FROM A DESK IN THE CORNER OF A LIVING ROOM TO A 100-YEAR-OLD OFFICE WITH ROOM TO GROW!
We’re celebrating our 15-year Amperversary here at Ampersand, and we couldn’t be more proud of how our agency has helped Fuel and Simplify Business Growth for so many small and mid-sized businesses. With clients of every scope, stage of growth, and industry over the past 15 years, we’ve seen it all. So today, we’re here to share 15 marketing and advertising lessons learned. From marketing administrative needs to growth and budgeting strategies, these fundamentals may seem simple, but they’re great reminders for us all as we put time and energy into growing our brand:
1. Maintain Your Domain Access
While it may seem tempting to let your IT company or agency set up your domain, it’s critical that you, as a business owner, maintain the ownership and access in case that partnership ends. Registrars like GoDaddy or Network Solutions are easy to use, and setting the domain to auto-renew and keeping your credit card updated will ensure connectivity for your website, email, and more.
2. Own your Social Media Platforms
Similar to your domain, owners should always be the primary administrator on social media accounts. Far too many times, we see an old agency or departed employee with the keys to these critical channels, with businesses struggling to take ownership of their own social media accounts.
3. Save Those Logo Files
We know you can’t open that .ai or .eps file that your graphic designer gave you when you first created your logo. Keep those logo files safe, because you’ll need them someday. They are the key to high-integrity design work!
4. A Marketing Budget Should be Realistic, Not Optimistic
While it’s tempting to build a palatable marketing budget, that isn’t helpful if you consistently break the bank with added tactics or ad spend. Predicting your marketing needs and business changes helps us craft a realistic and inclusive budget. This way we all stay on track together.
5. Ask “How Did You Hear About Us?”
All the analytics in the world can’t beat a good ol’-fashioned question at the time of the sale. By asking (and tracking) how your prospects heard about you, you’ll gain better insights into which tactics are performing best and where to invest your marketing dollars.
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6. Set Baseline Analytics Tracking
Speaking of tracking, many teams don’t think about this until it’s too late to set a baseline. The best time to install tracking tags and identify key metrics is early on. Collect data about your business before you’ve doubled down on advertising expenses.
7. Invest in Internal Marketing
An engaged team is your best brand advocate. By investing in internal branding and culture, you can create raving fans…and improve employee recruitment and retention while up-leveling your customer service team.
8. Design & Keep a Clean CRM
Anyone who has had to do a CRM cleanup project knows how challenging it can be to sort through thousands of old contacts. By spending thoughtful time up front to engineer your CRM settings, fields, and workflows, you’ll have clean data when it’s time to leverage it for email, digital, or traditional campaigns.
9. Budget for Website Maintenance
Your website isn’t a one-and-done project—it’s an ongoing investment. To keep it running smoothly and securely as your business grows and technology advances, it’s essential to budget for regular content updates, technical support, and proactive security measures.
10. Slow & Steady Marketing Wins the Race
Far too many people start thinking about marketing when they are already desperate for leads. While quick campaigns can help move the needle, they take time to get off the ground and are often more costly than a consistent brand presence in the marketplace.
11. Think Brand Scalability
What works for you when you are small may not work as you grow. Maintaining multiple brands, investing time in every social platform under the sun, and other complex plans may only drive the cost and energy up as you grow. Following the K.I.S.S. method isn’t a bad thing…by focusing your efforts, you can have great results.
12. Drive Positive Online Reviews
No matter how great your brand is, the “Karens” out there (and bots) are going to leave that negative review. It’s often difficult or impossible to remove bad reviews, so your best strategy is to drive more positive reviews, dilute the negative PR, and keep your star rating high.
13. Rinse and Repeat Advertising Tactics
Just because you’ve seen it dozens of times doesn’t mean your target market has. Frequency matters in marketing. Repeating tactics or leveraging templates is a great way to keep your overall budget in check while still delivering on-brand messaging to your targets.
14. Test your Contact Forms & Lead Management Flows
Don’t let good leads slip through the cracks! It’s scary how many businesses don’t know who’s regularly checking the info@ inbox. You’ve paid good money to generate new leads – ensure your contact forms are consistently delivering, and your team knows how to properly route them through the sales funnel.
15. Love Your Brand
At the end of the day, this drives the passion and the purpose behind your work. If you don’t love your logo or your brand, consider changing it now. You’ll put it in a dozen more places tomorrow. If you are embarrassed by your website, it’s time for an upgrade. Bottom line, be proud of your business online and off, and you’ll generate more excitement from your team and customers, too.
Struggling with any of these areas (& ready to grow your brand?) Trust Ampersand – a team with 15 years worth of success stories to share! Contact us today to learn more about our agency services.
