THE ONLY MARKETING FRAMEWORK SMALL BUSINESSES NEED
I worked with a lovely small business owner this week who has worked incredibly hard over the last couple of years to build an online following and genuine community with her customers. Her customer’s have wonderful things to say about her services, she’s been posting consistently across several social media platforms and her website has all the information it needs.
So why does she need my help? Because like millions of other small business owners, she’s been led to believe that if she just posts more, posts at the right time, posts with the right trending audio… that eventually something will click.
Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. It doesn’t matter how many times a day you post.
If your customer doesn’t complete the 6-step journey I’m about to break down for you, they are extremely unlikely to become a customer, let alone a loyal one that refers you to all their friends.
So what are the magical 6 steps that a customer must follow in their journey to becoming your customer?
attract - connect - convince - convert - retain - recommend
At a glance, the journey goes like this:
The customer is attracted by something you’ve shared.
You give them a reason to connect with and care about the brand.
You show them why they can trust you and they become convinced.
You make it incredibly simple for them to buy, book or enquire, and they convert into a paying customer.
You give them a reason to come back and retain them as a customer.
You give them a reason to recommend you to someone else.
The biggest mistake I see small businesses make is they skip to the convert stage.
But your marketing has to move the customer through a series of decisions, so if one link in the chain is weak, posting more isn’t necessarily going to solve the problem.
Let’s look at each stage in more detail. I’ll break down what each step in the journey is trying to achieve, how you can tell if your marketing is weak in this area and what you can do to fix it.
attract
What is it?
Your job here is to get people to notice you. This is where things like Instagram reels and TikToks come in but it’s also important to network in real life. Remember, too, that it’s not about how many people see your content. It’s whether the right people are seeing it. I’ve done a whole Visibility Lesson on that which you can read here: You Don’t Need More Views.
How do I know if I’m not doing it properly?
If the Attract section of your marketing framework is weak, you’ll notice that your reach is consistently low. If your content is reaching beyond your existing audience and you don’t appear when people search for what you offer, you might need to do some work in this area.
The solution
Consider which of the following might be the best solution for your business. Does your content need better hooks in order to reach the right people? Do you need to learn a little bit more about SEO in order to be found when people search? Perhaps you could collaborate with someone on a post in a way that benefits both of you. It might be that your niche isn’t clear enough and that’s why your target audience aren’t finding you. Check your bio; does it clearly state what you do and who for? Before you just post more, try some of these things and see if you notice a difference.
connect
What is it?
Someone has found your brand. Now, you need to give them a reason to care. This is where your brand values, personality, storytelling, messaging and visual identity become important.
How do I know if I’m not doing it properly?
Often, if this section is weak, you’ll notice people view your content but don’t follow you. Your posts might get high numbers of views but little to no engagement. People don’t seem to understand what makes you different. If you look back through your last 9 to 12 posts, do they feel inconsistent? If you removed your logo, would people recognise your content as yours? Do you talk more about yourself than the pro
The solution
Let’s take the example of a food truck. Posting hundred of photos of mouth-watering food is all well and good; lots of foodies will follow you. But they might not be the type of person who’s organising an event that needs catering.
A wedding planner, however, is a potentially a fantastic repeat client. So this business owner would need to make sure that a wedding planner visiting their website or social media profile immediately feels that this business is perfect for them! How? Lot’s of messaging around event planning, making life easier for the organiser, taking the stress out of catering etc. Videos showing how they deal with large numbers of people and answering questions like, “Do you need a water or electric supply?” All these things show that the business owner has really thought about what a potential client would need to know.
Have a go at applying this same principle to your business. Who do you want to connect with your business as soon as they land on your page?
convince
What is it?
Your soon-to-be-customer has found you, and feels that you could be the right business for their need. Now your job is to gain their trust. Customers need evidence.
How do I know if I’m not doing it properly?
If people engage with your content but then don’t actually enquire, or you get lots of “How much?” with no follow-through, this is the area you need to work on. You might notice people asking questions that your website should really answer.
The solution
Ask yourself, “What evidence can I give that choosing me is a good decision?”
You should do your best to provide testimonials, reviews or case studies. Demonstrations or before/after posts are another great way to build trust. Make sure you’ve highlighted your credentials and expertise. Answer FAQs on your website or in a highlight reel. Create behind-the-scenes type videos that build trust. Share customer stories. Provide guarantees if you can. Show your process. The main goal is to remove that niggle of, “I’d quite like to book, but I don’t know if they’re any good.”
convert
What is it?
Your hard work has paid off and they’re ready to become a customer! This is where your marketing needs to get out of the way. Once someone has decided they want what you offer, make it ridiculously easy for them to take the next step.
How do I know if I’m not doing it properly?
Signs that your conversion is weak include high levels of website traffic with few enquiries or sales and lots of abandoned carts or contact forms. If people ask you where/how to book, your process isn’t simple enough. You might have too many choices or too much information. Your Call to Action might not be clear enough.
The solution
If someone wanted to buy from you or book in with you right now, could they do it without your help? You might need a simpler booking system or easier checkout. Make sure your Call to Action is clear on every post and every page of your website. Use straightforward enquiry forms. I love LinkTree as a tool for compiling all the places you need your customer to be able to access quickly and with ease.
retain
What is it?
If you remember just one thing from this post, let it be this: retaining an existing customer is easier, cheaper and more effective for your business than acquiring a new one.
Marketing doesn’t stop when someone buys. In fact, you’ve just acquired someone who knows you, trusts you and has experience of buying from you. Now you need to give them a reason to return.
How do I know if I’m not doing it properly?
Your customers buy once and then disappear. You’re constantly chasing new customers. You don’t have a customer email list or a rebooking system. You rarely communicate with previous customers. You’re spending lots of energy on generating new leads.
The solution
Can you put into one sentence why your customers should return to you again and again?
This is where email marketing get its crown as the number one form of marketing. You can send out reminders, exclusive offers and personalised communication that leaves your customer feeling valued. I also highly recommend having a loyalty scheme, and even a customer community group if that’s relevant to the service you provide.
recommend
What is it?
This is where your customers become your marketing team and it’s incredibly powerful for small businesses.
How do I know if I’m not doing it properly?
My sister and I use the same hairdresser and nail salon, and now that she’s having a baby, her wish-list looks remarkably similar to the list of products I used for my daughter. We naturally share with others when we’ve had a good (or bad) experience. If your new customers aren’t telling you how they heard about you from their bestie, their aunt or the girl they met in the bathroom on a night out, then unfortunately your clients don’t love your service enough to recommend you.
The solution
My number one piece of advice is to read the entire article I have on this, here: How to Turn Your Customers into Free Marketing.
You can design your online content to get recommendations. Email customers, offering them an incentive to leave you a review. Encourage people to tag you in their posts. But as you’ll read about in the article I’ve linked, the best thing you can do is create a memorable experience that people will naturally want to talk about.
You can use this post to diagnose the break in the chain of your own marketing. Don’t try to fix the entire customer journey at once; find the weakest link and start there.
If you’re still struggling to identify where you’re going wrong, you’re welcome to email me at hello@hannahkiddmarketing.co.uk for some guidance.
Love,
Hannah xo