Not gonna sugarcoat it. The past two years have been TOUGH.

And with Omicron and a host of other COVID variants continuing to emerge, we ain’t outa the woods yet. A fact that’s generating tons of uncertainty among the populous at large. And in turn, this has many small business owners are still struggling to find stable footing.

Personally, the pandemic fallout — school closures, “distance learning,” and learning to function in near-total isolation, along with all the ups and downs (clients unexpectedly coming and going) in my business — has wholly derailed my marketing game.

How so?

• My regular blogging and email campaign schedule… Totally fallen off a cliff.
• My cold and warm outreach prospecting efforts… Ground to a cricket chirping halt.
• And my aim to stay in touch with existing clients and nurture those invaluable relationships… A complete FAIL.

In other words, bad news for my business’s growth and development.

And if you’re in the professional services game, this likely sounds all too familiar.

Fortunately, a new year is dawning. Which makes this the perfect time to…
== > Reevaluate your approach
== > Recharge your commitment to growth and striving for success
== > Refocus your efforts to achieve these goals

And when it comes to applying these directives to marketing your business, there are three imperatives to kicking off a strong 2022…

1. Focus on capturing email addresses

2. Develop relationships with new leads

3. Nurture existing client relationships

So, how does do enacting these imperatives play out practically speaking? Let’s dive in for more detail…

Capturing Email Address

Lead generation is critical to growing your business. Not only through gathering more leads but also by collecting better quality leads. Which is really marketing’s end-game. (Remember: Effective marketing isn’t just about generating MORE business; it’s about generating enough business so you can pick and choose the projects and clients you take on.)

And nabbing email addresses is your best means to capture new leads.

Why is email soooooo valuable?

The reasons why would fill a list miles long. But I can sum it up with a quick analogy…

The average Instagram user follows roughly 200 accounts.

Meanwhile, those same folks are only signed up to a fraction of that many email lists.

Hence, an email subscriber is special. In fact, they’re as good as gold when it comes to marketing.

How do you capture email subscribers?

Here are a few key strategies…

• Use social media to drive prospects to your site with the intention of signing them up to your email list
• Optimize your website with savvy SEO also to drive prospect traffic to your site to sign them up to email list
• Write guest blogs posts for sites that speak to your ideal prospects and use that exposure to drive traffic to your site to capture email subscribers
• Contribute content and offer to do interviews for eNewsletters, podcasts, and provide industry updates to trade organizations and trade publications that speak to your ideal prospects, and use the exposure to drive traffic to your site to capture email subscribers
• Use pop up email sign up forms, along with other email sign up forms strategically placed throughout your site (on your Home page, at the end of your About page, on the Contact page, and other pages that, according to your website analytics, garner high visitor traffic)
• Offer a Lead Magnet (a “free report,” checklist, resource package, or another piece of valuable free content) in exchange for a prospects email address

There’s lots more you can do, but this gives you a general idea of where to start.

Develop Relationships With New Leads

As we’ve already established, capturing new leads is imperative. But whaddya do with ’em once you got ’em?

Here is where lead nurturing comes into play. And the process is twofold.

First, it’s simply a matter of keeping in touch. Consistent, ongoing content keeps the pathways open and actually breeds expectations from prospects signed up to your email list.

If your blog update or eNewletter or podcast or market update is, for example, broadcast every Thursday, your prospects will be clocking their inboxes, eagerly awaiting your content’s arrival.

To establish this pathway and breed such expectations, you can use tools like…

• An initial Thank You or Welcome email that tells subscribers what to expect
• A Welcome or onboarding emails sequence that explains more about who you are, what you do, and why it matters to your prospects in terms of the problems your services solve or needs your business can help fulfill

And once you’ve cleared the pathway, keep the door open by forwarding regular content *via email, of course* like…

• Blog posts
• eNewsletter
• Resource guides (this can be as simple as a group of curated links on subjects important to your prospects)
• Check-ins with prospects touching on their pain points and offering your services as a salve to what ails them

Here again, there’s lots more you can do. But this gives a good idea of where to get started.

Nurture Existing Client Relationships

You’re already sitting on a uuuuuuge parcel of valuable and lucrative resources. Any idea of what this wellspring might be?

Your Rolodex — either the round, rotating jobby full of index cards or more likely a digital contact database — full of existing clientele is a treasure trove of potential business.

These are folks you’ve already sold. They’ve worked with you before, and they’re familiar with the value your services provide. And they know you can help them solve their problems fulfill their needs.

In short, they’re a ripe source of potential new business.

So, how do you activate these resources? Well…

Email list — Existing clients should be signed up to your email list to receive most of the same content as prospect leads.

Personal notes — In addition to regular email content, send existing contacts personal notes via good ole fashion snail mail at least once a quarter. Yup, handwritten notes. And drop in printed or clipped out copies of relevant articles or even a Starbucks gift card.

Phone calls — Along with email and mailing personal notes, pick the phone a place a direct call at least once per quarter. At the very least, it’s an opportunity to say, in so many words: “hey, I’m still here, and I’m thinking of you.”

These, too, are just some basic suggestions to get the ball rolling. No doubt, you can come up with far more creative ideas when you put your thinking cap on.

The larger point here is…

Taking action now and maintaining consistent effort in developing new leads and nurturing existing client relationships are vital to Starting 2022 STRONG!

New Help Starting 2022 Strong?

Most of the strategies noted above require time, effort, thought, planning, and follow-through.

Meanwhile, it’s a good bet you’re already struggling (just as I have been) to keep up with regular day-to-day tasks. Never mind diving into launching and maintaining myriad marketing campaigns.

Fortunately, I can help! Get in touch to discuss kicking off your 2022 strong: 310.466.7893 | ryan@ryananys.com