Miffed About Your Marketing? Make a Plan, Stan
Looking to take the mystery — and misery — out of your marketing in coming months?
Prioritize and plan.
When it comes to marketing, most interior design professionals are like a ship without a rudder.
They have a vague goal, but not a clue on how to reach it.
Too bad they don’t have a “map” in mind. Too bad they don’t follow a step-by-step approach to their promotion.
You’re better off focusing on one key marketing strategy each month — and getting it right — than rushing through a lot of little things.
That’s not to say you skip those time-sensitive tasks — like emailing, texting or tweeting prospects about an upcoming product special.
But you’ll make a bigger impact and get better results when you take your marketing one step at a time.
Identify seven marketing categories, and spend a month on each of them.
You’ll have to set your own priorities, of course. But here’s a “schedule” that worked remarkably well for one of my coaching clients:
Month #1 : Master the Marketplace. Identify your ideal clients, the social media sites and blogs they follow, the publications they read, and the groups they belong to.
Month #2: Add “Wow!” to Your Website. Showcase what’s new, and what’s now. Make your Home Page concise, but compelling. Revise your bio so it promotes you as the star that you are.
Month #3: Link up with LinkedIn. No other social media site gets more designers more business. Post a powerful profile. Join or start a group, contribute to conversations, and subtly steer members to your blog or website,
Month #4: Seek Input. Ask key clients — past and present — for ideas on growing your business. Consider a face-to-face or virtual focus group. Seek referrals and testimonials.
Month #5: Write On. Build buzz on your blog, and submit articles, news releases and photos to online outlets and influential publications.
Month #6: Speak Up. Present classes, courses, seminars and workshops to those you seek to influence.
Month #7: Pick a Partner. Ask vendors and suppliers for marketing support. Team up with allied professionals and firms in non-competing industries.
Fred Berns provides copywriting services and marketing coaching for interior design professionals.
