As an entrepreneur, we can get pulled in so many different directions. There are challenges that will distract you on this entrepreneurial journey. In this article, I will highlight just a few marketing challenges for entrepreneurs and new business owners.
- Not knowing your audience: So many people start businesses based on their
passions and strengths. This is excellent! However, we often are so focused on starting the business that we forget to pay attention to who we are selling to, including their needs, desires and burdens. We sometimes stop at just describing the demographics of our target audience. However, there is more to knowing your audience than their age or demographics. How do they purchase? What keeps them up at night? Where do they consume information? What do they follow and like on social media? It is critically important to know your audience.
- The wrong marketing platforms: Many new businesses have the wrong marketing platforms. They hear about so many social media platforms or new apps or programs and they want to start all of them. There is not careful consideration of which platforms work for your business, target audience or which of them “speak” or sync with each other. It is important to do an audit of your programs and make sure they work for your business and marketing strategy.
- Inconsistency & Lack of Clarity: One of the keys to branding is creating a consistent story and selling that narrative to your audience. This requires managing a lot of moving pieces and being able to stand back from your company and brand and decide on a consistent message. This can be challenging. Often, this is the importance of having a marketing or branding consultant, to have an objective eye to look at your messaging and challenge you on your strategy. Inconsistent messaging can cause distrust and ultimately hurt your brand and selling opportunities.
- Not Knowing Your USP: Knowing your Unique Selling Proposition is key to marketing and branding. You must know what value you bring to the table. What is your differentiator? Why should your clients and customers purchase from you? When businesses are unclear on this, they stumble through their messaging and how to sell and package their products and services for their clients. Know your value.
- Underestimating Content Marketing: Most small businesses don’t have the time or staff to work on content for their social media, blogs or website. However, content marketing is key to establishing your brand and identity. It is what will set you apart as a thought leader in your industry. No matter what you are selling, work on establishing yourself as an expert in your industry.
All these issues can be overwhelming, however, every business owner faces marketing challenges. For assistance with any of these marketing challenges, feel free to contact me.