Have you ever had a really good marketing idea but not taken it forward?
One reason I'd suggest is, you're too worried about being on trend with the way you market your business, you may feel if you're not using the latest shiny marketing thing, you're some how getting it wrong, but that's flawed logic.
When I think about marketing ideas and how they form part of your marketing strategy, the above can certainly apply. Just because you have an idea doesn't mean it will be the star centre piece of your strategy, but it is still important and still worth trying.
I was chatting to the owners of one of my favourite local shops. They own a fantastic greengrocer/coffee shop, which they now operate in two locations. Recently Pret have opened, three doors down, from their other shop. Problem or opportunity?
Yes, some people love a brand, and the Pret coffee subscription is appealing because of the price point, but many people will choose to fight on the side of the underdog.
This is actually the perfect opportunity to remind people to support you, and give them a chance to rally round. You may be more expensive on a cost per coffee basis, but you support local employment and pay more than the minimum wage, you give free fruit and veg to the local schools, and do outreach in the community.
When life gives you lemons, forgive a green grocer pun.
As part of the brief chat, I happened to mention that the local forum (remember those?) has recently been given a reboot. I remember when forums were a key communication tool for every small local business, pretty much before Facebook.
In the area this business is in, the forum just happens to be very popular with people of a certain age, who just so happen to be a huge core demographic of the shop local/support local brigade.
People with kids at the schools your business supports. The ones with huge word of mouth value within your key communities.
Yes, everyone else may be dancing and pointing on TikTok and Instagram, but if you can reach people who matter by spending two minutes writing an introductory post on the local forum, replying to people from the area who are looking for your services, and just generally being around (maybe even doing a banner ad, how retro) then why ever not?
Nothing lasts forever, video killed the radio star, forums in the main died off, because of Facebook, and lets not talk about newspapers, but good ideas are about the medium that works, not what's cool right now.
Has this been useful? I hope so! Let me know by leaving a comment below or Tweet me @shonamarketing Thanks for reading Shona P.S If you would like to receive blogs like this straight to your inbox you can sign up here for my mailing list. I mail once per week on a Friday. For even more low cost marketing ideas why not buy my book? If you would like even more low cost marketing ideas I wrote a book. 100 Marketing Tips for Small Business Owners. Check it out here About Me Shona Chambers Marketing is a Marketing Consultancy based in SE London. Specialising in helping Small Business Owners and Freelancers with their Marketing.