Denise O'Leary MBE of Purpol Marketing shares her marketing tips of the month for May

May 2023 is a month with several bank holidays and whilst this may be great for some businesses, others will struggle with gaining and keeping attention. Here are 10 top tips from Denise O’Leary MBE of Purpol Marketing on how you can improve your marketing during May.

1. Collaborate with other local businesses to cross-promote each other's products/services.

How can you work with other providers who have the same customers as you? Partnership opportunities could include sharing space on a trade stand, or jointly speaking at a seminar.

2. Use customer reviews and testimonials to build trust and credibility with potential customers.

Have you asked for a testimonial from your clients recently? Don’t be shy and ask, these evidence points are social proof and are very useful across all marketing media.

3. Offer free samples or trials to encourage customers to try your products or services.

Do you offer a free 15-minute consultation, a trail or a sample? Anything you can do to reduce perceived risk associated with a purchase can help build loyalty. Offering a satisfaction guarantee or money-back guarantee also helps to build trust and confidence with potential customers.

4. Send out email newsletters to your customers.

Many businesses worry about how often they should communicate. Whilst this will vary for every business, communicate as often as you have something interesting to say to your target audience.

5. Develop a customer-centric approach by understanding your customers' needs and preferences.

What do your clients want from you, how can you be of service to them? If you are providing what they need you are not having to ‘sell to them’ you are actually being of service. Know your Unique Selling Point (USP).

6. Refresh or create a strong online presence on your website and social media profiles.

Have you added a news story lately? Adding new content confirms to your customers that you are still active and there to help them. Keep a content management diary, so there is a regular update which will also help your SEO ranking as well.

7. Host a virtual event or webinar to showcase your products or services.

With the increase in remote working technology such as Teams and Zoom and the ability to record content and host it, you can allow your customers to see and hear you in action,.

8. Use gamification, such as quizzes or challenges, to engage with your audience and promote your products or services.

Everyone likes to have fun; this might be a way to cut through advertising noise in your industry and gain stand out.

9. Use A/B testing to test different marketing messages.

Try two options on a small sample of your database, then use the most successful on the remaining majority – remember to change only one variable at a time though!

10. Enter for Business Awards.

Awards are great to raise your profile as a winner and a finalist, providing networking and PR opportunities.

To learn more about Purpol Marketing visit www.purpolmarketing.co.uk