News stations are finally embracing the word that COVID numbers are going down and vaccine administrations are going up. That’s allowing people to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. If you have weathered the storm so far, you know your business is not completely in the clear. There are always unexpected challenges like freak snowstorms and mass electrical outages that are keeping us all on our business toes, regardless of where you sell or operate from. Nothing will tell you faster how interconnected we are than understanding how weather in one part of the country can stimy business operations in another.
 
But as we begin to see COVID numbers drop and (eventually) restrictions loosen, there are several common marketing mistakes you’ll want to avoid.
 

 
Just Getting the Work Done by Putting Out Fires“The world hates a vacuum.” Have you ever heard that phrase? Said another way…wherever there is emptiness, it will become full. The same is true of your business day and marketing. You can be busy putting out fires, doing the busy work, or you can grab command of your day and insist on purpose.
 
If you come up with and commit to accomplishing 2-3 things for your marketing each day, you’ll get more done each week and start to really see a difference in your business. Many people will argue that they come up with goals but are then derailed by more important things that need their attention.
 
If you find this to be true, you’re either not prioritizing well or you’re letting the demands of others derail your business goals. Always ask yourself with each activity you take on during the day, “Is this moving me closer to where I want to be in my business or is it setting me adrift from my goals?” Once you begin framing everything that way, you will find it easier to stay on task.
 
That is not to say, your marketing goals never need to be adjusted. If there’s one thing COVID has taught us, it’s agility. We need to be able to bend and redirect. But always do so with the business in mind. If you’re going to rebalance your goals, do so with the destination in mind, not as a reaction to a “squeaky wheel.”
 
Being All Things to All People“Everyone” is not an ideal customer. Even if you think “everyone” loves your product and service. Case in point, let’s say you’re in the business of making really wonderful coffee, and you charge $6 a cup for it. First, everyone doesn’t love coffee. Secondly, not everyone sees the value in a $6 cup when there are options at lower price points. Yes, some people understand that you roast your own beans and that makes a difference in the flavor and some people will love you have six different types of organic creamers. Those people are your ideal customer, not people who buy $.59 cups of coffee at the gas station.
 
But if you think all coffee drinkers are the same, you could spend a lot of money trying to reach the economy buyers who will never spend anything with you. Instead, focus on reaching people who will appreciate your home-roasted beans and fancy creamers. They’re more likely to convert when you get your messaging in front of them.
 
Ignoring AnalyticsWe get it. Numbers are scary. But you’ll never know how you’re doing if you don’t look. Check out your Google Analytics but don’t get fixated on today’s (or even yesterday’s) data. This resource is most effective when you use it to track changes and notice what moves the meter over time.
 
You can use data to tell you what content topics resonate with your audience, what referral sources are your most lucrative, and whether you’re spending your ad money wisely. Let’s face it, no one has money they just want to throw away, especially now.
 
So, take a look at those numbers and the trends. They’ll become a good road map for you going forward.

Grab a cup of coffee and join PC Chamber President, Nicole Kochensparger, on Friday, February 26th at 9:30am via Zoom  for Coffee with the President.
Topics of discussion will range from:

1. current chamber benefits
2. how to utilize our website for your business
3. future benefits you'd like to see added to your membership
4. ideas on how we can better serve you

We hope that you will join in these engaging conversations! 
To register, click here! 
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This has certainly been a weird year. As we begin to adjust to our new reality, there are some things you could be doing in your business that may help you out in the post-COVID time. We can’t say it will ever be a return to normal. We’ve lost our innocence in some ways. Preparing for the worst in the past would never have (completely) readied us for this. But hopefully we’ve learned a thing or two to help us with future business.
 

3 Things To Learn During COVID to Improve Your BusinessHopefully you have done--or are in the process of doing--the following things to help you have a faster recovery.
 
You’ve Learned What Your Time Is WorthIn every business, there are things that are worth your time and things that aren’t. If you busy yourself with the things that aren’t, you will always feel underpaid and overworked. Instead, make a list of the things that you should be farming out to others.
 
It may seem counterintuitive to pay others to do things you could be doing but everything has a cost. For instance, if you are the primary person bringing in sales for your company but you’re also handling the landscaping and cleaning up the office, you’re losing money. The time you’re spending landscaping and cleaning is time not spent bringing in sales.
 
If you know that for every 5 people you try to sell to, one will buy from you and you know your average sale is $400, and you can reach 5 people in an hour, then you can expect—on average—a sale an hour. So, every hour you’re spending doing something else is costing you a sale.
 
It’s a lot less expensive to hire someone to do the landscaping and cleaning so you can concentrate on bringing in sales than it is for you to do those tasks yourself.
 
You’ve Picked Up a New SkillFrom webinars to online classes, there’s an educational pursuit for every interest and budget. Consider your interests but also think about what will improve your “employability” or your business. Think about complementary services you might offer if you improved your knowledge in a particular area. For instance, if you offer marketing content for businesses, learning more about SEO may help you command a higher hourly or project fee.
 
Now is an excellent time to look at educational options. There have never been so many affordable options.
 
You’ve Learned When You Work BestWith working from home situations, some businesspeople have had to get creative with their work hours. If you’ve done this, hopefully you’ve learned what your most productive hours are.
 
If you have, don’t waste them returning emails. Whatever is your “freshest” part of the day, you should use that to tackle new projects, bring on new accounts, brainstorm ways to grow your business, and other things.
 
Leave administrative tasks, like email, for later parts of the day. It will make you more productive.
 
COVID has forced us to reexamine where we work and how we do it. If you haven’t already, think about ways you might invest in making your business stronger post-COVID than it was before.
 
 
 

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