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10 Ideas to Jumpstart your Fall Marketing
Guide
It’s that time of year again: the kids are heading back to school! Our lives revolve so much around our children that our businesses start to follow their calendar, too, whether you have kids or not. As a marketer, summer tends to be a slow time of year. Kids are home, families go on vacation, and while our businesses tend to keep running, those seemingly less important responsibilities fall to the bottom of the to-do list. (We’ll save the topic of why your marketing should always be at the top of the list for another day.)
Now that the kids are back to learning, it’s time for you to get back to business: the business of marketing your business! September is a month that just feels full of promise. Clients and customers start calling. Projects that were touched upon in the spring start materializing. But in case you haven’t felt the drive yet, here’s a list of 10 things you can do now to get your marketing back on track!
- Run an email campaign. Haven’t sent out an email newsletter recently? Or never? Now’s the time. Plan to set up an email campaign to get in front of customers.
- Find one new networking event to add to your calendar this month. Marketing isn’t just about paid advertising, websites, and logos. It’s about putting yourself out there and building relationships and networks of people who will recommend you to others.
- Get apparel! Is your brand something people would buy? A good example is restaurants, but any brand that consumers love can benefit. Purchase apparel (tshirts, hats, etc…) and sell them! You can make a little money on the sale, but more importantly, you’re unleashing walking billboards all over!
- Send a survey. Use that email list you have, and a service like Survey Monkey to send out a short two or three question survey that can help you to focus your marketing. Find out more about your customers, or ask about their satisfaction with your brand. You’ll get in front of customers, AND gain some knowledge about your business.
- Send thank you notes. Your clients may be used to getting holiday gifts and cards from you, but what a surprise if they receive a thank you note and/or gift in September! Bonus: you won’t be fighting through the clutter of everyone else’s holiday cards.
- Create a new piece of collateral and start using it. Maybe it’s a postcard that you can leave at various local shops. Or you’ve been thinking of sending a direct mail promotion. Or you need a more complete brochure to hand out at networking events. Make it happen now!
- Plan an event. Whether it’s a small intimate affair (like a coffee chat where you share tricks of your trade) or a large bash with a big guest list, planning an event throws the spotlight on you and your business! Bonus: from the promotion of the event now and the photos and/or recap after, you’ll have lots to promote on social media.
- Do a PR push. Do you have any news to share? A new employee? A milestone? A business change? Send out a press release to the local media and online media. If you’re a member of networking groups, see if they have an outlet online to post member news as well. Spread the word!
- Get back to blogging, or be a guest blogger. Did your website blog or news & events section go into hibernation over the summer? Get back to writing! Posting a blog on your site gives you something to promote on social media. If you don’t have a blog on your site, do you know someone who does have one? Ask if you can be a guest blogger (make sure it’s relevant to your industry). Bonus: if you’re a guest blogger, you can be reaching out to a whole new set of customers.
- Refresh something. Take a look at everything you have. Have you been meaning to update your logo? Give that business card a makeover? Bring your website into the twenty-first century? Don’t wait for another day, jump on it now!