Between Jan 2020 – July 2021, I did a good job of sharing a blog post every two weeks. As a result, there were on average roughly 500 people per month on our website.
Although 500 people per month does not sound like a lot, it satisfies our needs given that we only require 1 or 2 new customers per month.
Since July 2021, my focus was more so on scaling internal processes than marketing. However knowing how effective in terms of business growth and enjoyable marketing can be, I am excited to kick off our Marketing Strategy for 2023.
The main goal of our Marketing Strategy for 2023
Our main goal this year is to kickstart the cycle of long term business growth.
We intend to achieve this by creating content which creates deep connections with people who are interested in running small businesses and startups.
Whether it be this year or three years from now, I hope that people who have enjoyed our content will think of us whenever they have web design, eCommerce or eLearning needs.
To achieve the above goal, we will use the following Inbound and Outbound strategies which have worked for us in the past.
Inbound Marketing Strategies
1. Podcast and Blog
Combined, each blog post and podcast episode take roughly 10 hours to create.
Given the 10 hour time requirement, we will stick to sharing just 1 new post every 2 weeks.
This worked well for us in previous years and is a great way of ensuring that your network knows that your business exists. The pros and cons I have experienced when creating content include:
Pros:
– great way to connect with people on a deeper level
– it’s quite enjoyable and a great way to get your own thoughts in order. For instance, writing this post has forced me really reflect on our Small Business Marketing Strategy for 2023
Cons:
– it requires a lot time to produce decent quality content somewhat regularly
– some posts may get very little engagement which can be disheartening given how much effort goes into them. This is why it’s important to really enjoy the process of creating the content so that you’re not too downbeat if something doesn’t land
2. Google Ads
We have had mixed results over the years from running Google Ads.
Despite these mixed results, we still believe that it’s worth always having a little Google Ads campaign running at least as it attract some potential new clients.
Pro:
– you do receive more enquiries
Con:
– these enquiries convert at a much lower rate than referrals we receive.
This year, we will start by allocating a small monthly budget of just €150 to Google Ads. Should we receive some enquiries from this, we will most likely increase the budget.
Outbound Marketing Strategies
1. Upwork
Upwork is a platform wherein people post upcoming projects they have so that freelancers and agencies from around the world can bid on them. Upwork has helped us to acquire some great clients over the last two years. The pros and cons of Upwork that we have experienced include:
Pro:
– you can pitch for projects which are exactly what you specialise in
– you can expand your clientele into new countries
– you can access a large market
Con:
– the conversion rate from submitting a proposal to agreeing a project is very low, so it often feels like a lot of time is wasted here
– Upwork takes a large percentage (20%) of the project price which can really affect profitability
– it’s great having clients in many countries, however timezones can become an issue
Conclusion
When you receive the majority of your new business from referrals, it’s easy to neglect marketing almost entirely.
However marketing plays a crucial role in the growth of your company, so it’s important to keep experimenting to find a marketing strategy which is right for you.
Our 2023 marketing strategy aims to be time efficient and enjoyable so that it won’t get neglected this year.
I’ll post in 6 month’s time to let you know how it’s going.
Thank you for reading as always,
Gary
