Summer is a great time to give your business image a mini makeover. It’s a funny time of year as people are on holiday, taking time off with the kids or just taking advantage of sunny days to relax and recharge their batteries.
If you find yourself staring at the phone willing it to ring, shift your focus away from selling. I have lots of little ways you can update your print marketing, your social media accounts and your website.
Get your notebook ready, make some lists and refresh your marketing. Spend a little time on your business this summer and you’ll reap the rewards come September.
Check your printed marketing collateral
Are your contact details correct? More importantly, are they all on there? It’s very easy to miss an email address, phone number or website address. Don’t forget your social media or your blog if that’s where you get your customers from.
Is your marketing still relevant or has your business changed? You might need to add more services or different services, change prices or products, update your packages.
Make sure your print complements your social media and your website. It should all work seamlessly together and customers should recognise you whether they’re looking at a flyer, your Facebook page or your website. Images should reflect your branding, text should use a similar tone, and colours should complement your logo.
Pay special attention to your business card and make it work hard to promote your business. For ideas take a look at 10 creative ways to use your business card for marketing
Clean up your social media accounts
Check all your icons are the same, whether a logo or a good quality image of yourself.
Make the most of your header images to show a snap shot of your business – it might be a product, a process, a before and after. It doesn’t need to be just one image, you can have a personalised header designed. Just remember to make sure all your accounts reflect your branding so customers can recognise you where ever they see you.
Make sure your text is giving the same message across all your accounts. Even though Linkedin is professional and Twitter is more chatty, what you say should always reflect your brand values.
Get on top of your social media by scheduling posts a few days, or even weeks, in advance. If you get a flurry of ideas or take a few pictures, drip feed them rather than everything in one day then nothing for a week or two. Take a look at 33 ideas for social media posts for some inspiration.
Update your website
Are your images still fresh and relevant? Make sure they reflect your brand and the rest of your marketing. A handful of good personal images is better than lots of stock photography. But if you do use stock photography, make sure it complements your branding and your business personality.
Are your contact details correct and easy to find? Customers don’t want to be clicking all over your site trying to get in touch.
Make any relevant updates – new photos for the gallery, update prices, packages or portfolio, check product descriptions.
Take a look at your home page and check that potential clients can quickly and easily see what you offer. Ensure you have a Call To Action – contact me, a special offer, sign up to your newsletter, follow you on social media
Keep your blog up to date and make a list of potential blog topics, then get writing. If you don’t have a blog, consider adding one as it could really help boost your business. You can use it to drive traffic to your website, as a newsletter and for social media posts.
Plan an Autumn campaign
It might not feel like it but Autumn is just around the corner. Halloween and bonfire night are both great opportunities to promote your business as families get together for parties and celebrations.
Costumes, sweets, food, drink, warm clothing, craft supplies – plan how you can attract customers to your business with special offers and promotions. Remember to plan some social media posts to really get ahead.
Plan your Christmas campaign…
Yes, I know it’s only August but the really savvy business owners are already drip feeding their Christmas offers to us. Think booking restaurants, train rides for the kids and seasonal markets and events. Christmas is a huge marketing opportunity for many small businesses and needs a long lead time to have leaflets and menus and brochures designed, printed and promoted.
Even if your business isn’t seasonal, plan your social media so your business is still visible – people may not be buying from you in December but they might in January or February. Send a personalised Christmas card to say Thank You, or miss the rush and send a New Year card with a special offer.
I hope I’ve given you a few ideas on little jobs you can be getting on with so your business doesn’t need to stall over the summer. A few small tweaks here and there can really add up and make a huge difference overall to your marketing and branding and get your business looking its best.
And if you do decide to update your marketing collateral or even have a new logo designed, do get in touch.
Liz x
