No matter how your small business has performed in 2023, the New Year is a great time to reflect on how you can set yourself up for greater success in the year ahead.
Whether you’re focused on maximising marketing, improving productivity or grappling with growth, there’s a range of tactics you can explore today that can help your small business tomorrow.
Maximise your marketing
If you haven’t tried email marketing, 2024 just might be the year to give this powerful marketing tool a try. Start with asking your existing customers to sign up to your business by clearly explaining the benefits they will receive. For new website visitors, consider a pop-up invitation on your website with an enticing discount or reward. The best marketing emails come with an eye-catching subject line and include images and content that are compelling for your unique customers.
Also check that your website hosting is at the right level for your business and traffic volumes. There is nothing that has the power to hurt a brand more than a website crashing mid-experience. Ask your website host provider to help you determine if you need an upgrade.
Drawing up a marketing calendar will help save time and ensure you always have compelling content to share that keeps you top of mind with your customers. A marketing calendar will help ensure you don’t miss major communication opportunities for your business and make the most of external events to wrap your message into, for example, seasons and holiday periods to tailor content for email marketing and social media.
Has your small-business brand got a slogan or tagline? Having a catchy slogan can help your brand to stand out in a crowded marketing environment and define your brand in the eyes of customers. Start with a brainstorm and then test your catchiest creations on family, friends and even some customers before committing.
Boost your small-business productivity
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT can help small businesses to make productivity gains that matter. AI chatbots can help time-poor small business owners with tasks like drafting responses to customers, recommending strategies for growth and crafting social media posts.
Data can be a powerful tool for businesses big and small alike. Whether its data from your social media accounts, website or online store, a little analysis can go a long way. Data like this can take the guesswork out of important decisions and point to the best times to have sales, post offers and how to manage stock levels.
Grappling with growth
If your small business is growing, a website is a great way to continue to expand your reach and opportunities. Many Australians research, connect and purchase with brands online, so having a web presence can be an excellent way to establish your small business bona fides. It can also be a great sales platform when you are ready to launch an online shop.
For those small businesses that already have a website, a yearly health check is a great way to ensure your platform is still performing. Start with making sure you have the right web hosting plan to ensure your website is fast and reliable for customers.
The brand and logo you started your small business journey with might not be the exact style you want to move forward with. Even global brands sometimes refresh their style and colourings. If you are unsure about the longevity of your brand look, consider playing with an app that can generate some fresh logos and see if they inspire.
Whether you have major growth plans for your small business or a desire to consolidate your brand performance, there are plenty of tactics you can use to give your small business a boost going into 2024.
