Recently a restaurant owner mentioned they were hoping for warmer weather this fall so they can expand upon their rapid growth since 2020. When I suggested they enclose part of their patio and add gas heaters to accommodate more customers this winter, they balked at the cost. But adding more seating with ventilation would bring more customers in cooler days and and increase their employees’ income. That will also attract new employees.
If you are trying to make the most of your marketing budget in 2021—planning is the key. Join my upcoming webinars to help you maximize your marketing budget this month. Meanwhile focus on the following marketing tips for 4th Quarter growth.
- Start with a Thank You email to all of your past customers and those folks who have inquired about your service. Invite them to follow you on social media and let them know that you appreciate their business throughout recent challenges and you would appreciate their help in growing your business and sharing your posts and ads. Provide a simple link for them to post testimonials and reviews too.
- If you saw a reduction of your income and you were denied PUA or a PPP, there may be time to get the funds you were entitled to receive. File an appeal and determine if you were wrongly denied (many self-employed were). The system was flawed and there may be past or new funding to help you grow (some are tax free).
- Don’t forget the upcoming holidays and national events that can propel your marketing promotions by tying into the national hashtags and promotional themes to reach a wider audience beyond those in your databases. Start with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Giving Tuesday and Super Saturday. If you want more marketing ideas, join my upcoming webinars here.
- Are you tracking your website and marketing results? Take some time to do the math and learn what has worked best in 2021 and evaluate where your latest customers came from. If you need help with new ideas, get my 2.5 hour package to critique your marketing plan and identify some new marketing tools that work.
- Are you closing deals? Often the only thing between you and sales are a few obstacles. Get my sales training for your team on telephone handling and how to close deals with prospects. Contact me for a sales training session.
- Did you downsize and now you are short-handed? Get some help with finding the right employees using the same targeting tools that I teach you to target market your customers. Review your best employees and let’s create an outreach campaign to find similar people who want your jobs.
- Are you tired of doing too much over the last year? It may be time to hire specialists to make the most of your time to develop new products, services and a growth plan. While reduced overhead is nice, some companies have bogged down the owners with jobs that could be more efficiently handled by someone else.
- Did you get a PPP, PUA, EIDL or any other loan, or experience changes in your income that may have a significant tax effect? Sit down with your accountant and/or tax planner now to review 2021 income and expenses. They may suggest you invest in products or services this year to offset taxes while going into 2022 even stronger.
- How many new customers did you acquire this year? How many repeat customers did you see return? It is key to let all of your past customers know that you are still in business today and that you appreciate their business. It is also important to add new customers every quarter.
- Are you a non-profit? Did you register on charity review websites, Amazon’s Smile, and Facebook and Instagram’s Fundraising platform? If not, you’re missing out on donations that stem from Holiday Shopping. Get registered and ask your donors and volunteers to share the links that allow customers to pick the charity of choice so that your organization can benefit from every purchase.
The best media mix integrates both traditional and digital media tools while maximizing your time. If you need help brainstorming to create a more targeted and effective marketing plan designed to deliver results, contact Liz Harsch by email or call Tailor-Made Advertising at 310-791-6300.
Liz Harsch is the owner of Tailor-Made Advertising in Torrance, CA. Her firm provides marketing, training and consulting to identify marketing and media alternatives for business owners. As an experienced Marketing Director, Media Planner, Liz has trained small business owners for Constant Contact, SCORE, SBDC, SBA, Cities and MWD and County outreach partners, APICS plus many Chambers of Commerce for over 20 years. She can be reached at her Torrance, CA, office at 310-791-6300 or by email at liz@adteamla.com. You can also see her upcoming training workshops calendar at http://bit.ly/workshopscal .
