The pandemic has seen UK industries split. Some businesses are still struggling to get back on their feet while others are booming beyond their wildest expectations. Those experiencing an upturn may be seeing sales soar because they adapted their business during periods of lockdown and have discovered a better way of doing things. Others may be experiencing higher demand because consumers have had time to take stock and make a change. Whatever the reason for the growth, it can leave busy businesses in a bit of a quandary when it comes to marketing their wares. The thought of bringing new customers on board right now might make you shudder. How will you cope? However, on the flip side, how will you cope when the work you’re busy servicing now runs out if your pipeline is empty?
Filling the pipeline
I’m writing this blog with a little smile on my face because this is a debate that raged for most of my 20 years working in agency life. There were days I didn’t know which way to turn we were so busy, and I admit, I didn’t relish the idea of pitching for new business when things were already so hectic. But there is no denying the importance of filling your business pipeline. You never know what is around the corner, so it is better to be prepared by continuing to market your business, even when times are good.
So how do you find the time to market your wares when you’re up to your eyeballs in servicing the customers you already have? It’s a fair question. One of the best ways to generate new business a bit more softly, is to generate inbound leads. For those of you unfamiliar with this term it means that you don’t have to generate a vast and complex suite of marketing materials, spend thousands of pounds on advertising, or spend hours on the phone calling your top list of prospects to try to drum up more business that you’re not sure you even want! Inbound lead generation focuses on marketing activity that encourages your prospects to pick up the phone to you.
Gently does it
Business blogs are a fantastic way of generating inbound leads. If people find a blog useful, they will revisit it time and time again and are more likely to contact the author of that blog when they need that product or service. Business blogs position you as an authority in your field, a trusted voice in a sea of noise. If readers like what they see, they may contact you immediately for more information about your offering. Or they may save you as a favourite, sign up to your blog, or follow you on social media (where you can regularly promote your blog) so they know where you are if they need you in the future.
Call for back up
I realise that right about now you’ll be shouting at your screen something along the lines, ‘how on earth am I going to find the time to write a blog right now?!’ Yes, I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and keep it clean! I fully empathise with how much time writing and maintaining a business blog can take, but if you don’t have the capacity in-house, it could well be worth looking into outsourcing this part of your marketing. If you work with an external copywriter, they can spend the time learning about your business, absorbing the topics that are important to you, researching the posts you know you want to write about but don’t have the time, and ultimately populating your blog with fresh and engaging content. Content that will ensure your website is working hard to market your business, while you do what you do best and stay focused on delivering the fantastic product or service you offer your customers.
It’s difficult when business is busy to keep the pedal to the metal when it comes to marketing, but that’s where outsourcing really comes into its own. So, if you’d like to make sure the demand continues, while remaining focused on existing customers, don’t be shy in calling for back up. It might mean you can have your cake and eat it which is a pretty good place to be.
Writer of smart, engaging copy for businesses that understand the importance of great copy, but struggle to find the time to give it the attention it needs. I offer a proactive approach to deliver fresh content.
