Small business marketing consultant with 25 yrs experience talks about what marketing is, knowing your ‘why’ & focusing on the customer. Excellent books, podcasts & tools to help any fast-growing business with their marketing (Episode 28 - Toni Kibbey)

In this episode, I interview Toni Kibbey, a subject matter expert on marketing. With over 25 years in marketing, especially in small business, Toni strongly believes if you don’t have a customer, you don’t have a business. And that’s where your marketing should be built around. Marketing is more than a logo or advertising, it’s a diverse range of elements, from pricing, people, copy, packaging, and a quality product or service. For small business owners, sometimes a passion can overrule the commerciality or viability of something because you believe in it so much.

You must listen to your customers before you start running into the forest looking for trees. In her experience, the biggest thing owners of fast-growth small businesses do poorly in marketing is focus. Which is where your strength (or your why) comes into play. She believes the hardest thing in growing a small business when it comes to marketing is knowledge, time, and budget.

The advice she would give a small business owner about marketing on day one is, “Customer: Know who you are creating a service or product for, and who you are going to talk to. Understand who they are, what motivates them, what drives them, and why they’re going to choose you”

Other Resources:

Are you based in Tasmania? We have a regular small business meet-up in Hobart and Launceston, leave your email here to get the invite.

This Cast Covers:

Coaching small businesses and startups in their marketing and understanding their consumers.
The importance of marketing when growing a small business.
Getting the optimal price point so you maximize your gross profits.
Developing both your brand strategy and marketing strategy, and how powerful marketing can be for your business.
The one thing small business owners focused on growth do really well.
How passion and innovation can sometimes get in the way of focus.
Joining a networking group to gain access to tons of resources and create a voice in your industry.
Knowledge, time, and budget: The hardest thing in marketing a small business.
The role of strategy and knowing your customer in ensuring success in fast growth.
The magic in finding out 20 reasons why your customers choose you.

Additional Resources:

Toni’s email – toni@elementco.com.au
The Brand Gap By Marty Neumeier
Start with Why By Simon Sinek
Seth Godin
Gary Vaynerchuk

Quotes:

If you don’t know what is special about you, or your service, or your product, then all you’ve got is price, and that’s all you’ve got to sell on – Toni Kibbey