Marketing You Can Do From Your Beach Chair 2023

Yes the weather is perfect right now. For many of us, we’d rather be enjoying the outdoors, instead of working on our marketing. Not to worry….here’s a few things you can do from your beach chair that will net more business by the fall.

1. Stay connected with your clients. If you don’t have a newsletter yet – it’s time. Digital e-newsletters are one of the most cost-effective ways to let your customers know you’re thinking about them. They remind clients and prospects alike about your services, and position your company as an industry expert. So when they are ready to buy, they will think of you first.
A Tip: Provide something of value, such as industry news, a how-to tip, a resource, etc. Offer information –  but steer clear of hard-selling.

2. Start a Routine. Do you only think about marketing only when sales are down? Creating a marketing process will help abate the ‘yo-yo syndrome’ and ensure that your pipeline stays filled. Think of the tools you have used that have been successful in the past, and work them into your schedule. Add them to your calendar to make sure you’ll do them regularly.

3. Connect on LinkedIn. While many professionals have a LinkedIn account, just as many are unsure about what they should do with it. Here’s a short checklist:

• Send out invites and ‘connect’ with your colleagues, clients and prospects.
• Send a hello to those connections you haven’t spoken to in awhile.
• Do more than be a ‘serial liker’ – make comments to other people’s posts.
• Endorse your connections.
• Ask for a meeting. Suggest to meet for coffee, on Zoom, or phone. LinkedIn is a platform to get introduced – take it to the next step so you can learn more about each other and find out if there’s any synergy.

Start in the Summer. Summer is a slower pace for many businesses; your connections may be more open to meeting in July or August. Relationships that you work on now have the potential to bloom later in the year.

Consider spending just 15 minutes per day on LinkedIn – maybe as an addition to your morning coffee.

4. Spruce Up Your LinkedIn Profile. Have you updated your profile lately? Add in any awards, accomplishments, recognitions, photos, videos and special interests.
A Tip: A professional head shot is a must.

5. Get Your List Together. Sooner or later, you’ll decide to do a newsletter. Or a mailing. Or a LinkedIn campaign. Which means you’ll need a good list of prospects to send it to. A tip: the time to create a database list is before you need it. It takes time to cultivate a list…so get cracking. Have a stack of business cards from connections you’ve made at networking events? Convert them into an Xcel or Google doc spreadsheet, along with clients and prospects. So when you need that list, it will be ready.

6. Grade Your Website. Summers tend to slow down for many, so it’s a good time to evaluate your current website. Is it doing everything you’d like it to? Is it mobile friendly? Can you display videos on your site? Can you make your own edits? Collect email addresses? If you’ve answered no to any of these questions, it may be time for a site update.

7. Check the Pulse. Look over the last 12 months of your marketing and decide which tactics are working/not working. If it hasn’t delivered a monetary return in the last 12-18 months, cut it loose!

8. Play a Video. More people prefer ‘getting their news’ by watching a video over reading an article. Not all your videos need to be made by a professional. Grab your iPhone and get filming. Do-it-yourself videos are more acceptable than ever.

While you’re working on your marketing, don’t forget the sunscreen!