December 3, 2023 • 12 mins
#001: Ready to revolutionise your marketing approach and set your small business apart from the crowd? You've come to the right place! I'm your host, Lily Richmond, and I'm excited to kick off our journey together. In our inaugural Small Business Marketing Huddle episode, I spill the beans on a game-changing messaging hack that can connect you with your customers like never before. Remember, the cornerstone of successful marketing hinges on addressing your customers' needs better than anyone else.
Stick with us as we uncover the secrets to overcoming marketing hurdles, building powerful marketing plans, and ensuring your small business outshines the rest. Let's embark on this marketing journey together, shall we?
Get the show notes and more - https://marketingondemand.co/podcast
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Introduction (00:05):
Welcome to the Small Business Marketing Huddle.
Our show is all about takingaction.
We equip you with the marketingknowledge and confidence you
need to make real progress.
So let's huddle up and listenin to the latest episode with
your host, Lily Richmond.
Lily Richmond (00:30):
Hey, this is Lily .
Thanks for being here today andwelcome to episode one of the
Small Business Marketing Huddlepodcast.
I am so glad that you havefound it.
Now, if it is your first timehere, don't forget to subscribe,
because today, like in everyepisode, I am going to cover a
marketing topic that I reallythink that you have got to learn
(00:51):
if you want to master yourmarketing.
Today's episode is a short one.
I am going to share a littlebit about the podcast, what it
is about, a bit about me andwhat you will get out of it by
tuning in, and, if you stickaround to the end, I will share
a tip on how you can beat yourcompetitors with a really,
(01:12):
really simple messaging hack.
So let me tell you a little bitabout the podcast.
I started it because I knowthat marketing can be really
overwhelming, right when you'rea small business owner, I get it
.
You're constantly having topivot from being the CEO to the
head of finance or, of course,even the head of marketing.
(01:35):
It just doesn't stop, and soI've created this podcast to
specifically cut through thatnoise.
I'm going to walk you throughthe marketing concepts that I
guess.
I think you've really got tocrack if you want to succeed
over the long term.
So if you're a small businessowner who wants to market your
business better, but at themoment you're finding it's all a
(01:55):
little bit overwhelming maybeyou don't know where to start or
maybe you're actually not sureif what you're doing is even
working then I'm really, reallyglad that you are here, because
we are going to build yourknowledge so that you can market
your business confidently.
So a little bit about me.
I'm Lily Richmond and for oh, Iguess it's probably more than
(02:19):
22 years now.
I've had a pretty diversecareer in marketing in
international markets acrossEurope and Australasia.
You know I've driven resultsfor some pretty well-known
Fortune 500 brands, but I'vealso consulted and supported
small business owners to getmore out of their marketing.
And hey, I've got a smallbusiness too, marketing on
(02:41):
demand.
It's a consulting and trainingbusiness specifically for small
business owners.
So I do get what it's like tobe a small business owner and
how to market small business.
I'm based here in New Zealandand this podcast is brought to
you from my home office, which Ido share with my two dogs.
So that means that from time totime you might hear the odd
(03:05):
bark, or you're more likely tohear gentle dog snores in the
background that I just can'tedit out that easily.
Now I've created this podcastbecause I live in, breathe
marketing and I'm reallypassionate about sharing what
I've learned throughout mycareer along the way with small
business owners so they canmarket better.
You know, I've seen plenty ofbusiness owners in that hamster
(03:27):
wheel getting very worn out bytheir marketing or they haven't
been able to make the bestdecisions around it because you
know they don't have theknowledge and the confidence
that they need.
But I also hate seeing a smallbusiness owner spend their
marketing budget on the wrongthings.
So we are going to fix thattogether.
So what can you expect when youtune in?
(03:50):
Each huddle episode isintentionally short, and that's
because I know that.
You know you've probably got101 things to do and you really
don't have time for waffle.
So the huddle is a place whereI'll break down a marketing
concept in really simple terms,with as little jargon as
possible, and I'm going toexplain how it applies to you as
(04:13):
a small business owner and tohelp you make traction with that
marketing.
I'm also going to share ideas,tips or some actions that you
can take right away to implementthat marketing concept in your
business.
I really want this podcast tobe focused on action so you can
actually put these things intoplace.
So here's a teaser of the nextepisode to get you started
(04:45):
Looking at your business now andwhat you might want to achieve
for the next year what does yourmarketing need to focus on to
help you get there?
Just to give you some examplesis it to build your brand
awareness?
Maybe you want to enter into anew marketplace.
Or maybe it's that you want toreposition your business into a
different lucrative niche thatyou've uncovered in the last
(05:06):
year.
Or maybe you want to deepenrelationships with your existing
customers.
You might have quite a largeengaged customer base already
that you really want to focus ongiving the love and delivering
more business through.
Or maybe it's to set yourbusiness apart from your
competitors with a new serviceoffering that you've come up
with.
(05:26):
You know these are quite big,meaty marketing challenges to
overcome in a year.
Could you imagine doing allfour of those at once in a year?
It's going to be really hardwhen you're a small business and
you don't have a big marketingteam or a big marketing budget
to play with.
So prioritizing and being super, super focused and intentional,
(05:49):
I think, is really key.
So once you've settled on whatyour biggest marketing growth
challenge is, then you cancreate a marketing plan, and a
budget and a calendar are allaround that biggest marketing
challenge.
So everything that you're goingto do in that particular year
is going to feed up into thatoverall goal, which will
ultimately help you achieve yourbusiness objectives for 2024.
(06:14):
Okay so, at the top of theepisode I promised I would share
a simple messaging hack to helpyou connect with your customers
better than your competitors.
And really it all is prettysimple and it starts by solving
your customers' problems orchallenges that they're having
better than anyone else.
Successful marketing starts byunderstanding what your
(06:36):
customer's problem is so you cancreate a product or service
that solves that problem forthem.
That's the exchange betweenconsumer and business,
ultimately.
But how do you work out whatchallenge your customer is
actually trying to solve?
Well, it's time for a bit ofdesk research and brainstorming,
and there are some really easyways to gather some market
(06:59):
intelligence.
There are a few ways that youcan gather information about
what customers are asking orwhat they're searching for when
they're looking for a product orservice like yours.
So head over to Google orwhichever internet browser you
use and put yourself into thatcustomer's shoes.
What would they be typing intoGoogle?
(07:19):
What questions would they beasking?
And actually, google helps youwith that.
So you know, when you starttyping something into Google,
it's already predicting whatyou're wanting to type.
Well, that's a really greattool, because that tells you
what people are actually typingin, the sorts of things they are
asking.
So make some notes around those.
(07:39):
Secondly, you might be familiarthat when you scroll down the
page, there'll be a sectionwhere it has related questions
that people have asked.
And this is gold, because thiswill give you the other types of
questions that people areasking that relate to your
product or service.
So jot those down as well.
A second place that you can goand look for this type of
(08:01):
information is community pageson social media that might be
related to the product orservice that you offer or the
problem that you solve.
So if you sell gardeningproducts, for example, it might
be really good to get onto somegardening related Facebook
communities and you can start tosee what sorts of things people
are asking about.
What types of questions arethey asking for help on?
(08:23):
Where are they getting stuck?
That can help you define whatthose problems are that your
consumers are solving.
And a third area that you cango and have a look are places
like Quora or Reddit.
There are other websites wherepeople can go and ask questions
and a community of people willanswer them for them.
You know, I certainly use it inmy business to try and
(08:45):
understand the sorts of thingsthat small business owners might
be asking about marketing.
I go onto Quora and Reddit forsmall business marketing
channels and I have a look andsee what types of things people
are commonly asking about.
That helps me tailor what I do.
Okay, so you've gathered thatinformation.
How do you now use it?
Well, it's time to look at yourmarketing communications that
(09:07):
you currently have.
I want you to look hard at yourcurrent marketing and be honest
with yourself.
Are you talking about how greatyour product is or what
features it has, or are youactually explaining how you're
solving your customer's problem?
It's fine to talk about thefeatures of your product or
service I'm not saying don't dothat but it needs to be within
(09:28):
the context of how it helps thatconsumer solve the problem that
they are looking to solve.
So you want to make sure thatyour marketing messages are
explaining how you're going tohelp that customer solve their
problem.
You gathered that great intelonline to find out what your
customer is trying to figure out.
So now it's time for you toanswer those questions and
(09:49):
whatever marketing that youcreate Now you can weave your
answers to those questions andto say your product descriptions
.
If you have a website, socialmedia posts, email campaigns,
and it's going to give you somegreat ideas for things like blog
posts or a frequently askedquestions section on your
website, it really demonstratesto your customer that you
(10:12):
understand what they're goingthrough and you actually have a
way to help them move forward orgo from A to B.
So whenever you attempted toexplain what your product does,
a big piece of advice is flip it.
Explain how your product orservice that you offer helps,
and you'll go a lot further, andI can guarantee you most of
(10:36):
your competitors are probablynot doing this, so it gives you
a major advantage and a way foryou to connect better with your
consumer.
So that's just a really simplelittle messaging hack Just
flipping your thinking fromtalking about what you do and
what you offer to how youactually help your consumer
(10:57):
solve their problem is a reallybig way for you to be able to
make a bigger impact with themarketing that you do.
Thanks so much for being partof the huddle today.
I really hope you enjoyed theepisode and don't forget to hit
subscribe, because next time wewill cover how to unleash the
power of focused marketingefforts by nailing down what
(11:20):
your biggest marketing growthchallenge is, and I'll explain
all about it in that nextepisode.
You don't want to miss it.
And one other thing I'd reallylove for you to do once you've
listened to this episode head tomy website and grab yourself a
copy of my free Marketing forRevenue Growth Guide.
It'll help you prioritize yourmarketing to the stuff that
(11:41):
actually will grow your revenue,and sometimes we do all need a
reminder of that.
So it's got some really quickand easy tips and well laid out
explanation to help you.
You can get that guide at mywebsite, which is https://www.
marketingondemand.
co/ growth guide.
And that's growth guide.
All one word.
(12:01):
Thanks for listening and I willcatch you at the next episode
of the Small Business MarketingHuddle.
Now for the legal jargon.
This podcast is for informationand education purposes only.
We make no business performanceclaims or guarantees in the
(12:23):
information shared.
The podcast content is generalin nature and does not
constitute advice for yourunique business situation.
Welcome to the Small Business Marketing Huddle.
Our show is all about takingaction.
We equip you with the marketingknowledge and confidence you
need to make real progress.
So let's huddle up and listenin to the latest episode with
your host, Lily Richmond.
Lily Richmond (00:30):
Hey, this is Lily .
Thanks for being here today andwelcome to episode one of the
Small Business Marketing Huddlepodcast.
I am so glad that you havefound it.
Now, if it is your first timehere, don't forget to subscribe,
because today, like in everyepisode, I am going to cover a
marketing topic that I reallythink that you have got to learn
(00:51):
if you want to master yourmarketing.
Today's episode is a short one.
I am going to share a littlebit about the podcast, what it
is about, a bit about me andwhat you will get out of it by
tuning in, and, if you stickaround to the end, I will share
a tip on how you can beat yourcompetitors with a really,
(01:12):
really simple messaging hack.
So let me tell you a little bitabout the podcast.
I started it because I knowthat marketing can be really
overwhelming, right when you'rea small business owner, I get it
.
You're constantly having topivot from being the CEO to the
head of finance or, of course,even the head of marketing.
(01:35):
It just doesn't stop, and soI've created this podcast to
specifically cut through thatnoise.
I'm going to walk you throughthe marketing concepts that I
guess.
I think you've really got tocrack if you want to succeed
over the long term.
So if you're a small businessowner who wants to market your
business better, but at themoment you're finding it's all a
(01:55):
little bit overwhelming maybeyou don't know where to start or
maybe you're actually not sureif what you're doing is even
working then I'm really, reallyglad that you are here, because
we are going to build yourknowledge so that you can market
your business confidently.
So a little bit about me.
I'm Lily Richmond and for oh, Iguess it's probably more than
(02:19):
22 years now.
I've had a pretty diversecareer in marketing in
international markets acrossEurope and Australasia.
You know I've driven resultsfor some pretty well-known
Fortune 500 brands, but I'vealso consulted and supported
small business owners to getmore out of their marketing.
And hey, I've got a smallbusiness too, marketing on
(02:41):
demand.
It's a consulting and trainingbusiness specifically for small
business owners.
So I do get what it's like tobe a small business owner and
how to market small business.
I'm based here in New Zealandand this podcast is brought to
you from my home office, which Ido share with my two dogs.
So that means that from time totime you might hear the odd
(03:05):
bark, or you're more likely tohear gentle dog snores in the
background that I just can'tedit out that easily.
Now I've created this podcastbecause I live in, breathe
marketing and I'm reallypassionate about sharing what
I've learned throughout mycareer along the way with small
business owners so they canmarket better.
You know, I've seen plenty ofbusiness owners in that hamster
(03:27):
wheel getting very worn out bytheir marketing or they haven't
been able to make the bestdecisions around it because you
know they don't have theknowledge and the confidence
that they need.
But I also hate seeing a smallbusiness owner spend their
marketing budget on the wrongthings.
So we are going to fix thattogether.
So what can you expect when youtune in?
(03:50):
Each huddle episode isintentionally short, and that's
because I know that.
You know you've probably got101 things to do and you really
don't have time for waffle.
So the huddle is a place whereI'll break down a marketing
concept in really simple terms,with as little jargon as
possible, and I'm going toexplain how it applies to you as
(04:13):
a small business owner and tohelp you make traction with that
marketing.
I'm also going to share ideas,tips or some actions that you
can take right away to implementthat marketing concept in your
business.
I really want this podcast tobe focused on action so you can
actually put these things intoplace.
So here's a teaser of the nextepisode to get you started
(04:45):
Looking at your business now andwhat you might want to achieve
for the next year what does yourmarketing need to focus on to
help you get there?
Just to give you some examplesis it to build your brand
awareness?
Maybe you want to enter into anew marketplace.
Or maybe it's that you want toreposition your business into a
different lucrative niche thatyou've uncovered in the last
(05:06):
year.
Or maybe you want to deepenrelationships with your existing
customers.
You might have quite a largeengaged customer base already
that you really want to focus ongiving the love and delivering
more business through.
Or maybe it's to set yourbusiness apart from your
competitors with a new serviceoffering that you've come up
with.
(05:26):
You know these are quite big,meaty marketing challenges to
overcome in a year.
Could you imagine doing allfour of those at once in a year?
It's going to be really hardwhen you're a small business and
you don't have a big marketingteam or a big marketing budget
to play with.
So prioritizing and being super, super focused and intentional,
(05:49):
I think, is really key.
So once you've settled on whatyour biggest marketing growth
challenge is, then you cancreate a marketing plan, and a
budget and a calendar are allaround that biggest marketing
challenge.
So everything that you're goingto do in that particular year
is going to feed up into thatoverall goal, which will
ultimately help you achieve yourbusiness objectives for 2024.
(06:14):
Okay so, at the top of theepisode I promised I would share
a simple messaging hack to helpyou connect with your customers
better than your competitors.
And really it all is prettysimple and it starts by solving
your customers' problems orchallenges that they're having
better than anyone else.
Successful marketing starts byunderstanding what your
(06:36):
customer's problem is so you cancreate a product or service
that solves that problem forthem.
That's the exchange betweenconsumer and business,
ultimately.
But how do you work out whatchallenge your customer is
actually trying to solve?
Well, it's time for a bit ofdesk research and brainstorming,
and there are some really easyways to gather some market
(06:59):
intelligence.
There are a few ways that youcan gather information about
what customers are asking orwhat they're searching for when
they're looking for a product orservice like yours.
So head over to Google orwhichever internet browser you
use and put yourself into thatcustomer's shoes.
What would they be typing intoGoogle?
(07:19):
What questions would they beasking?
And actually, google helps youwith that.
So you know, when you starttyping something into Google,
it's already predicting whatyou're wanting to type.
Well, that's a really greattool, because that tells you
what people are actually typingin, the sorts of things they are
asking.
So make some notes around those.
(07:39):
Secondly, you might be familiarthat when you scroll down the
page, there'll be a sectionwhere it has related questions
that people have asked.
And this is gold, because thiswill give you the other types of
questions that people areasking that relate to your
product or service.
So jot those down as well.
A second place that you can goand look for this type of
(08:01):
information is community pageson social media that might be
related to the product orservice that you offer or the
problem that you solve.
So if you sell gardeningproducts, for example, it might
be really good to get onto somegardening related Facebook
communities and you can start tosee what sorts of things people
are asking about.
What types of questions arethey asking for help on?
(08:23):
Where are they getting stuck?
That can help you define whatthose problems are that your
consumers are solving.
And a third area that you cango and have a look are places
like Quora or Reddit.
There are other websites wherepeople can go and ask questions
and a community of people willanswer them for them.
You know, I certainly use it inmy business to try and
(08:45):
understand the sorts of thingsthat small business owners might
be asking about marketing.
I go onto Quora and Reddit forsmall business marketing
channels and I have a look andsee what types of things people
are commonly asking about.
That helps me tailor what I do.
Okay, so you've gathered thatinformation.
How do you now use it?
Well, it's time to look at yourmarketing communications that
(09:07):
you currently have.
I want you to look hard at yourcurrent marketing and be honest
with yourself.
Are you talking about how greatyour product is or what
features it has, or are youactually explaining how you're
solving your customer's problem?
It's fine to talk about thefeatures of your product or
service I'm not saying don't dothat but it needs to be within
(09:28):
the context of how it helps thatconsumer solve the problem that
they are looking to solve.
So you want to make sure thatyour marketing messages are
explaining how you're going tohelp that customer solve their
problem.
You gathered that great intelonline to find out what your
customer is trying to figure out.
So now it's time for you toanswer those questions and
(09:49):
whatever marketing that youcreate Now you can weave your
answers to those questions andto say your product descriptions
.
If you have a website, socialmedia posts, email campaigns,
and it's going to give you somegreat ideas for things like blog
posts or a frequently askedquestions section on your
website, it really demonstratesto your customer that you
(10:12):
understand what they're goingthrough and you actually have a
way to help them move forward orgo from A to B.
So whenever you attempted toexplain what your product does,
a big piece of advice is flip it.
Explain how your product orservice that you offer helps,
and you'll go a lot further, andI can guarantee you most of
(10:36):
your competitors are probablynot doing this, so it gives you
a major advantage and a way foryou to connect better with your
consumer.
So that's just a really simplelittle messaging hack Just
flipping your thinking fromtalking about what you do and
what you offer to how youactually help your consumer
(10:57):
solve their problem is a reallybig way for you to be able to
make a bigger impact with themarketing that you do.
Thanks so much for being partof the huddle today.
I really hope you enjoyed theepisode and don't forget to hit
subscribe, because next time wewill cover how to unleash the
power of focused marketingefforts by nailing down what
(11:20):
your biggest marketing growthchallenge is, and I'll explain
all about it in that nextepisode.
You don't want to miss it.
And one other thing I'd reallylove for you to do once you've
listened to this episode head tomy website and grab yourself a
copy of my free Marketing forRevenue Growth Guide.
It'll help you prioritize yourmarketing to the stuff that
(11:41):
actually will grow your revenue,and sometimes we do all need a
reminder of that.
So it's got some really quickand easy tips and well laid out
explanation to help you.
You can get that guide at mywebsite, which is https://www.
marketingondemand.
co/ growth guide.
And that's growth guide.
All one word.
(12:01):
Thanks for listening and I willcatch you at the next episode
of the Small Business MarketingHuddle.
Now for the legal jargon.
This podcast is for informationand education purposes only.
We make no business performanceclaims or guarantees in the
(12:23):
information shared.
The podcast content is generalin nature and does not
constitute advice for yourunique business situation.
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