It can be super tempting to start running ads on everything from Facebook to Google in an attempt to drum up more business. As a business owner or someone who has input in your company’s marketing budget, you may have heard success stories that have come from ad spend. But running ads may not always be the best route for your business since there are ways to grow organically.
Forking over the cash for ads may not be the move at this time for your business.
Before you start paying for ads, do these four things:
Update your website
It’s not a bad idea to set aside time once a week to update your website.
If you haven’t updated your website in the last month, you definitely should not start running ads. Here’s a quick list of things you need to get in place on your website:
Check for accuracy of contact information listed i.e. correct phone number, correct mailing address, correct email
Add new content to your blog and update blog posts with outdated information
Remove pics of employees who are no longer a part of your company and replace them with pics of current employees
Update your logos on all web pages if you have new branding
2. Post on your social media accounts
Showcase what you have to offer on social media.
Are you putting your social media accounts to work for you? One of the biggest missed opportunities in today’s world is not using the tools that platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn have to offer. It’s so easy to share content that helps your current and future customers. By using social media, you can quickly create value in the form of videos, photos, and links to helpful websites.
To save yourself time, use social media scheduling tools.
3. Get out and meet people
Focus on genuinely getting to know people when you network.
As a business owner/key decision maker in your company, your biggest enemy is obscurity. You can’t grow if no one knows who you are. This is true for any business whether you’re B2B or B2C. Relationships matter.
Get out of your office and take other people to lunch to find out what they’re working on. Reach out to both people who are already in your network and people you have always wanted to meet.
Find networking events specific to your industry such as conferences and breakfasts. It may seem stressful to leave your business for a bit but the consistent effort to meet new people always pays off.
Always look to add value to any encounter you have with someone. Focus on the people you meet and their needs. It’ll lead to greater opportunities down the road.
4. Double down on what’s working
Like a great cookie recipe, if you really like it, just double the recipe.
After you’ve been diligently doing steps 1-3 for a month, you should have a better idea of what’s worth your time. When you figure that out, buckle down and focus on what’s giving you the best return. This can mean that you’ll start going out to lunch four times a week instead of twice a week. This might mean doing six Facebook Live videos a month instead of three. Whatever is producing results should deserve your attention. Consciously put in more work and you’ll experience growth at a rate you haven’t experienced before without spending money on ads.
For any questions you may have or requests for blog posts on topics related to content marketing and social media marketing, email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com!