Remember in the beginning when your business was just an idea? A concept waiting to become a reality? You had a vision of a product or service, perhaps born out of a passion to help make people’s lives easier, contribute to a better world or simply create something beautiful. You invested time, energy and creativity into fulfilling that vision and launched a business that you value and care about – you did it!

But then reality set in and your time began to be eaten away, taking you further and further from your vision.

We know from experience, that running a small business can quickly become overwhelming when faced with a multitude of day-to-day tasks, many of which you may have little experience of and/or interest in. And it becomes increasingly frustrating and disheartening as you see the negative impact it’s having on your growth and overall success.

You don’t have to juggle everything on your own

If this is all sounding a bit too familiar, it’s time to get back to basics with your small business. One of the easiest ways in which to do this is by offloading the work that’s holding you back. Outsourcing marketing to a virtual marketing assistant is a gamechanger. At Hazel & Kin, we can offer you extra time, more headspace and creative input by taking on those necessary but time draining tasks so that you can get back to concentrating on achieving your goals.

After initially offering only copywriting, we began to realise it wasn’t enough for small businesses. We’d spent years working in marketing departments and could do so much more to help small business owners. So, we took a step back and reworked our services, splitting them into four main areas:

· Copywriting and Content

· Social Media

· Email Marketing

· Marketing Admin

Whether you use only one service or decide on all four, our marketing support will give you the freedom to focus on growing your business. The choice is yours!

Copywriting and content that engages and sells

Copy and content are key to marketing. Your website is your shop front and it’s the copy on your website that connects with all those like-minded people out there – AKA, your dream audience. Your website’s blog will draw your audience in further, allowing them to take a deep dive into all the things you really care about – the same things they care about too. Your blog will also keep your website up to date with fresh, relevant content, helping your audience grow. And your product/services descriptions will speak to their needs, appealing to their senses and converting them into customers.

Growing brand awareness on social media

Looking and sounding good on social media go hand-in-hand. Sometimes it can feel like you’re shouting into the void and the returning silence is deafening. Eye-catching designs and chatty captions will pause scrolling thumbs. In a crowded space, creating a buzz about your brand requires a consistent aesthetic and tone of voice. Not only can we keep the social content coming, we’re also masters of repurposing what you already have. Content creation isn’t just about creativity, it’s also about efficiency.

Communicating directly with your target audience via email

You’ve done the hard part by getting your subscribers to subscribe. Now you need to make them feel part of your small community and show them you understand who they are and what they need. Let them be the first to know about any new products/services and/or offers. Give subscriber-only access to resources and other freebies. Help them out with handy tips and advice on your area of expertise. Make them feel valued.

Marketing admin that streamlines the day-to-day

Admin has a habit of piling up until you find yourself faced with a huge backlog. Instead of constantly trying to catch up, snatching hours late in the evening or at weekends, you can outsource some of the work by getting a virtual marketing assistant onboard. You’ll find yourself with more time to focus on moving your business forward (and maybe even some more downtime!) – safe in the knowledge that your marketing admin is flowing along nicely in the background. Whether it’s liaising with suppliers, responding to customer reviews, database management or organising events, not having to manage these tasks will save you so much time and stress.

Consistency is key

What is consistent marketing? Is it posting a certain number of times on social media every week? Is it emailing out a newsletter on the same day of the month?

In short, the answer to all these questions is “no”.

As with most things, quality over quantity is the best approach to marketing your small business – and a large part of this is being instantly recognisable. Familiarity leads to trust, and trust leads to loyalty. People want to feel like they know you a little bit, so show them who you are. They’re much more likely to choose you if they can relate. It’s about reaching the right people rather than the most people.

Rather than being all over the place, spinning all the plates, we’ll be focusing in on one area – marketing. Outsourcing doesn’t mean giving up ownership. There’s nothing we love more than collaborating with small biz owners to get right to the heart of their business. It means that you can share out the work you don’t have time to do or simply don’t enjoy.

Finding that work/life balance

Just like you, we have busy lives to live, which is why we created a business that fits round them. And we want to help you do the same, by lightening the load and by doing the work we love so you can do yours. Sometimes a slight shift can have a big impact so why not start small and build up from there. You might be amazed by the result!

If you’d like to reclaim your time and move your business forward, check out our services.

Getting back to basics with your small business