Every single day we have at least one marketing opportunity presented to us. They appear as people, ideas or events. Often, we have to raise our awareness to realize they are even visible. Only then can we choose one to pursue.
There are 2 beginning steps to using opportunity as a lever:
- Figure out where you are currently and what challenges, if met, will move you forward. Start by making a shortlist of your current challenges. Select the most important one.
- Decide to listen for the opportunities that provide solutions to the challenge you selected.
Here’s an example:
If you decide that you want to be known in your local community, a good first step is to build your own on social media or by creating your own meetup based on your expertise. You will make this effective if you spend time educating your community, providing shout outs to others and contributing to the wellbeing of the community you selected.
Here is a list of possible opportunities for building community:
- Build an email list
- Create a local community on Facebook or other social media to educate your potential clients.
- Create an affiliate list for your website featuring others whose work you know and value with their contact information included.
- Sign up with Google My Business and get reviews and post weekly.
- Grow your network by contacting others whose work complements your own and get to know them.
- Create a Meetup for your community- this requires a meeting place but many restaurants who have an extra room are glad to give you that without charge if you can ensure that you bring in new customers.
- Develop posts for social media that educate your customer- include good photos!
- Give a shout out for good work on social media and reply to posts and comments.
- Comment on Linkedin and ask good questions.
There are at least hundreds more strategies to employ and you can’t possibly do them all. I have a different way of working but it’s a way that gives you the opportunity to be successful without trying to go in fifteen different directions and driving yourself crazy.