Distance can do wonders for problem solving. Taking a step back offers a fresh perspective and new ideas.

The global pandemic has forced us all to take this step away from our normal day-to-day, and for small business owners it has made us reconsider how we operate. Here at Goodness Marketing I’ve used the opportunity to critically assess my services. 

When I started working for myself around two and a half years ago, I had A LOT of marketing experience (I spent a long time working in marketing agencies, both in content creation, strategic planning and as marketing director). This meant that I could turn my hand to anything from content creation and social media to marketing strategy and coaching - and I did!

Like so many marketing freelancers, when you first start out you often take whatever work is going. However, I now have a much clearer idea of what I enjoy most and what I’m best at. I just haven’t had the time or headspace to really be strategic about my offering.

Until now.

A fresh perspective

During lockdown - after our planned Wilderness Tonic events were postponed and some of my client work got cancelled or pushed back - it was time to take advantage of a bit of thinking space.

I literally drew up a list of everything I do for clients, and asked myself which parts I was still truly passionate about and want to do more of. A simple reflection exercise which not only led me to clarify my offering, but also reinvigorated my passion for my business.

It’s no coincidence that this is my second blog in two weeks, after a few months of slow going!

The distance that is being put between you and the way in which you used to run your small business can have positives. Yes, we are currently in very stressful and uncertain times, but that doesn’t mean we need to dwell on the bad stuff.

If you want to spend some time during the lockdown to prepare your business for the future, then I highly recommend working on your marketing strategy.

There are three elements of your marketing strategy which I think any small business owner can revisit. Doing so particularly now, during lockdown, will stand you in good stead for the future. 

These are the things that are worth spending time on now.

Articulate your purpose

Can you say in a sentence or two why you do what you do? What is your purpose as a small business owner, the thing that drives you? 

Being clear about your values and beliefs, and packing them in a clearly articulated purpose statement, can help guide the direction of your business. It also makes it easier to make marketing decisions.

I’ve taken some time to revisit my purpose statement and I have tweaked it from “make the world a better place” to “be a force for good in the world”. While it is simply an iteration or an evolution from the original, it is closer to my real purpose. I want to empower and facilitate positive change. 

Being very clear about my purpose not only reinvigorated me, but it helped me clarify where I want to focus my energies in my business. 

A clearly articulated “why” also simplifies marketing decision-making. Once you know what you’re really about, it becomes more obvious which social media channels deserve your attention, where you should go and look for your audience and the kind of language you should use on your website.

I’ve written more about starting with why previously, and this is explored in more detail in the free download Good Marketing in Bad Times.

Be clear about your target audience

You could shout a nice generic message to 1,000 people and they might all shrug and pretty much instantaneously forget what you said. But if you say just the right thing to 100 people, they will remember you, buy from you and tell their friends about you. 

But in order to deliver the right message, you first need to know exactly who these 100 people are. You need to know what their challenges are in relation to your business, and what will make your solution the one they choose.

You need to get to know your target audience as well as you know yourself.

Check out Good Marketing in Bad Times to help you get started on identifying and defining your target audience.

Assess your marketing

Finally, look at how you currently market your business. Does it convey your purpose? Does it represent you in a way that will make your ideal target audience sit up and pay attention? 

When you look at everything from your signage and business cards to your blog posts and social media through the lens of your purpose and ideal audience, you will see clearly what can be improved.

Don’t be overwhelmed if the to-do list is long! Commit a set amount of time every day/week/month and work your way through the list. 

It takes some of my clients many months to work through the recommendations in my marketing MOT, but they know that it’s worth it. At the end they will be in a much stronger position than they were if they stuck their heads in the sand and did nothing! 

So now you have a choice: to lament the distance between you and “business as usual”, or to use this new perspective to drive your business forward. Which will it be?