Episode 2: Auditing Your Business A Deep Dive into Marketing Success

In our second episode of The Nouveau Podcast, we delved into the story of how this podcast came to be. Today, we're diving deep into a crucial topic: auditing your business.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I want to share a little something personal. I believe in leading with authenticity, and that includes sharing a bit about myself and my own journey.

I'm a firm believer in the power of faith and community. Today, I was reading 1 Corinthians 13:4, which reminds us that "Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable and does not keep records of wrongs." I believe this verse applies not only to our personal relationships but also to our business endeavors. Building a successful business requires patience, kindness, and a genuine desire to serve our customers and community.

Remember how I mentioned in the first episode that I conducted a thorough audit of my own business, Sweet Baton Rouge®? It was a game-changer! This self-reflection process helped me cut through the noise and identify some critical areas that were missing.

Humanizing Your Brand:

One of the most important takeaways from that audit was the realization that people buy from people. This led me to question: How much of my own personality and story am I truly integrating into my brand?

Now, I understand that for some businesses, a highly personalized approach might not be the ideal fit. However, I firmly believe that there needs to be some level of human connection to foster genuine relationships with your customers and build a thriving community. When was the last time you genuinely connected with your audience on a personal level? When was the last time your face appeared on your social media feeds with impactful messaging that authentically reflects your values and resonates with your community?

The Marketing Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide

To help you conduct your own thorough marketing audit, I've created a framework with five key steps:

1. Business Overview

2. Sales & Revenue

3. Website Audit

4. Social Media Audit

5. Email Marketing

Setting Goals and Tracking Progress:

When you tune into the podcast, you will find all the details with our step by step guide. So, grab your pencil and notebook, you will have lots to write down. That's the beauty of conducting a thorough marketing audit. Once you've gathered all this information and analyzed your current situation, you can start setting clear, achievable goals.

Think about it:

• Where do you want to be in six months?

• What specific metrics will you track to measure your progress?

• What marketing strategies will you implement to achieve those goals?

For example, if your audit reveals that your website traffic is low, you might set a goal to increase website traffic by 20% within the next quarter. Then, you can develop specific strategies to achieve that goal, such as improving your website's search engine optimization (SEO), running targeted social media campaigns, or launching a paid advertising campaign.

The Importance of Data Analysis:

When it comes to analyzing your business, knowing your numbers is paramount. You need to dig deep and understand every aspect of your performance, comparing year-over-year results to identify trends and pinpoint areas for improvement.

Let's focus on sales data.

• Total Revenue: Track your overall revenue growth year-over-year. Are you seeing consistent growth, or are there areas that need attention?

• Sales by Channel: Analyze which sales channels are performing best. Are online sales surpassing in-store sales? Are certain marketplaces driving more revenue than others?

• Top-Selling Products/Services: This is a goldmine of information! Identify your best-selling products or services. What do they have in common? What are your customers drawn to?

For example, at Sweet Baton Rouge®, we're a t-shirt company. Over the past two years, we've meticulously analyzed our sales data to understand which designs resonate with our customers. This data-driven approach helps us refine our design process, identify trends, and make informed decisions about which designs to invest in and how to market them effectively.

By understanding customer preferences, we can avoid costly mistakes and ensure that we're creating products that our customers truly desire. If you don't know what your customers are buying, you're essentially guessing, and that can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities.

In this episode, we delved into the importance of conducting a thorough marketing audit for your business. We discussed the critical role of humanizing your brand, the importance of analyzing your sales data, and the power of understanding your target audience.

Remember, this audit is an ongoing process. It's not a one-time event, but rather a continuous cycle of analysis, improvement, and growth.

I encourage you to take some time to reflect on your own business and begin your own marketing audit.