Working towards your small business goals has to start with a plan! So, you begin by setting up a marketing strategy. Then, however, you want to start working on your actual plan for the next 6 months. If you’re looking for some fresh marketing ideas to give your business a boost, you’ve come to the right place!
I know what you’re thinking – it can feel hard to plan as far as six months ahead. The business landscape evolves constantly, making it tempting to plan as you go. But, if you know there are certain seasonal times of year that are quiet for you, or you’ve noticed things slowing down a little in general, it’s really helpful to get this plan in place.
Not only can this help you with your marketing itself, but by having this organised in advance you can better manage your finances, arrange collaborations and stay ahead of the competition!
So, whether you’re looking for inspiration only or you know you have a quiet time to prepare for, here are some of my top marketing ideas to get the ball rolling over the next six months.
If you’re looking to analyse your progress to help you decide what comes next, check out my post about how to do a 6-month review of your business first.
Before we begin…
There are four key questions I remind all business owners to consider before diving into new marketing channels and tactics. By taking a moment to really consider these, you can save yourself valuable time in the long run!
Question one – will it help you reach your ideal client? If the answer to this is not a resounding yes, do not waste your time. Just because everyone else is jumping on TikTok doesn’t mean you have to. If your customers aren’t there, why would you be?
Question two – do you have the skills and, more to the point, would you enjoy doing this? If you panic at the sight of a camera and have never used a piece of video editing software, forcing yourself to make video content is not going to work. You’ll resent doing it, probably procrastinate and cause yourself a whole lot of stress. However, if you love writing, adding a blog to your website could be a game changer!
Question three – do you have the time and the resources to a) do it consistently and b) deal with a potential increase in sales? If you do, great! But be really honest with yourself here. Don’t tell yourself you’ll make more time in the future if you know you’re already at capacity. Burnout is no joke.
And question four – does it sit well with your values and brand? This can be as obvious as avoiding a leaflet drop if your business has a focus on eco-friendly practices, or as subtle as not returning to a networking event because the format and general vibe didn’t sit right with you.
So remember, for every marketing idea on this list, ask yourself those questions first.
1. Offer something special
First up – it’s always a good idea to prepare for possible quieter times for your small business in the next 6 months. Do the summer holidays provide a bit of downtime for you? Or the transition to the colder seasons?
To re-activate existing customers and give new clients an incentive to get in touch, have discounts or special offers ready. Even a simple early bird offer can do wonders for your cash flow!
2. Start a newsletter
One of my favourite marketing ideas for small businesses: Email newsletters. Especially if your clients and customers need a long time before they buy your products or services, keeping in touch with them is very important.
A regular company newsletter is a nice way to share ideas, prove your expertise and throw in the odd discount or offer. It also keeps existing customers posted on any changes to your business and encourages repeat business and referrals.
Find out more about how to get more referrals from your existing clients and customers.
3. Get networking
Usually, the beginning of the year is the busy season for networking – something I reckon we can put down to New Year’s resolutions. But what about the rest of the year? It’s important to get yourself out there and look for new contacts and clients all year round!
For example, consumers are usually in a buying mood when it comes to the end of the year. While companies often have some money left to spend at the end of the tax year and are open-minded about starting a new project. Keep track of these important dates!
Whether you do it online or in person, expanding your network is a sure-fire way to give your business a boost.
4. Try public speaking
When it comes to small business marketing ideas, holding talks about your area of expertise is a great way to attract attention to your business. It shows confidence in your ability, and is a great way to connect with people.
No matter if you organise an event yourself or offer your wisdom to local organisations and their members – get out there and help people with practical, straightforward advice and you will see your business grow.
5. Sign up for conferences
There’s always an interesting trade show, exhibition or conference on. So why not make sure to be visible where your target group is hanging out?
You can use the opportunity to talk to people that might be interested in your services and look out for possible collaboration partners or suppliers. Industry events like that also often have the added value of offering new inspiration and interesting talks for yourself.
And it doesn’t always have to happen in person. Much like networking events, online conferences are a great way of staying active. What’s more, online events mean you can join from anywhere in the world!
Thinking about exhibiting at a trade show? Here are my top tips for preparing!
6. Start blogging
Sit down and have a think about what advice and help you can provide for your target group and what their challenges are. Are there any tips, how-to’s or thoughts you could share with them?
Then you should seriously consider blogging to improve your SEO and give your social media marketing that certain something.
Read more about how to start a blog for your small business.
7. Improve your SEO
Speaking of search engine optimisation (or SEO): When was the last time you had a look at your Google Analytics and your Google Search Console? Who is visiting your website and how did they get there? What were they searching for?
Tweak your keywords if you don’t seem to be attracting the right kind of people. Or drill a bit deeper to target specific areas and get more of your ideal clients to find you.
For more ways to find out where your customers are coming from, check out this post!
8. Boost your social media
The same applies to your social media profiles. Have a look at what the most popular content over the past weeks or months was – analysing what has been successful is a great way to prepare for the 6 months ahead! See how you can replicate the kind of content that got good engagement before to build that momentum.
Or you could invest a little money and promote your pages to get more followers. You may want to work with a paid ads expert on this the first time around, just to help you get to grips with it. When it’s focused on the right content, this can be a great way to give your content a boost and get more visitors to your website.
9. Be ready for Christmas
Even if Christmas is further away than 6 months, it’s never too early to get started with your Christmas marketing preparations. (And in the end, it’s always here faster than you think!)
So think about how you are going to celebrate the holidays with your clients. Do you want to send Christmas cards or invite everyone to a little get-together over mulled wine? Get started in plenty time to avoid a last-minute rush in November.
I have an entire post dedicated to Christmas marketing ideas for small businesses, if you’re looking for some inspiration. Why not bookmark it for late summer, when you’ll be starting to think seriously about it!
10. Start a leaflet drop
Do you want to increase footfall for your shop or attract more local business? Consider investing in a leaflet drop campaign to tell people who you are, what you offer and where to find you!
If you are looking to specify it even more, turn it into a targeted mailshot and send it to specific businesses or households to increase your response rate.
Working on this is a great opportunity to reflect on what you are actually selling, and make sure your elevator pitch is up to scratch!
11. Team up
Ever thought about collaborating? Non-competing businesses with a similar target group to yours are the perfect marketing partners.
They get to advertise to your customers while you get to advertise to theirs. You can run a joint campaign offering a special package deal or simply boost your respective marketing campaigns. As far as marketing ideas go, it’s a win-win!
Again, I have an entire post dedicated to marketing collaborations – check it out if this is an option you are considering!
KEEP READING
If you are interested in reading more about this topic, have a look at these:
10 Things I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Small Business Blogging
24 Small Budget Marketing Ideas for Your Small Business
Meet the Underdogs: 10 Underrated Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses
Your Small Business Marketing Plan: What is it, Why Do You Need it & How Do You Get One?
