Social media isn't the only tool in your tool box

If you’re running a business, the chances are, you’re using social media in your marketing (you're here on LinkedIn after all). Understandably it’s the route most business owners will take when they first set up a business. It’s free, and when used well, social media is a great way to connect with your audience. Plus, most of us use social media in our day to day lives, so the ins and outs of using the apps are familiar to us (apart from when they keep changing!).

But social media has its downside too. Your customers and potential clients are bombarded with thousands of online messages all day every day, and may not even see your message. This will certainly happen if you don’t have a clear strategy behind your social media, developed as part of an overall marketing plan. (Including answers to those all important questions: Who are you talking to? How can you help them? Why should they be interested in what you have to say?).

And you don’t own your social media platforms. In most cases, the platform even owns the content you’ve worked so hard to create. Because of this, relying only on social media is dangerous. We all saw the reaction when Instagram and Facebook had technical problems in 2020, and millions of business owners around the world couldn’t access their accounts. You need other ways to connect with your audience.

Using channels other than social media will not only help you stand out from the crowd, it will also mean your message can be seen more widely, making your overall marketing much more effective.

So what other tools are available to you?

Networking

Networking is really effective marketing tool for any business. Face to face contact allows you to build much deeper relationships than online networking. You get to know the people behind the business so have a clearer understanding of whether their values and approach match yours – we all want to work with people we can really connect with. And as a small business owner, networking gives you so much in terms of peer support, social interaction and opportunities for collaboration.

If you’re not networking already, try out some of the groups in your area. Most allow one or two visits free of charge before you sign up, so you can see which ones suit you.

Local press & PR

If your business is local or regional, then don’t underestimate the power of local advertising or PR. If you have an interesting story to tell, local publications will want to hear about it - they have to fill those pages! PR is a great way to share the wider story of your business with people who might not otherwise see you.

And what about all those little local parish magazines we get through our door? I know many of them go straight into the recycling but an awful lot of them, particularly community news magazines, are read and kept from one month to the next. For the right business, advertising in these publications can be highly effective They often work well for therapists who work face to face, tradespeople, and hospitality businesses. Sometimes you can get an ad for as little £15 per insertion (or £150 every month for a year!) it must be worth a try.

The good old telephone

Don’t forget about the phone! In today’s digital world, it’s such a rarity to get a phone call but a five-minute chat can open so many doors. Obviously, you need the right permissions in place, but a follow up call to visitors after an event, or someone you met networking is so much more personal than automated emails, and will have a much greater impact. Actual voice conversations build stronger relationships, often even more so than Zoom, because you both have to give each other your full attention to follow the conversation. (No one's checking out what you've got on your bookshelves!)

Events

Organising an event doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. If you’re a creative business, why not hold an open day where people can come and see you at work? Having conversations with visitors in your own space means you can demonstrate the value in what you do, and meeting your potential customers face to face gives you plenty of opportunity to learn about their motivations (or worries) around buying from you.

If you’re a professional services business, try running a free advice clinic. You can use your own office to keep costs down or rent an inexpensive local meeting space. It’s the quality of advice that matters to people, not the venue. It’s amazing how much ground you can cover in a 1 hour appointment . You get to show how you help potential customers, and they can experience what it’s like to work with you. Remember to follow up after your event – thank people for taking the time to visit and give them a reason to come back or get in touch.

Direct Mail and actual letters

So much has been written about the death of Direct Mail and the resurgence of Direct Mail it’s difficult to know what the truth is. It may be my background, but I believe that a well targeted, well executed Direct Mail campaign can have a huge impact on your audience – and even more so when combined with email.

How much mail do we get these days? And how much of that is interesting? If your target audience is younger people, mail has even more of an impact. When my daughter was looking at universities, Plymouth uni sent her a simple postcard from the seaside with a message that they were looking forward to seeing her again. She loved it – and chose Plymouth!

As with anything related to marketing, the Plymouth Uni example shows that it doesn't have to be complicated.

“Admin” messages

Too many businesses see customer service communications such as order fulfilment and follow up as an admin task. But they’re not. Like any touchpoint with your audience, they’re a marketing communication. Those messages are a brilliant opportunity to convey your brand values and remind people why they have bought from you. You know those handwritten thank you notes you get when you order from a local artist or maker? How good do they make you feel? That’s marketing at it’s most personal, and it works.

Take some time to review all the emails and contacts your clients and customers receive from you during the buying process. Read them from your customers’ point of view. Is the language warm and friendly? Is it clear what you want them to do next or what they can expect to happen next? Have you given them a route to contact you if they have questions?

People can get “stuck” during the buying journey and they won’t hang around if they do. They’ll go off and buy from someone who makes it easy.

So there’s just a few alternatives to Social Media for you to consider (there are many, many more and I haven't even mentioned email marketing as that's a whole topic of its own!).

Of course Social Media has its place, but don’t view it as marketing in its own right. You still need a plan, and combining social media with other channels will make your message go further. 

I’d love to know what marketing tools you use, other than social media? Drop me a note and let me know.