Are you a Game of Thrones fan? Don’t worry, you don’t have to be. I’m not going to start going into detail about dragons or expose you to any blood and gore. Sorry if that’s what you were after. What I am going to tell you about is how the clever people at Tourism Ireland capitalised on the fact that this huge TV production was happening on their doorstep. You might not get to meet a Lannister (possibly a good thing) but you could get some new ideas for your business.
Month: June 2018
What’s trending in your industry? Why you need to know
If you’ve been keeping up with the business news recently, it’s all looking a bit depressing for the British high street. Woolworths are long gone, Poundworld are in receivership and sales are dropping almost everywhere. You may wonder what this has to do with trending topics. Well, whilst economic factors will always play a big part in people’s shopping habits, so do trends.
It could be easy to feel gloomy when you’re a small business watching giants struggle. The good news is that you have an advantage. You can spot what’s trending in your industry and set to work. You might invest a bit of time in a failed experiment but at least you can try and test it quickly and at relatively low cost. In the current climate the companies that are most likely to survive are the ones that innovate.
Are your customers listening to you?
It’s a common complaint. In fact, it’s one I’ve made myself. You create all this fabulous content and it feels as if no-one’s listening. No-one comments on your blog, your Facebook reach is rubbish and you feel like throwing a party if you get a couple of likes on a post! You feel invisible. How can you get your customers listening to you when it feels as if they don’t?
Who are your customers?
There’s a lot to think about when you start a business. However you decide to organise things there’s one thing you can’t escape. You won’t make money if you don’t find your customers. There’s a never ending stream of advice on ways to market your business and you can try as much or as little as you want. However, the simple fact is that you need to tell people you exist or they won’t know.
Now, if you were paying attention you’ll have noticed that I said ‘your customers’. Not just ‘customers’. Whilst it’s true that you can sell to anyone you like, that doesn’t mean you should market to all of them. In a nutshell, marketing that tries to target everyone is bland and boring. In other words, the last thing you want for your business.
But finding your customers is about more than just marketing. It has massive benefits for your business and mental health too.