Let’s be honest: We’re all ready to get back to business as usual. But are you prepared to re-open? Do you have a marketing plan in place?

With many states heading back towards “normal,” the green light is coming faster than you think. And guess what? NOW is the time to plan how you will notify customers and welcome them back safely.

If you want to get foot traffic back to your business (and your sales back in the green), an effective marketing plan is your best bet. Here are some proven strategies that will help.

Tracking data will help you make smart decisions. 

Online Marketing 101: If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know anything.

The best way to make an effective marketing plan and make decisions is to track performance data. For example, do you know how visitors arrive on your website? Are they finding you on Google? Reading your newsletter? Clicking on Facebook ad campaigns?

Knowing what’s working (and what’s not) can help you determine where to spend your time and money.

Not sure where to start? Check out Google Analytics. Not only is it a highly reputable tool, but it’s completely FREE. Google Analytics will give you a better understanding of how your online presence is working for your business and allow you to make smarter decisions.

Invest in content marketing. 

If you’re not already using content marketing, now is the time to start. Why? More people than ever are working from home right now. That means more people on computers all day long, and more eyes on your pages.

Plus, many of your competitors may have stopped marketing altogether, thinking of it as an expense rather than an investment.

Before you say, “I don’t want to blog,” know this: Content marketing is MUCH more than just writing online articles.  Content can be anything that you create and publish online, including podcasts, videos, infographics, webinars, e-books, and more.

Content marketing allows you to answer customer concerns, share your story, and offer rank authority to your site. And, it allows you to flex those creative muscles.

Need a jumping-off point? Just focus on providing value to your customer. What questions do they ask? What problems do your products solve? Create materials that are informative and useful –and don’t be afraid to have a little fun!

Try Facebook ads.

You may have heard that social media has become a “pay-to-play platform.” Don’t let that scare you. You don’t have to break the bank to see results.

When it comes to Facebook paid advertising, a few bucks a month will do the trick.

Can you think of any other place where you can spend $25 on an ad and see noticeable results? No? Neither can we.

And with all of the available features, such as demographic targeting and remarketing, it’s hard NOT to gain more awareness in your community.  A win/win in our book.

Start an email campaign to build loyal fans.

Some people say email marketing is dead. Those people are wrong.

Email newsletters are still one of the most effective ways you can market your brand. They are a direct line to your customers. And when utilized properly, they can build brand trust and loyalty which can lead to new customers and sales.

Even better? Studies show that for every $1 spent, email marketing campaigns generate $32 in ROI.  You just can’t beat a return like that.

 Bottom line? Start showing up in those inboxes! Be interactive, share information that benefits your audience, and keep it concise.

 Reopen and recover.

Whether you have a thousand dollars a month, a hundred dollars a month, or no budget at all, there are plenty of different ways to promote your business. And they all start with a good marketing plan.

As you re-open to the public, creating clear goals and objectives to communicate information to support your business efforts is imperative for a successful recovery.

As always, we’re here to support you. If you need help, drop us a line (609) 330-3979.