Marketing Mix

The marketing mix has become enormous with the new digital landscape. So how do small business owners decide what they need as part of their marketing tactics?

My top must haves:

1. Website - your website is a hub and it is what people go to search for you on Google. It is open 24/7. Having a website that is easy to find, looks professional, is easy to update is a big part of your marketing. Bloomtools.com is a tool that I use because it combines your website with several other tools like email, SMS, event planning and a data base.

2. Content - having relevant interesting content that your customers and prospects want to read is a must. Using a email provider like Mailchimp or Benchmail ensures you are communicating information

 to your audience.

3. Social media - this is all about choosing the best social media to engage in. Tip: go where your audience is. If they are on LinkedIn then be there. If they are on Facebook, then go there.

Rule of thumb:

• LinkedIn - Business to Business - professionals
• Facebook - consumers and small business
• Instagram - Retail and consumer
• You Tube - All

4. Analytics - You only know what is working if you are tracking it. Having tools to track your results are key. There are new dashboard tools like Dasheroo and Dash it that combine metrics from Google Analytics, Email and social in one nice dashboard.

5. Video - We know that people love video as it is easy to watch and now we can do it anywhere from any device. Investing in video for customer stories, product demonstrations and on-boarding is a great idea as long as they are well scripted. You can do this on your iPhone as long as the sound is professional.

6. Style Guide - Having a consistent look and feel is very much like dressing right for an interview. If you don't have the right look, people will click on the next website or email. A style guide is a document that outlines that consistent professional approach to your communications from font, colour and imagery. Once you have this in place then you can ensure all your communications be them physical or digital look great.