Tag: marketing strategy

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How to create your marketing plan without the overwhelm

Image shows a dark haired woman leaning against a tree. She's thinking about how to create a marketing plan without the overwhelm.

If you’re looking ahead to next year and planning your marketing, how are you feeling? If you find it daunting, it might be time to simplify things. Here’s my guide to help you create your marketing plan without the overwhelm.

Where do your ideal clients find you?

If you’ve reviewed this year’s marketing, you’ll already understand what’s working and where your ideal clients (you know, the ones who actually pay you) come from. When you create your marketing plan, focus on the platforms that yield results.

Social media is notoriously fickle, but it has its uses if you post in the right places. It’s worth remembering that you don’t own or control the platform like you do with your website or email marketing. Your social media pages or profiles could get suspended or disappear overnight for spurious reasons, so always have a backup plan that directs people towards something more reliable.

Pick a monthly theme

Choosing a monthly theme (or a weekly one if you prefer) gives you a focus for your content. You can spend a whole month talking about the same topic in different ways. It helps your customers understand what you do because the message is consistent. It’s also brilliant for planning because you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you want to write a new post, and you can batch-create your content ahead of time.

If choosing a theme still feels overwhelming, this blog explains my process. You can also book a brainstorming session with me if you’d like some one-to-one support.

Choose a story

Good marketing shares your expertise and values, and shows people you understand their needs. Storytelling is a powerful way to get the message across. Humans have been sharing stories for thousands of years, so the format makes sense to our brains.

Stories don’t have to be complicated. You can try explaining how you do something, telling a story about a previous client and what you achieved, or explaining the reasons you started your business. They all demonstrate your skills and show your future clients that you understand them. A story can be something small, like the time I wrote about going crabbing with my kids on holiday, getting into chats with random strangers, and how it reminded me that doing your own thing can attract the right people.

Use different formats

You don’t have to write something new and fresh with every post. If you’ve written a blog, break it down and edit it into individual social media posts and use it in your marketing emails. You can also create a shortened version for people with less time to read.

It’s absolutely fine to say the same thing in different formats. Most people won’t see everything you post on social media, and they also have different preferences. I like a mixture of video and written content, but some people will prefer one or the other.

There might also be times when the language you use in one post won’t resonate, but a rephrased version will.

Why does my audience care about this?

When you create a marketing plan and add something new, ask yourself whether your customers will care. How does the thing you’re describing solve a problem or otherwise improve their lives? It might help them and show that you know what you’re doing, or entertain them and make you more relatable. Think about times when you can create ad hoc posts when you’re out and about, as this can show your values in action. You might be out learning new skills or connecting with other people like them.

Ready for a chat?

If you need help creating your plan or bringing it to life, let’s have a chat.

When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. That could be monthly blog posts or articles, social media posts, emails or pretty much anything else you can think of!

You can email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you. It also includes hints and tips to help you structure your posts if you’re currently writing your content yourself.

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Are you ready to review your marketing?

Image shows a woman with dark hair. She's thinking about ways to help you get ready to review your marketing.

We’re heading towards the end of the year, when lots of us reflect on the things that made us happy, what we’d like to change and how we want the year ahead to feel. If you’re thinking about your business and getting ready to review your marketing, here are a few questions to ponder to help you plan for next year.

Where are people getting to know you?

When I talk about marketing, I mean anything that helps people get to know you and learn more about what your business does. That includes anywhere people might read your words, watch your videos or talk to you face-to-face.

Think about:

  • The website pages people spend the most time on
  • The videos they watch all the way through
  • The posts that get likes, comments or shares
  • The chats you have at networking events

The downside is that people might read your social media posts without interacting, but this process should give you a rough idea of where they’re finding you and what’s attracting their attention.

Where do your enquiries come from?

The next stage is to see who’s getting in touch and how. Most of my enquiries arrive by email, often from people I’ve talked to online or in person. When someone contacts you, they might have looked at several platforms, but the method they use will tell you a lot about the content that nudged them into action.

If you use a website contact form and have Google Analytics set up, you can see the path visitors take to your contact page. It helps you understand the customer journey and focus your marketing on the things that get results.

What do your favourite clients have in common?

This might seem a bit off piste, but understanding what your favourite clients have in common helps you attract more of them, which will make your business life a lot more fun. Working out where those clients have come from also helps you focus on doing more of that. If they engage with you on social media or mention blog posts they’ve read and enjoyed, you can review those in more detail to replicate the effect in the future.

Are you being consistent?

Good marketing is about building relationships, so consistency is essential. When people see you popping up regularly, they remember you, learn about what you do and know you’re still around when they need you.

Consistency doesn’t have to mean posting every day, but it does involve having a routine you can stick to. It creates predictability for your audience and helps you plan, which is much less stressful than winging it.

Where is the money coming from?

We’re in business to make money, and your finances can tell you what’s working in your marketing.

If your enquiries lead to interesting chats but not many bookings, the solution often starts with your marketing. If you’re attracting tyre kickers or people who say “I didn’t think it would cost that much”, there might be a disconnect between how you present your work and the quality you actually deliver.

I’ve had a tendency to apologise for my own existence and downplay my services in the past. If your marketing attracts people who don’t see the value in what you offer, it’s time to change how you talk about your work.

How are you?

Most of us started our businesses to enjoy our work, set our own goals, and have more control over how our lives look. Marketing takes time, and if it’s the thing you always leave until last, you might find yourself working late, getting stressed and feeling guilty because you’re missing out on time with your family.

If the life you imagined isn’t the one you currently have, look at the marketing you currently do and how long it takes. Simplifying and streamlining your marketing or getting the right support can ease the burden.

Ready for a chat?

Reviewing what is (and isn’t) working in your marketing helps you plan for the year ahead. If you want to get more consistent with your marketing or write content that feels more like you, let’s have a chat.

When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. That could be monthly blog posts or articles, social media posts, emails or pretty much anything else you can think of!

Please email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you. It also includes hints and tips to help you structure your posts if you’re currently writing your content yourself.

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Why Your Business Needs a Communications Strategy (and Not Just a Content Plan)

Guest blog by Joanne Parker from Joanne Parker Communications explaining the importance of a communications strategy.

Hands up, who has created a content plan for 2025?

If you have, you may be feeling quietly smug, safe in the knowledge that you know exactly what content you will create every week for the next month, six months, or even year.

Having such a plan in place is undoubtedly a great achievement, but without a communications strategy, you will likely miss a trick.

A content plan is not the same as a communications strategy. Yes, they’re related, but one without the other is like baking a cake without a recipe—you might end up with a cake, but it won’t be as light, airy and tasty as it could be.

Starting at the end

I often find the best way to think about strategy is to consider how you will know if your content plan is successful.

What are you going to measure?

Often, clients will say things like ‘awareness.’

Awareness of what? By whom? Where? When? With what message?

If you don’t have the answers to those questions, you could well be generating content for the sake of it.

What is a communications strategy?

Think of it as the big-picture plan that defines why you’re communicating, who you’re talking to, what you want them to do, and how you’ll measure success. It’s your guide to every piece of content, every campaign, and every conversation.

Why Isn’t a Content Plan Enough?

Here’s a scenario I see all the time. A business has a fabulous content plan. Posts are going out daily. The captions are witty, the graphics are slick, and the engagement is… well, it’s fine. But when I ask, “What’s the goal of all this?” I’m often met with blank stares or vague responses like, “To build awareness” or “To sell more.”

That’s where the problem lies. Without a strategy, your content is likely disjointed, inconsistent, or aimed at the wrong audience. You’re busy posting but not necessarily moving closer to your business goals. A strategy ensures every piece of content has a purpose, fits into the bigger picture, and helps you achieve measurable results.

Strategy First, Tactics Second

Imagine you’re planning a road trip. The content plan is your playlist, snacks, and stops along the way. But the communications strategy is the route you’re taking, the destination you’re heading to, and the map you’ll use to get there. Without it, you’re just driving in circles, hoping to stumble upon something interesting.

A good communications strategy answers these key questions:

  • Who are you talking to? Your audience isn’t “everyone.” Narrow it down. Are you speaking to busy parents, eco-conscious millennials, or CEOs juggling a million priorities?
  • What do you want them to do? Maybe it’s subscribing to your newsletter, booking a consultation, or changing their behaviour. Be specific.
  • Why should they care? This is where your messaging comes in. What problem are you solving, and why are you the best person to solve it?
  • How will you reach them? This is where the content plan comes in. Social media, email, blogs, videos—these are your tools, not your strategy.
  • How will you measure success? Metrics matter. Are you tracking clicks, sign-ups, sales, or something else? Without data, you’re flying blind.

Real-Life Example

Let’s say you run a boutique fitness studio. You might have a content plan that includes daily Instagram posts, weekly blog updates, and monthly email newsletters. Great! But without a strategy, your efforts might look like this:

  • Posting motivational quotes that don’t resonate with your audience.
  • Writing blogs about general fitness tips that don’t showcase what makes your studio unique.
  • Sending emails that don’t align with your upcoming promotions.

With a strategy, however, everything changes. You decide your target audience is busy professionals who want quick, effective workouts. Your key message becomes, “Fitness that fits your schedule.” Now, your Instagram posts focus on time-saving exercise tips, your blogs highlight success stories from working professionals, and your emails promote lunchtime express classes. See the difference?

The Benefits of a Communications Strategy

Here’s what a solid strategy can do for your business:

  • Clarity: You’ll know exactly what to say, to whom, and why.
  • Consistency: Your messaging will be cohesive across all channels, building trust with your audience.
  • Efficiency: No more wasting time on content that doesn’t serve your goals.
  • Impact: Every piece of communication will move you closer to your business objectives.

Creating a communications strategy doesn’t have to be daunting. Start by revisiting your business goals. Then, think about your audience and what they need from you. Outline your key messages and choose the channels where your audience spends time. Finally, set measurable objectives so you can track your progress.

If you take the time to map out your strategy, your content will work harder and deliver results that meet your objectives, helping your business flourish and grow.

Joanne Parker helps you create your communications strategy

Joanne Parker

Joanne Parker Communications

Tel: 07596719763

Email: hello@joanneparkercommunications.com

Website: www.joanneparkercommunications.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-parker-writer/

Arrange a meeting: https://calendly.com/jpcomms/getting-to-know-you

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What marketing makes you cringe?

Good marketing should be memorable, but what if you remember it for all the wrong reasons? Thinking about how some adverts miss the mark can help you avoid making the same mistakes. So, what marketing makes you cringe and why?

Are you being shouted at?

Have you ever watched ‘Horrible Histories’? It’s classic kids’ TV because it also includes jokes for the grown-ups. The ‘shouty man’ character was the perfect parody of adverts that shout at you to make sales. Those types of adverts may have disappeared, but marketing can still make you cringe if you feel you’re being lectured rather than persuaded. You might have something important to say, but meeting your audience where they are is better than trying to shout them down.

Too many clichés

I posted on social media recently, asking people to share their least favourite marketing buzzwords with me. ‘Journey’ came up a lot. It’s not a bad word in itself; it’s just become a cliché because of the number of people using it on reality TV shows.

Avoiding cliché can be tricky. Sometimes, how you phrase something tells your audience what to expect and can be comforting. Each industry has its own words and language patterns, and it can be hard to know when something tips over the edge from familiar to overused. Following other businesses in your niche to see what reactions their content gets can help.

Outdated attitudes

Did you know that the Advertising Standards Agency now has regulations so they can ban harmful gender stereotypes in advertising? We’ve definitely come a long way. A few decades ago, print adverts saw women as either decorative or only good for doing the housework (and suggested that domestic violence was acceptable if she made a mistake). You’d only ever see straight couples and white faces.

Modern adverts are more diverse, but some stereotypes remain. A GAP clothing advert was heavily criticised for suggesting boys are ‘scholars’ while girls are ‘social butterflies’. When you write new content, think about your assumptions about your audience and whether they’re accurate.

Ask whether it’s meant for you

If someone’s marketing makes you cringe, consider whether you’re the intended audience. My kids aren’t teenagers yet, but I still hear the odd word that makes me wonder whether we still speak the same language.

On the other hand, what if you’re a business’s ideal customer, and they’re still driving you away? Are they making uneducated guesses about your life or what you need? To avoid it, try using social media or networking events to ask questions and learn more about what your future customers care about.

Is it inconsistent?

Consistent marketing helps your customers get to know, like and trust you. That doesn’t mean you have to fall into a cosy rut, but it helps if you keep your tone of voice, values and branding consistent so people recognise you.

If a brand you know and love suddenly pops up with something wildly out of character, you might lose trust in them because you suspect they’re going off in a new direction that isn’t for you. That may be a problem if it’s a business you’ve only discovered recently, as inconsistency can prevent you from getting to know them.

If you want to avoid writing content that makes your customers cringe, I can help.  I’ll write blogs, posts, emails and whatever else you need to engage your audience. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook ’50 blog topic ideas for your business’ as a thank you.

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How you can reuse old marketing content

Reuse old marketing content

Batch-creating content is one of the easiest ways of creating consistent marketing content when you’re busy, but it’s not the only way. If you’ve been marketing your business for a while, you might think you’ve covered every possible subject. You could be right, but there’s always a new way to address the same topic. Here’s how to reuse old marketing content and give it a fresh spin.

Choose the right content

Sometimes, you write a blog post or share something on social media, and it strikes a chord, while other things fall flat—understanding which is which can help you decide which posts to use again. When you reuse old content, make sure it’s something that worked well the first time around. Alternatively, choose an evergreen topic that won’t date.

Look at your social media statistics or Google Analytics to work out what went well.

Share something again

Reusing content can sometimes be as simple as sharing it again. If a topic is still relevant and the advice you’d give hasn’t changed, there’s no harm in reposting it. Newer followers won’t have seen it, and it can be a helpful reminder of key principles for people who’ve been with you for a while.

Think carefully about timing so your content doesn’t get repetitive. I’d recommend waiting at least six months, possibly longer, before sharing something again.

Update an old blog post

You might have a post where the subject is still relevant, but some of the information you want to share has been updated. You can reuse old content by tweaking it instead of writing a new post.

For example, a post on financial planning might have the same core advice, but you need to update it to reflect that some of the tax rules have changed.

Reuse the idea

Reviewing your old content can reveal old posts where the topic is still relevant but where you’d give completely different advice. For example, there may have been a change in the law, new research or advances in your industry, or you’ve got more experience to share.

You’ll need to write a new post, so it isn’t a quick fix when you’re short on time. However, it’s great for SEO, showing Google that your content is still relevant.

Go in-depth on a subheading

This is an easy way to come up with a new topic, but you’ll still have to find time to write a new blog post. If you’ve written a general overview of a subject, pick one of the subheadings and write a more in-depth piece.

For example, if you’ve written a post about healthy eating, you might have a paragraph on eating your five a day. That could turn into a post about the health benefits or tips on ways to eat more vegetables.

Change the format

I’ve talked about ways to make your content go further before, and there are loads of ways to do it. You can reuse old content by changing the format. That could mean breaking down a blog post, sharing the same content in a video or turning a series of blog posts into an eBook.

You can also share old content on a new platform that you want to try out.

Do you want to stop creating your own marketing content? I can help create posts that make your content go further. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook ’50 blog topic ideas for your business’ as a thank you.

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Where will you find new people to grow your audience?

Marketing has two main goals. The first is to let potential customers know you exist, and the second is to show them how you help them (and that they can trust you) so they become customers. Of course, you need to grow your audience to achieve the first goal, but how do you do that? Where will you find all these new people who haven’t heard about you yet?

Here are a few of mine. If you have some of your own, let me know in the comments!

Your website

Your website can help you to grow your audience in loads of different ways. A good SEO strategy will help them find you on Google and learn about you or buy products from the comfort of their sofa. You can have a contact form so they can get in touch with you quickly or encourage them to sign up for your email list. Even if you aren’t ready to get into SEO, a website can act as a brochure where people who’ve found you elsewhere can check you out.

Social media

This is probably the first thing you think about when you’re trying to grow your audience. Social media can help you to reach people you might never meet in real life or someone who’s just up the road but hasn’t heard of you yet. This could happen because your existing followers share your posts or because each platform shows you new things that it thinks you’ll like.

You must think about what your audience needs, what platforms they spend time on and the content they’ll enjoy.

Networking

The idea of networking can strike fear into the heart of a new business owner, but it doesn’t have to be scary. It can give you a supportive community and new customers if you find the right group. Groups can vary immensely in their approach, so try out a few and see what you think.

The main disadvantage of networking is that it can be pretty time-consuming, but it can also be the fastest way to build a relationship. It can also have other benefits…

Referrals

Your network isn’t just the people you know; it’s also the people who know you. For example, you only have to dip into a community Facebook group to find someone looking for recommendations for a plumber or somewhere to get their nails done.

You could get a referral from an existing client or someone you met networking. That person you spoke to over coffee or in a Facebook group might not need your services but could end up chatting with someone who does.

The real world

How would you find new customers if every social media platform suddenly ceased to exist? I know that isn’t likely to happen, but I’ve seen plenty of people get hacked or banned and lose their business page. The reality is that you’d look to the real world. That could simply be networking or referrals. It could be making your shop front look inviting, so people walk in. Think about where your potential customers spend time offline, and you can expand your marketing horizons.

Do you want to grow your audience by creating content that speaks your customers’ language? I can help with that. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook ’50 blog topic ideas for your business’ as a thank you.

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Does your content marketing strategy match your goals?

content marketing match goals

Believe it or not, there are those who think that people who talk about strategy are out of touch with their clients’ lives.  They probably think that a strategy is created somewhere off in cloud cuckoo land. I disagree.  You can use whatever word you like for it, but a strategy is basically a plan.  You’ll probably have seen a meme that says something like “a goal is a dream with a deadline”.  If you have a goal, you need a plan to make it happen.  That’s all a strategy is.  So the question is, does your strategy match your goals?  If not, here’s how to make it happen.

What are your goals?

Goal setting can be a tricky beast.  Even when you have an amazing vision of what your life could be with a successful business, your own brain can start getting in the way.  It doesn’t help that there are eleventy billion gurus out there chucking around terms like ‘6 or 7 figure businesses’ as if it’s commonplace.  Some people have no problem visualising themselves there.  Others feel that they’re somehow unworthy.

I struggle with the ‘6-figure’ talk because it isn’t specific enough.  To me, achievable goals need to have meaning.  I don’t want a mansion in the middle of nowhere because I’m part of a great community where I am.  Plus, I like being able to walk the kids to school.  I base my goals on what’s going to make life better for my family.  If you need some help with this bit, I’d highly recommend talking to a good coach.  I’ve worked with an amazing coach who somehow took my vague waffle and helped me turn it into a plan.

goals quote Napoleon Hill

Get specific

Once you’ve set some goals, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty.  If you want to earn £x per month to get the house you want or afford a holiday, what do you need to do?  Do you need to sell a certain number of products or sign up new clients? What’s the easiest way to do that?  If you have a high-ticket item or service, you might only need to sell one or two. Conversely, if high ticket is hard to shift, is there something smaller that you can sell more of?

You might decide that you’re going to focus on one product for a month or two, then switch.  If you’ve read my last blog, you’ll know that focusing on one thing is great because it helps people to get to know you. Once you’ve worked that out, you’re ready to plan your marketing strategy so that it aligns with your goals.

Find your focus

If you want to hit your goals, you don’t just need to get specific with your business aims.  You need to apply it to your marketing too.  For example, say you’ve decided to focus on selling smaller items in January.  People are feeling a bit skint after Christmas but want to cheer themselves up.  Equally, lots of people are making New Year’s resolutions and are willing to spend money on the right help.

Work out what is going to appeal to them about the service you’re offering.  Is it a fresh start or something inexpensive to make January bearable?  When you’ve worked that out, you can start planning your content.  But that’s a subject for another blog.

Does your content strategy match your goals? My in-person brainstorming sessions give you half a day to talk about your business and find ways to get your personality, knowledge and values out of your head and into your marketing. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook ’50 blog topic ideas for your business’ as a thank you.

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Why you need a content marketing strategy

Content marketing strategy

I’ve found that there are two types of business owners.  The ones who love strategy and planning and actively seek out tools to help, and well, the other kind.  To be fair, even they could be split into two camps.  People who know they need a strategy but just can’t quite bring themselves to do it, and the ones who would happily wing it forever.  Ultimately, guess which businesses have greater success long term? Yep, the ones with a plan.  So why do you need a content marketing strategy? It’s an important piece of the overall puzzle. Here’s why.

A focused message = better results

When you plan your content marketing strategy in advance, you can work out which products or services you want to focus on.  I’ve talked before (a lot) about focusing on your ideal customer, and your content strategy planning should be an extension of that. The TL;DR version is – trying to market to everyone just makes your content bland and boring. Equally, you could sell any product or service at any time, but it’s better to focus on one.

If you’re building a relationship with your customers, focusing on one service helps them to get to know you. Your posts and blogs over a couple of weeks or a month can give them in-depth knowledge of that service and what it can do for them.  They might not need that particular thing, but it helps them to get to know you and keep following.  If you jump about, that trust could be lost.  If you’d like some help identifying where your focus should be, I can help.

Less stress for you

Have you ever sat in front of your computer and thought, ‘I need to post something today’? Or ‘I should get a blog out there this week’, without the faintest idea about what you want to say?  A content marketing strategy helps you to overcome that.  You’ll have a theme or product to focus on, and you can get everything planned in advance.  Rather than panicking and posting something random, you’ll have time to really think about what you want to say.

It also means that you can get blogs written and social media posts planned and scheduled during quiet periods. Then they’re there and ready to go when you get busier.

A consistent content marketing strategy

I’ll be talking more about aligning your content marketing strategy with your goals in a future blog post, but identifying which products or services you want to focus on is a good first step.  By doing this, you can get relevant marketing out there when people are most likely to be looking for it.  It’s why you see loads of holiday adverts on Boxing Day and wedding industry promotions around Valentine’s Day.  Timing is key.

Of course, it’s also important to have a consistent message.  When your content marketing strategy is planned in advance, you can ensure it all makes sense.  You can have a theme running through each month’s marketing like a golden thread.  It shouldn’t be exactly the same message every time, but it should all tie together.  As you might have guessed, this month I’m mostly talking about strategy and planning. It’s a good way to start the year. I’ll be writing blogs like this one and sharing tools and resources that have helped me to plan, so you can use them if you want to.

Do you have a plan for this year? My in-person brainstorming sessions give you half a day to talk about your business and find ways to get your personality, knowledge and values out of your head and into your marketing. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook ’50 blog topic ideas for your business’ as a thank you.

Further reading

If you’re wondering why you need content marketing anyway, here’s a great piece from marketing legend Neil Patel.