GBHJ GLOBAL: 8 Smart Ways to Manage Your Marketing

“Manage Your Business” series sponsored by Microsoft

Small business owners have a lot of responsibilities-and all too often they can get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks that need to get done and challenges that need to be overcome. This is the last in a 5-part series full of tips, ideas, and solutions to help you better manage your business.

Marketing is one of the biggest challenges small business owners face. How do you generate demand for your products or services, keep your business top-of-mind with prospective customers, and maintain a steady pipeline of new business-all while handling your day-to-day duties? These suggestions will help you better manage your marketing.

1. Develop a plan

Marketing haphazardly generates uneven results. Decide what you want to gain from your marketing efforts, which methods will work best to reach your target customers based on your market research, and what kind of budget you can devote to marketing. Then create a 12-month marketing plan detailing the specifics; use it as your road map to guide your marketing efforts.

2. Get personal

One-size-fits-all marketing no longer works (if it ever did). Today, your marketing needs to have a personal touch. Start by collecting customer data, such as budget, past purchasing behavior, and personal details, so you can build on this knowledge of what your customers do, want, and need. It's easy when you use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool like Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online that gathers all of the information in one place.

3. Build relationships

Today's customers want relationships with the businesses they patronize. To build those relationships, your marketing must reach out to prospects at all possible touch points along the path to purchase. From awareness to consideration to research to decision-making, developing a marketing mix that incorporates traditional, broadcast, digital, and mobile marketing messages ensures your business stays in the customer's consciousness.

4. Tell a story

To convey your marketing message quickly in a compelling format, try Sway, a digital storytelling tool that makes it easy to create and share ideas onscreen. Just import an existing Word, PowerPoint, or PDF document, then edit the information. Sway automatically formats it and even lets you optimize for horizontal or vertical viewing (perfect for mobile devices). It's easy to embed your Sway story in your business website or share it online for quick viewing on phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, and other devices.

5. Automate whenever possible

Use CRM tools like Dynamics CRM Online to make you and your team more efficient. Dynamics CRM Online can track all your customer interactions and data in one place, works with programs you already know and use like Outlook and Excel, and automates email marketing campaigns and other customer outreach. Automation gives you more time and money to spend where it counts-on your customers.

6. Manage your marketing on the go

Small business owners never stop working, and their marketing shouldn't, either. To create, launch, and manage marketing campaigns anytime, anywhere, choose a mobile-friendly CRM solution like Dynamics CRM Online. Because it syncs in real time, you'll always have current information on your mobile device, whether it's iOS, Android, or Windows.

7. Collaborate

The best marketing happens when you brainstorm with your team. Choose marketing tools that let you work together, such as Office 365. This cloud-based version of Office makes it easy to share documents, and also incorporates instant messaging via Yammer and online videoconferencing with Skype for Business. Use Microsoft Groups to create public or private teams that share an inbox, calendar, and cloud storage for marketing-related documents, and you'll all be on the same page.

8. Measure results

To know whether your marketing is working, you must measure the results. Use Dynamics CRM Online to pull in customer data plus social media reporting; add in your website analytics and you'll have all the information you need to see what marketing methods generate the best ROI. Armed with this knowledge, you can fine-tune your marketing plan accordingly for greater success.

Need more assistance? Visit Pinpoint, where you can directly contact Microsoft technology partners who can help you get up and running with Dynamics CRM Online.

Be sure to read the other articles in this series:

7 Ways to Better Manage Your Workforce

8 Ways to Enhance Your Customer Relationships

Is Outdated Technology Slowing Your Business Down?

8 Ways Technology Can Help You Go Global

About the Author

Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. Email Rieva at rieva@smallbizdaily.com, follow her on Google+ and Twitter.com/Rieva, and visit her website, SmallBizDaily.com, to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for Rieva's free TrendCast reports.