Whether you own an established bakery or a start-up tech firm, you know that marketing is the backbone of your small business. It’s how you communicate with potential customers and create stronger ties with existing ones. So when it comes to marketing your business, you want your efforts to be as effective as possible. That’s where intention makes a difference.

Although a casual approach may seem like the best fit for your schedule or your personality, when you become intentional with your marketing, positive results will follow. Rather than seeing marketing as an expense, you will begin to see it as an investment in growing your business.

But what does it really mean to be intentional? At its core, it means having a plan and sticking to it. But more than that, it means making deliberate decisions, starting with the end goal in mind and not relying on luck.

Here are just a few ways to be intentional with your own small business marketing:

Use an Editorial Calendar

Using a tool like an editorial calendar goes a long way towards being intentional with what you say and when you say it.

How many times have you tried to write an email, or a newsletter, or a social media post and found yourself completely blocked, wondering what to say and how to say it? How many days (or weeks) did you let your marketing communications slide because you got too busy with the day to day of running your business? An editorial calendar will help you plan out your messaging, time your communications with events or holidays, and keep you accountable for following through.

An essential tool for organization and consistency, an editorial calendar can be as simple as hand written chart or as complex as a multi-tab spreadsheet. It can also be a handy place to keep track of which communications garnered the best results. Knowing which topics your customers were most engaged with can help guide your messaging goals month-to-month.

An editorial calendar will keep you focused on the goal – the very essence of intention. 

Know Your Important Keywords – and Use Them

If you’re not already focused on optimizing your website (and all digital content) for search engines, it’s time to start. When the content you post matches what people are searching for in search engines like Google, you have better chances of being listed in the results that are returned. It’s called Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, and it’s value to your website (and your business) cannot be underestimated. After all, what’s the point of a beautiful website if no one can find it?

While there are sophisticated methods for researching keywords, there are also simple ones that can go a long way. For instance, start by putting yourself in the mind of your customers. What questions might they frequently search? Then, make a list of important topics that are related to your business. Search these questions phrases yourself and look at related searches that appear in the drop down box. Come up with a list of 10-15 relevant words or phrases to use on your website, in your blog and any place you put words to screen.

Being intentional with the language you use in your digital communications will set you up for success right from the start.

Really Understand your Key Performance Indicators and Where to Find Them 

Being intentional also means knowing how to measure your efforts. How do you know if your marketing is successful? It rests on understanding your key performance indicators (KPIs) and where to find them.

So much information is available that digital analytics can be overwhelming. But throwing your hands up will get you nowhere. Intentional marketers will take the time to understand measurements like how many people are visiting their website, how long they stay and where they are coming from. KPIs can answer questions like: Do people find my website easy to navigate? Are customers finding my business on Google? Are my social media posts really bringing customers to my website? Do customers visit my site frequently or are my visitors primarily first-timers?

Understanding how to measure success will help guide your marketing decisions. It will make you intentional about what you do and why you do it.

Provide a Call to Action

Sometimes it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference. Making sure that your marketing materials offer your customers a next step – a call to action – can be the difference that brings positive results. Do you want them to visit a specific web page? Sign up for a newsletter? Make a phone call? Being intentional also means communicating what it is you want your customers to do. If you’re not clear about what you want them to do, they aren’t likely to do it.

Taking advantage of tools like editorial calendars, keeping search engines in mind with all of your communications, knowing your KPIs and always including a call to action are just a few examples of being intentional with your marketing.

If you’re looking to take your marketing to the next level but need a little help getting there, consider a two-hour power session. In a hands-on one-on-one session, Amy DeLardi, founder of Infinite Web Designs, will not only help you set your marketing intention, but she’ll show you how to achieve it.

For more information, check out: https://infinitewebdesigns.com/2-hour-power-session/

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