation; it influences positive thinking and feeling. If you want to validate the value of your work, talk directly to the source.
Connect with your customers/clients/community and ask them to provide testimonials, reviews, or feedback.
A few ways to do this:
Create a questionnaire or feedback form
Ask a simple question on social media
Have a direct conversation
And, be sure to ask more than yes/no questions. Ask them about their experience working with you, how you provided value, what changes they saw after you work together.
Connect with a copywriter or another expert who can help you create a solid customer/client feedback form.
4. Test it out
This is where we tell you to go for it. To test it out! To start talking to new clients/customers, to test it out on your friends, to share your unique selling proposition with your family members who aren’t afraid to provide constructive feedback.
A few action items for you as you build your confidence in marketing:
Add your unique selling proposition to your website
Use that statement to inspire social media content
Begin a daily affirmations practice
Source at least one client/customer testimonial
5. Reflection
Once you’ve put a few of those practices in place and perhaps even gathered a few testimonials to add to your site, reflect.
Stop and think about what’s been working. What messages have resonated with your community? Write these down so that you can refer back to them again at a later date. And, it’s not a one and done. Reflection is helpful when it’s consistent.
Plan to reflect at a regular cadence - once per week, month, or quarter. Spend time celebrating the work you’ve put forth while assessing how you can continue to improve.
- Gabriella
