What aspects of your marketing are you dissatisfied with?

[Orlando Road]

I'm a marketing director and I have spent my career working in large corporates.
Last year I serendipitously had the opportunity to start an elevator services company with an industry veteran as a side project.

Over the last year, in my spare time, I've implemented and executed a small business marketing plan (fast website, SEO, email marketing, digital ads (Google/Facebook/Instagram/Linkedin), flyer drops, industry magazine adverts, PR, branding.
Leads are now nicely building up and we have a pipeline of work stretching into next year. We've gone from a standing start to a run rate of about £750k/yr.

My question to other small business operators is what aspects of your current lead generation isn't working for you?
Traditional marketing? Flyers, adverts, radio,
Digital marketing? Website, SEO, Google Ads.

If you outsource your marketing are you satisfied with the 3rd party's efforts?
Do you pay £500/m for 'SEO' but don't know what it means? Or what it's doing to drive leads for example?
How are you measuring the return on investment?

I'd be interested in your feedback.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

Firstly, a tagline and working on that.

Secondly, using the website. Every website developer gives us conflicting advice so we're just trying to figure it out from the info and our customer base.

Just about to create a mass of content for our marketing campaign and go into that. There's quite a bit of content to be created and that will form the backbone of our campaigns. Some of these are really ABM focused and literally aimed at one company we're trying to get a sale from while others are more generic.

Then, email marketing: We bought a list to run our first, email marketing test and while I hate spending money just to test stuff, we have a better idea of what does / doesn't work. We'd still go with a bought list but now have a much better understanding of the limitations. An email marketing 'guide' to bought lists would've been really useful but it can work.

 

[fisicx]

My question to other small business operators is what aspects of your current lead generation isn't working for you?

Surely if a method isn't working you just stop and try something different or focus on the methods that do work.

Most small businesses find a niche and are happy to just tick along. For example, a sparky can only do a couple of jobs each day (or one big project per week). If they are getting enough leads to keep them busy there is no point in spending on marketing as they won't be able to deliver.

Businesses only need people like you when they have spare capacity. If they are already working flat out they don't need help with marketing.

 

[marydee]

Surely if a method isn't working you just stop and try something different or focus on the methods that do work.

Most small businesses find a niche and are happy to just tick along. For example, a sparky can only do a couple of jobs each day (or one big project per week). If they are getting enough leads to keep them busy there is no point in spending on marketing as they won't be able to deliver.

Businesses only need people like you when they have spare capacity. If they are already working flat out they don't need help with marketing.

"Surely if a method isn't working you just stop and try something different" - If you don't have the time/experience/knowledge to implement something properly and that's the reason it's not working, then you'd maybe get some help in. I would anyway.

 

[fisicx]

"Surely if a method isn't working you just stop and try something different" - If you don't have the time/experience/knowledge to implement something properly and that's the reason it's not working, then you'd maybe get some help in. I would anyway.

Totally agree. But the assumption is you already have some marketing skills. If you don’t then you would already be employing someone with the necessary skills. Trouble is many small businesses think they can do it themselves and see marketing as an expense rather than an investment.

 

[marydee]

Totally agree. But the assumption is you already have some marketing skills. If you don’t then you would already be employing someone with the necessary skills. Trouble is many small businesses think they can do it themselves and see marketing as an expense rather than an investment.

Truth.