Back to school is next week, and if you live in Toronto, you know exactly what that means. The roads are about to get busier, the gyms will suddenly be packed again, calendars will fill up and that slightly slower pace of summer will disappear almost overnight.
September has always felt a little like a mini-January 1st to me.
Maybe it's years of associating September with a new school year, but there's something about this time of year that makes people want to get organized, establish better routines and start fresh. Just look at your local gym next week and you'll see exactly what I mean.
It's also a great time to look at your business.
I'm not suggesting you completely overhaul your marketing strategy, redesign your website, start posting every day, launch a podcast and finally figure out TikTok before Thanksgiving. In fact, I'd recommend the opposite.
If you've been thinking that your small business marketing could use a little more attention, choose a few small, achievable changes that you can actually maintain.
Here are five places I'd start.
1. Commit to Sending One Newsletter a Month
If you don't currently have an email newsletter, September is a great time to start one.
One email a month.That's it.
Email marketing gives you something social media can't always guarantee: a direct line of communication with people who have actively chosen to hear from your business.
You don't have to worry quite as much about whether an algorithm decides to show your latest post to 3% or 30% of your followers. Your newsletter lands directly in someone's inbox.
But here's the important part: don't make every newsletter a sales pitch.
Give people a reason to open it.
A retailer might include new arrivals, a staff favourite, an upcoming event and a helpful product tip. A spa could share seasonal skincare advice, introduce a new treatment and include available appointments. A restaurant could feature a new menu item, share an upcoming event or even include a recipe. A service-based business could answer a common customer question and provide a useful seasonal reminder.
A simple monthly newsletter might include a short personal introduction, something helpful or educational, what's new at your business, an upcoming event or promotion and one clear call to action.
You don't need to email people every day. Personally, that's a pretty quick way to get me to hit unsubscribe.
I'd rather receive one genuinely useful email every month that I actually want to open.
If you want to read more about Email marketing, read my recent post.
2. Get Involved in Your Local Facebook Community
Yesterday I was visiting a small local business and the owner mentioned that he was struggling to reach customers through social media.
I completely understand why.
There's SO much noise.
Businesses are competing with friends, family, influencers, memes, news, advertising and an endless stream of content for a few seconds of someone's attention.
I suggested something incredibly simple: start occasionally participating in our local community Facebook group.
Community Facebook groups can be fantastic for local businesses because the audience is already there, and more importantly, they're local. You're not trying to reach 10,000 random people. You're trying to reach the people who actually live nearby and could become customers.
There is, however, a right and wrong way to do this.
Read the group rules first. Some community groups allow businesses to post only on certain days, some have dedicated promotional threads and others don't allow direct business advertising at all. Respect those rules.
Then resist the temptation to constantly post ads.Be useful.
If someone asks for a recommendation that's genuinely relevant to your business, respond. If you're participating in a community event, share it when appropriate. If your business is doing something interesting that genuinely affects the community, tell people about it.
And participate as a person too. Don't make every interaction about your business.
The goal isn't to infiltrate a Facebook group and start selling to everyone. It's to become a recognizable, helpful member of the community.
That's a very different kind of marketing.
3. Spend One Hour Creating a Marketing Calendar
Here's another September resolution that costs absolutely nothing.
Put an hour in your calendar, sit down with your laptop, notebook or spreadsheet and plan your marketing for the next month.
Even better?Plan through Christmas.
Start by adding the obvious dates: Thanksgiving, Halloween, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Christmas and any other holidays or events that are relevant to your business.
Then add your own important dates. Product launches, events, sales, new services, anniversaries, community events, seasonal products and anything else you know is coming.
Now you have the bones of your content calendar.
From there, decide what you're going to talk about each week.
If you're currently inconsistent with social media, don't suddenly decide you're going to post twice a day.
Commit to something realistic.
Two or three quality posts per week is a great place to start.
Planning those posts ahead of time means you aren't staring at your phone at 8 p.m. on a Wednesday thinking, "I haven't posted anything this week. What am I going to say?"
An hour of planning can save you hours of scrambling later.
Want to learn more? Read this…
4. Give Your Google Business Profile a 10-Minute Checkup
Here's another incredibly achievable September goal.
Open your Google Business Profile and look at it as though you're a potential customer.
Is your phone number correct? Is your website linked? Are your opening hours accurate? Do you have recent photos? Are there reviews you haven't responded to? Are your products or services up to date?
Most importantly, as we head toward Thanksgiving and the holiday season, get into the habit of updating your special opening hours whenever they change.
I recently wrote an entire article about why your Google Business Profile is one of the best free marketing tools small businesses aren't using enough, and this is exactly the kind of small task that can have a real impact without requiring hours of your time. (Read it here)
Put a recurring 10-minute appointment in your calendar once a week or even every other week and keep it current.
5. Pick ONE Thing You Want to Improve
Here's where I'd resist the urge to do everything.
Don't make your September marketing resolution:
"I want to get better at marketing."
That's too vague.Choose one specific thing:
Maybe you want to grow your email list.
Maybe you want more people visiting your website.
Maybe you want to get five new Google reviews every month.
Maybe you want to post consistently three times a week.
Maybe you want more inquiries through Instagram.
Maybe you simply want to take more photos so you always have content available.
Choose one.
Then pay attention to it for the next few months.
Small improvements compound over time, and you'll learn much more by consistently working toward one clear goal than by trying twelve different marketing strategies for two weeks and abandoning all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business Marketing
How often should a small business post on social media?
There isn't one perfect posting frequency for every business. For many small businesses, consistently publishing two or three useful, engaging posts per week can be more realistic and effective than trying to post every day and eventually burning out. Quality and consistency matter more than simply filling your feed.
Is email marketing worth it for a small business?
Yes. Email marketing allows small businesses to communicate directly with customers and subscribers without relying entirely on social media algorithms. A useful monthly newsletter can help keep your business top of mind while sharing news, advice, products, services and promotions.
Should small businesses use local Facebook groups for marketing?
Local Facebook groups can be valuable for businesses that serve a specific community, but businesses should always follow each group's rules. Focus on being helpful and participating genuinely rather than repeatedly posting advertisements.
How far ahead should I plan my social media content?
Planning at least one month ahead can make social media much easier to manage. If your business has a busy fall or holiday season, planning from September through December can help you prepare photography, promotions and content before things get hectic.
What is the easiest way to improve my small business marketing?
Start with one manageable change you can consistently maintain. A monthly newsletter, a simple content calendar, regular Google Business Profile updates or committing to two or three social media posts each week can all be effective starting points.
Your September Reset Doesn't Have to Be Huge
There's something about September that makes us want to get our lives back in order.
We return to routines. We make schedules. We go back to the gym. We organize things that somehow fell apart during July and August.
Why not give your marketing a little September reset too?
You don't need to do everything on this list. In fact, I'd rather you choose one or two ideas and actually stick with them.
Send that monthly newsletter.
Spend an hour creating your marketing calendar.
Show up consistently on social media.
Participate in your community.
Keep your Google Business Profile current.
Small, consistent marketing habits can make a much bigger difference than an enormous strategy that you don't have the time to maintain.
And if September has you feeling motivated to finally get your business marketing organized but you don't know where to begin, that's exactly the kind of thing I help small businesses with. From social media and content planning to websites, branding and marketing strategy, I'd be happy to help you turn that September motivation into something you can actually stick with. Send me an email to set up a free chat!