(Published in the September 2023 issue of the Millwater Magazine and the Orewa Magazine)
Here’s how to make that work for small business.
Full disclosure, that’s a made-up figure. No one is collecting and giving away that statistic without strings attached. We’re a country of DIY’ers so the point should be pretty clear.
Business start-up or rebranding, doing this yourself can be fine at first. You don’t always start out with a load of cash so you need to be careful about where you spend. Be thrifty, but not cheap, there is a line you don’t want to cross. Marketing yourself will help you to spend the time to understand your place and refine your offer. The progress will be slower, but it needs to be as you adjust. When you are ready, everyone’s timing is different (Lifestyle or life providing), then bring in the professionals to help you grow bigger and better for faster results.
Here’s some initial tips for successful DIY marketing:
- Positioning – Know what problem you solve for your customers, who your competitors are, and how you solve it differently from your competitors.
- Branding – At least get a logo professionally designed. Do your competitors have good logos? $500-$1000 is all this should cost. If you need to do-it-yourself have a plan for: on white; on black; on colour. Applying landscape; portrait. Add a tag line so people know the problem you solve for them. A good designer will add to this by supplying guidelines showing the right colours, some idea of how it is used on white, black, colour, in landscape, portrait, and examples of application. The extra cost of this is money well spent so you make good decisions for using it.
- Advertising – Think, where do my customers look? Advertise there. Don’t be fooled by a cheap deal. 2 pairs of comfy slippers because the second pair was ½ price is still a waste of money. Select a size that will be noticed. Your headline needs to solve the customer’s problem. Add a call-to-action, and most importantly, make sure the person or something at the other end of the action can close the deal.
Of course if you need help with any of this simply reach out. Although as a marketer myself sometimes I like it when businesses have had a go at this themselves first. It shows you’re not afraid of some work and it means when you do come to us you have a really good idea of what your business needs are now, and recognise your time is likely better spent focusing on other areas.
Chris Norris – Truth Seeker Cert. MKTG | MCC | Cert. Typography
Former Chairman of Business Whangaparaoa and Board Member for Silverdale Business. He is also a mentor with the Business Mentors Programme at MBIE. Now running a locally focussed branding business. Allbrand.co.nz – Revealing the truth in businesses. If you are passionate about something you already have a true story. Get in touch to seek it: Chris@allbrand.co.nz
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