Spring is the unofficial time of the year to clean up and organize after months stuck inside. But this mindset can include more than just your home. Your business should include a “clean sweep” through not just your spaces, but your processes and operations as well. Although each business is unique, we recommend looking at these key areas: inventory, technology, marketing and advertising. While each area may not need a “deep clean” per se, this is a good time to not only assess what’s not working, but what is – and continue doing more of that.
- Organize Your Inventory
Let’s be honest: it’s probably been a while since you’ve organized your inventory in a meaningful way. Take a look at products that are no longer top sellers and consider how you can move them more efficiently during the summer months. (Discounts? Free gifts?). Meanwhile, take a look at your higher-demand products and ear mark where your stock is low. Transparency with your inventory is key to avoid any lost sales during peak seasons.
- Integrate Better Technology
As technology continues to improve and change by the minute, it’s never too often to review the best technology assets for your business. According to a recent LinkedIn article from Think Global Logistics, “AI-powered algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and make predictions, while advanced tracking systems and real-time analytics provide valuable insights into the movement of goods.” Some of your vendors, such as UPS and DHL, are already using these types of systems to ensure timely deliveries and minimize disruptions.
- Audit Your Marketing
Today, consumers consider email marketing and social media to be another way of sharing “word of mouth” referrals. When a customer comments on a post, or forwards an email to a friend, they are effectively helping your brand reach new audiences. Consider how your organic social media marketing is performing. Look at the engagement and reach. Are you seeing peak performance during certain times of the year or with certain products? Check how strong your open and click rate is on your emails. Is your unsubscribe rate relatively low? Assessing these performance metrics can help you make smarter decisions for the future.
- Invest in Advertising
Now is also a good time to consider investing in paid advertising. Unlike the “word of mouth” referral that comes from organic online marketing, paid content is pushed towards audiences that are most likely to purchase your content. Three main channels we recommend include:
Facebook Boosted Posts: This is the “no brainer” way to promote content. Using a post you have already created, you can boost the content with as little as $10 to reach audiences that Facebook deems an ideal audience for your page.
Facebook Advertising: After you have audited your marketing and can determine specific products that are doing well, create an ad for that product only and push it to the audience most likely to buy it.
Google Ads: Run a quick report from a marketing tool like Semrush and determine which keywords are best for your product. Use those keywords to set up Google Ads. The popularity of the words or phrases will determine how expensive the ads will be, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $200-$500 per month. Try it for a month or two and see if it drives the traffic – and sales – to your website which will make the investment worth it.
Why is spring cleaning an effective mindset? These are tasks you know you should do on a semi-regular basis but that you never seem to have the time for. But if you put off spring cleaning for too long, issues will arise. Use this time of year to check off a few of your to-do’s and set yourself up for a more productive summer.
Need help checking off a few of these items? Contact our team. We’re here to help.
