Kick start your Q4 marketing mindset

As the kids return to school, this time of year has a sense of new beginnings and fresh starts.  In our latest blog we wanted to consider how our marketing mindset will influence our successes as we approach the final quarter.  We often talk about marketing strategy as it is such a key part of successful marketing, to read our comprehensive guide which outlines some key things to include, please click here.

I was recently talking to a small business owner, she was tired and struggling with a few things post the kids being home over the holidays.  She shared that she thought things were not great, so over a cuppa, we started to look in greater depth at what was really happening. When we reviewed the business performance and client feedback it was all positive and her figures were up month and month. During a different time, with a different mindset and perspective she would have been saying quite the reverse.

This got me thinking about how our marketing mindset can influence the perception of how things are performing. So, let’s start by thinking about what we mean by mindset?  Your mindset is a set of beliefs or perspective which can help to shape how you perceive the world around you.  This perspective can then influence how you think, feel, behave or respond to challenges.  Typically, there are cited to be two types of mindset – a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.  A fixed mindset is typically where you believe that once something is set, it cannot be changed eg: if you are not good at playing tennis, then you will never be good at playing tennis.  By reverse, a growth mindset is where you thrive on challenges and see something not working as a challenge to overcome.  Which mindset do you think you have?

How can we create a positive marketing mindset?

As we head into what is typically a very productive season and with a lot of debate in the media about mental wellbeing, how can we create a positive mindset?  Below we share some ideas to get you started:

1. Focus on the successes.  This can be a difficult one if you are feeling low or exhausted. As part of your marketing strategy review, reflect on the successes within your business across the year.  What projects or client work helped you to achieve your objectives?  
2. Surround yourself with positive people.  As a small business owner it can be lonely working by yourself.  If you can get out and network and surrounding yourself with positive energy, you will start to see a shift in mood.  By reverse, if you are an introvert then ensure you take time for yourself to reflect and to re-energise.
3. Turn failures into lessons.  I love this thought, when things don’t go so well, it is an opportunity to lear from it.  Often this teaching can be very powerful and if it takes us on a different path then there is often a reason why.  What projects have not gone so well this year and what can you learn from them?
4. Focus on the present.  It is often easy to focus on what has not gone to plan, take each day as it comes and focus on what is happening now.
5. Focus on your area of genius.  By tracking where and how you spend your time in your small business can be really insightful.  Find the tasks that give you energy and identify those that drain you.  Outsource these tasks if you can, or try to find alternative ways around completing them.
6. Ensure you create a positive work/ life balance.  I know from personal experience this is harder to do than often it sounds.  Making sure you define what the right work/ life balance looks like for you and try to stick to it as much as you can.  Ensuring you eat well, practice good sleep hygiene, get outdoors and exercise regularly will help to build a strong sense of mental wellbeing.  

Marketing Actions

Assuming we head into the final quarter with a positive mindset, where should we focus our marketing actions? Marketing is most effective when completed little and often, with frequency definitely being key, however, it can sometimes be tough to know where to start.  Further to a recent conversation I had with a small business owner, they were feeling overwhelmed with all possible marketing actions.  If you read the media, you would not be focusing on anything but marketing.  The key is to work out the actions which are most important for your small business and have the greatest impact.  To help you do this, here are five things to consider:

1. Know your numbers and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).  Review how the business is performing against the objectives you set earlier in the year.  Have you smashed them?  Or do they need to be revised?  What product or service you offer makes you money?  In a recent conversations with a small business owner, they had three levels of service. Through our discussions we defined that they wanted to focus on working with their clients 1:1, as they only needed a few of these to generate the required revenue.
2. Business environment.  There are many stories in the media of rising cost of living, the environment and predictions of a recession on the horizon.  Considering these macro events and any localised industry influences, how is your business landscape changing?  Consider how you might need to adapt your product or service to support your clients in the best way.
3. Pricing and products.  With insight about the changing landscape, consider if you need to review your pricing or amend your products.  Understanding how things may need to change could be really valuable as we move forward.
4. Systems and reporting.  Ensure that your delivery systems are working and that you’re you are continually understanding how your business is performing.  Depending on the size of your organisation we should be looking at this weekly or monthly.
5. 90-day planning session.  If we have all of our harvest media organised, it can create a sense of calm.  By taking time out of your week to plan your blog, email and social media content for the next month can help you get organised.  It can also help you to prepare for any forthcoming campaigns.

There is a lot to think about as we start to prepare for the final quarter and your mindset will influence this.  If you would like some help in getting organised please get in touch to arrange a discovery call.