From a marketer’s perspective, it’s really helpful if you have lots of assets to help show who you are as a company – not just photos, videos or graphics, but your website, social media presence, resources, testimonials, case studies, even staff count too. But what if you don’t have some of these? Or you’ve already used everything you have?
Making the most of what you’ve got in a small business means examining your own resources and skillset, and really using them effectively.
1. Understanding your audience
I know I talk about this ALL the time, but the first port of call has to be understanding your audience – who are they, what channels do they use, how do they behave online, what kind of content do they expect to see from you, what messaging would engage them? The more you can get under the skin of your ideal customer, the better your marketing will be.
2. Resources auditing & planning
Look realistically at what assets you have already, and what you have the capacity to do next. Think about it in the context of what you know about your target audience.
From what you have already, can you repurpose something you’ve already created? Here’s some examples…
- Could that blog graphic go on social media?
- That social post that got lots of engagement – would it perform well on another channel?
- That video you made – transcribe it for SEO purposes.
- Is there a use for that photo you took at the weekend?
- Could this email content be added to the blog?
- You did an amazing thing, well done! Is it PR-worthy? Award-winning?
The idea is that you’re making the assets you already have work harder for you, and understanding where the gaps are. Plan out the next assets you need and how you’re going to achieve this. How much time can you dedicate? Is there scope to bring in external help?
3. Marketing
From understanding your audience fully, you know what kinds of marketing activities would be the most beneficial for your business, so prioritise them by what you know will be the most effective.
Yes, use the assets you have! But don’t forget to keep in mind your potential customers’ aims and pain points, and demonstrate how what you offer benefits them.