Marketing is a huge part of what will make your business successful. If you’re not promoting your services and getting new customers through the door regularly, it will impact your revenue and ability to expand and grow. We know we don’t need to tell you that. However, actually getting round to sorting your marketing when you have so many other important things on your to-do list can be tough.
It is without a doubt worth the effort though and it doesn’t need to be complex. Here are five ways you can get started with increasing your businesses marketing presence.
Create and update Google My Business profile
GMB allows you to increase your business presence across google search and google maps in your area. Making it easier for potential customers to find you. An up to date google profile with the right contact details, opening hours, treatments, reviews and photos makes it easy for customers to find the information they need and get in touch with you. Gaining good reviews on GMB helps to boost your reputation. Responding to reviews shows you value customer feedback and can build trust. Adding posts and photos shows your customers you are active and will drive engagement and conversions.
Have a social media presence
We get it, social media is an area so many business owners struggle with. Time constraints, lack of understanding the different platforms, coming up with ideas of what to post, keeping up with the audience engagement, it all takes a lot of time and energy. However, in 2023, being on at least one social media platform is a must do. Potential clients want to see some social proof of your business and what you are all about. It gives you a platform to show off not only your treatments, but your team, the clinic and promote seasonal offers, packages and new treatments.
Don’t over complicate your approach. Choose one platform based on where the majority of your customers are going to be. This article from Social Sprout will help you decide which one is right for your business. Then, with our basic suggestions, get started with setting up your social media strategy. If you don’t have time to manage this on an on-going basis, there are many freelancers out there that can help you. Fiverr is a great resource to find social media support.
A simple & clear website
This might sound like a huge job but it really is a must have. Your clients experience starts with the very first time they come across your business, and this is most often your website. If your site is old, broken, unclear or lacking the desired information it can be really off putting.
Having a clear, simple, aesthetically pleasing website with all the basic info potential clients are looking for can make all the difference in whether someone will reach out and book, or move on to the nearest competitor in your area.
It doesn’t have to be expensive. For a basic, easy to navigate, user friendly website you can get this built for a few hundred pounds. Keeping it simple, a straightforward site with three pages: About page, Treatment list and Contact page, with links out to your booking system will be enough to get you started. Make sure your social media profile is visible as well as your phone and email contact info.
Build an email list
Wherever it is possible, collect email addresses and get approval to market to them. There are many places you can collect emails. Your contact forms, treatment booking system, social media landing page, in-clinic forms are all places you can collect emails. Creating an opt in pop-up on your website with an introductory offer is a great place to get new contacts. Or running a competition via social media for a complementary treatment or a discount on a package for new customers only will encourage potential new clients to sign up, which you can target with promotions at a later date.
Set up Automation
Automating certain marketing tasks takes the stress out of building relationships with your customers, it saves you time and effort, freeing you up to focus on other things. Marketing automation can be set up for welcome emails, social media, email and reviews to name a few. It can take time in the beginning but in the long run you’ll be glad you made the time. Read our blog post on marketing automation for some other ideas of how to save yourself time.
Hopefully there’s at least one or two things on this list you agree would be a benefit to your business if you don’t already have it. Have a think about which one you are not doing, but will choose to get started on this week.
