The Big, Bold Mindset & Approach

All successful business building strategies and marketing, starts with the right mindset and approach.

Without thinking about these aspects, your marketing TACTICS just won’t work the way you want them to.

Focus On Building Relationships

More and more, people and consumers are craving real relationships.

When looking at any marketing you produce for your business, you MUST have the aim, not just in the back of your mind, but at the forefront, of forging and building relationships with your customers.

But not just your customers. You also need to think about creating relationships with suppliers and strategic industry partners who could assist you. You should also forge relationships with other business owners, whether that be locally or online.

While you should always approach ANY relationship building exercise with an attitude of ‘how can I help THEM’ – you just never know how that generosity will come back to help you.

SATISFY CLIENTS & CUSTOMERS MORE

The stock standard approach to customer service and client liaison will just not cut it in 2023. People expect more than that.

To set yourself apart from your competitors, whether you sell products or provide services, you must go that extra mile in keeping them happy and delivering more than they expect.

Meeting their expectations isn’t enough. Exceeding them will create an impact and generate positive reviews and referrals.

And often, it’s easier to do this than you might think.

GET CLEAR & CONSISTENT

Clarity will always win the day. If you’re muddled on what value you provide to your ideal customers, your messaging will be muddled, your strategy and marketing will be muddled – and your customers will end up muddled.

A confused mind does not buy. Therefore, you need clarity – and so do they, so they can clearly see the value they’re getting.

Once you have clarity, you need to portray that clarity consistently. Consistency helps with clarity and helps people to get to know your brand and to trust you.

Be Truly Authentic

One of the biggest advantages we have as smaller businesses is that we can make our business really personal. Our customers crave connection to the purchases and investments they make, and also to the businesses they support.

Gone are the days where business and marketing have to be stiff, formal or corporate. All of that, equals boring.

People love connecting with other REAL people. Be yourself, quirks and all. If you’re engaging with your marketing – you’ll win over more customers.

REMAIN INNOVATIVE & ITERATIVE

The most successful businesses out there today aren’t the ones who follow the rest of their industry. The successful businesses innovate, disrupt and dare to be different within their industries. And they do so, continuously.

They’re constantly changing things up, reviewing what works and what doesn’t, and finding the opportunities that no one else has spotted.

Innovation stands out and cuts through the noise.

Keep Things Simple

Simplicity is seriously underrated. And from this article, you may well get the impression that business and marketing is quite complicated. It certainly can be. However, often, it’s the simple things that work. Even when you’re going bigger and bolder than ever before.

Simple should never be underestimated.

The Big, Bold Marketing Tactics

Write Books

Writing a book for your business can be an incredibly powerful strategy. Becoming an author establishes and showcases your expertise and positions you as a leader in your space. It also enhances client and customer trust.

But it also seems hard to many of us. Books can take months to write, require a lot of dedication and the publishing process can be daunting.

Which is why it’s so powerful. Not everyone will dare to do it. Which means if you do –you’re well ahead of them.

The only thing more powerful than writing and publishing a book? Writing and publishing several.

And while it might seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be. You might actually find that you already have a lot of great content within your business, that you can repurpose into your book content.

PRODUCE VIDEOS & PODCASTS

As mentioned earlier, people love connection and relationships. And one of the best and quickest ways to do this online, is through videos and podcasts.

When people can hear your voice, and see your face on videos, they’ll trust you more.

Implement Clever Seo

SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is such a tricky one, as it’s complicated and such a dodgy industry at times. We don’t blame you if your sceptical, as so many business owners get burnt by overpromising agencies who deliver crappy results (#harshbuttrue).

However, SEO brings in so much potential website traffic and therefore, so many potential customers, purchases or leads.

You probably know yourself, that if you search for something you need, you’ll head straight to those first few websites you find on Google. The trick to SEO is to educate yourself on the different aspects, and to find the RIGHT support to assist you.

Here’s what you need:

• Keyword Research

• SEO Website Copywriting

• Technical Website Optimisation

• Quality Ongoing Content

• Quality Backlinks

Create Better Content & Messaging

Your business messaging, or copywriting, really can make or break your business. And it’s the number one thing most businesses struggle with, besides their tech.

Good content and messaging speaks to your ideal client or customers true desires and the outcomes THEY want. It doesn’t just describe the features or your process.

Processes or features don’t sell. Outcomes do.

Devise Bigger Lead Magnets

This is one of our biggest tips at the moment. Go bigger with your lead magnets!

For those who don’t know what they are, they are basically a free incentive to offer your target customer, to get them onto your mailing list – and hopefully upsell them into something paid.

And once upon a time, a simple checklist or a little eGuide would suffice. Or, in the case of eCommerce, a discount code. These days, we firmly believe that you need a little more.

Often in the eCommerce or product world, you can get away with a discount or coupon code offer. But it needs to be a decent discount. 5% won’t cut it. 10% may. But 15 –20% is better. Remember – even if you make less on their first order, the aim is to turn them into repeat customers. That’s where the money is.

However, We really like the idea of offering a ‘pack’ or a ‘bundle’ of something. Rather than just offering ONE thing, you bundle a few different little items together, to make it more appealing.

Most people know that they’re being bribed for their email address – and they expect to be spammed with marketing as a result. And the same old ‘freebies’ just aren’t working, as they are no longer viewed to be as valuable. When you offer a bundle of items, you provide more value.

For eCommerce, this might be a physical sample size product (or 2 or 3), plus an eGuide and a first purchase discount.

For a service based business, you might want to offer an eGuide and a video masterclass. Or, a masterclass series, a mini course, a book (see the book section above) etc.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or costly, but it does require a little bit of effort to really showcase your expertise and wow your audience.

CRAFT BOLDER SALES FUNNELS & NURTURE PROCESSES

Once you have a lead magnet sorted, and you start to get people on to your email list, you need to nurture them.

This involves a series of automated emails that get sent to new leads that hopefully encourages them to take the next step with you – whether that be to book a call or purchase something.

Some sales funnels can be quite simple –with 5 or so emails that encourage someone to buy something specific (either something little or large).

Other funnels may include multiple steps, with cheaper products leading to larger purchases, upsells and downsells, or tripwires.

This can get quite complicated and needs to be very well thought out, planned and executed.

But always remember that you want to establish a relationship with your potential client or customer. And not just a ‘singleuse’ relationship – but a long term one.

Therefore, make sure your funnels and messaging isn’t overly ‘used car salesy’ or pushy. You want to forge a genuine connection and establish trust. Give, before you ask.

A Clear, Cohesive Strategy

All businesses need to develop a very clear and cohesive strategy that guides EVERYTHING they do.

None of the above will work if you use them as a scattergun approach. You must determine what your individual target audience needs and then create the right plan and utilise the right tactics that will help them.

Any marketing you do, also needs to work for you. We’re all busy and time poor. And business shouldn’t be a drag or a chore. It should light us up and give us a sense of fulfillment and purpose – while also helping our customers.

If you really don’t want to tackle a tactic we’ve mentioned, then don’t. It won’t work if you don’t believe in it or can’t get enthusiastic about it. However, keep in mind that nothing is ever as complicated as it might seem or feel at first. And as business owners, we really need to push ourselves to do the things that make us uncomfortable.

Plus, there’s always help out there. We help lots of regional small businesses all around Australia to implement big, bold tactics that really cut through the noise and put them on the map. Everything from planning through to implementation.

But there’s lots of great help out there who can help you get these things done and working for you.

Never be afraid to be bigger and bolder than your competitors – and never ever think that you can’t reach out for help.

Here’s to a fantastically successful 2023!

Sarah Walkerden & Toby Billing –The Rural Marketing Company

Sarah is a multi-award-winning copywriter and marketer with over 19 years’ experience. She holds a Bachelor of Technology and is recognised as a CPM (Certified Practising Marketer) with the Australian Marketing Institute. Sarah is also a best-selling author of multiple books.

Toby is an experienced business founder, with multiple businesses and accolades under his belt. His current business, Billing Metals & Manufacturing, supplies specialty metals and element samples to schools, universities, and amateur scientists.

They love nothing more than combining their skills to empower like-minded rural business owners and regional authors to succeed.

More information, visit: theruralmarketingco.com.au