There are many demands on an entrepreneur’s time, and it can be difficult to focus on the future with so many fires to put out and opportunities to seize today. It’s a constant dance — sometimes you’re the lead, and sometimes you follow.  

Too often, marketing and PR initiatives are put on the backburner. You don’t proactively plan because you’re caught up in this daily dance of assessing urgency and acting on what’s in front of you. I get it — I struggle with this dance too. Yet, I also know the impact of inactivity: fewer leads, less reputational control, lack of awareness and internal disorganization that feeds to the stream of fires.   

You may be OK now… but for how long? How long can you operate without a proactive strategy to support sales leads and build both credibility and awareness? Where should you place your efforts?  

Here’s where I suggest you start:  

Get Your CRM in Order 

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform is essential for tracking, segmenting and communicating with your customers, prospects and other stakeholders. It’s the home base for inbound marketing and automation strategies that support a sales pipeline in the short and long term.  

If you don’t have a centralized location to store and segment your company’s contacts, this should be a top priority. Even if your sales team is successful at landing deals without this level of organization, you are inhibiting your potential for future progress if you lack an organized CRM.  

Need a nudge? We often recommend HubSpot, but we are accustomed to many tools and platforms depending on industry, budget and resources. We can help you vet platforms and set them up.  

Need some inspiration? Here’s how you can utilize your CRM for email marketing:  

Get to Know Your Customer (Again)  

What is the only constant in life? Change.   

People change. Circumstances change. Technologies change. Have you evaluated whether your marketing strategy should change, too? Do your efforts meet the needs of your customers and prospects today?   

Think about the impact of artificial intelligence, inflation or a presidential election. Today’s pain points may not be the same as a year ago. Now is the time to reassess customer pain points and determine how you can solve their problems. Should you stay the course, innovate a new offering or pivot? Use surveys, informational interviews, market data and fresh perspectives to determine if the path you’re going down is the right one.  

I explore this topic further in Marketing Strategies to Retain B2B Customers in a Volatile World for the Forbes Business Council.  

Reevaluate Your Website Content & Flow  

Hands down, a website is the most critical component of a marketing strategy. Your 24/7 storefront can make or break deals, as people will judge your operations, value and efficacy by the content on your website. What does your website say about you? Can visitors easily find what they need? Does the content support conversions? Request a website audit and find out.  

Here are some hot topics to consider:  

Take Control of Your Reputation with a PR Strategy 

Every company needs PR, yet I find the concept and purpose of public relations is often nebulous in general business circles. In a nutshell, a comprehensive PR strategy is crucial for managing a reputation, increasing awareness and building credibility. While often associated with publicity (aka: “getting press”), PR campaigns encompass numerous tactics, which may also include speaking engagements, awards, sponsorships and social media, to form a public image.  

What happens when you don’t make PR a priority? Your target audiences won’t find you in a noisy market filled with competitors vying for attention. And what’s worse — other people (who may include your competitors or disgruntled former employees) will define your public reputation. You have the choice to take charge of your reputation and determine how your target audiences perceive you.  

Want to build your reputation in the press — whether niche trade publications or top-tier mass media? We can help with a PR strategy. We know how to find the sweet spot between what you want to communicate to your target audiences, and what reporters actually want to write about. Learn more about “newsworthiness” — the determinant of your media relations success.  

Don’t Push Off Marketing & PR  

Integrated agencies like Aker Ink can play a tailored role in building your business — we can fill gaps, drive proactive planning and manage the execution of a wide variety of marketing and PR strategies. We know your time is limited but we also understand time is of the essence. I invite you to reach out to me directly to discuss your priorities.