Seven practical ways of marketing your small business
Today, poor marketing is the number one cause of failure amongst small businesses who cannot hack it due to its complexity, expensive and time-consuming nature. The truth is when done right; marketing is the secret to overcoming stagnation.
However, most small businesses get it wrong by failing to invest in a marketing plan, opting for a lousy strategy, lacking consistency, and targeting the wrong audiences. The secret to making it in marketing is to find a method that works for you and double down on it.
Below are seven marketing strategies that work best for small businesses for your consideration.
Take advantage of event marketing
Taking part in events is a powerful marketing strategy for small businesses. Here you can quickly generate leads, gain new customers and strengthen relationships with existing buyers. What’s more, it offers different options for your convenience. You can, for instance, hold an event, attend one as a guest speaker, or, better yet, sponsor it.
All these choices are effective in increasing your brand awareness. During the event, strategize your business in a way that everyone gets to notice it. One of the best ways to do this is to use giant inflatable bottles or email automation to engage the event’s attendants.
So, what events are suitable for marketing your small business? The truth is not every event will help with getting your business out there. Instead, it would help if you looked out for large-scale events that comprise different prospects and allow for networking. Some of the best functions to attend are product launches, VIP events, seminars, and conferences.
Have a solid social media presence
With more than half of the world’s population being active social media users, the best you can do as a small business is strategically place yourself on different platforms. Being active on social media allows you to respond to your customer’s concerns and builds healthy connections with them.
Moreover, it enables you to stay ahead of your competitors by allowing you to track their activities. Social media marketing is also cost-effective as it allows for collaboration between different businesses and offers affordable advertising fees. Consequently, it will enable personalization which helps grab your target customer’s attention.
Photo by Zen Chung from Pexels
Despite this, take note that social media marketing is not a walk in the park. It requires careful planning and execution. Some of the key things to factor in include coming up with clear marketing goals, identifying and concentrating on your target audiences, maintaining consistency, and providing suitable content.
Invest in a professional website
The sad truth is that many small businesses are yet to establish a website in this day and age. If you are among this group, rest assured that your business will not pick up anytime soon. However, an online presence through a well-built website works to inform the world of your credibility and professionalism.
Moreover, it offers a 24/7 marketing plan for your business where people can quickly learn about what you do even when you are busy elsewhere. What’s more, a website makes it possible for people from any corner of the world to locate and buy from you, and this helps increase sales.
To get the most from your website, keep it updated through continuous blogging. The content should be easy to read, valuable and truthful. Moreover, make the website mobile responsive and easy to navigate. This will help capture the vast number of mobile users today. Lastly, work on your page’s speed and have your contact information adequately displayed.
Indulge in email marketing
Though considered an old way of getting things done, email marketing is still as valuable in generating revenues and increasing your brand awareness as it was 50 years ago. Nonetheless, getting your prospective audiences to read your emails requires that you do them right.
Therefore, you must start by knowing who your target audience is, as this will enable you to customize your message to meet their needs. Next, have your marketing goals ready and settle on a suitable type of email campaign.
Decide on how often to reach out to your target audience and have a mechanism for measuring your email marketing results. As you communicate with your target audience, ensure to provide a medium to sign up as members of your email list.
Hold customer loyalty programs
Customer loyalty programs are an easy gate pass to winning your customer’s emotions which is critical in converting sales. What’s more, it gives you a competitive advantage over your competitors, increasing your chances of succeeding in the market. Moreover, it helps in customer retention, which is fundamental to the success of your business.
Customer loyalty programs also help create brand advocates who, besides buying from you, recommend your products to their family, friends, and outer circle. There is also a high possibility of attracting outsiders to your business through this strategy, mainly if you advertise your events on social media.
A potential buyer will always want to purchase and sign up with a business that offers valuable loyalty programs to its customers.
Take part in community work
Corporate social responsibility is an indirect way of increasing your visibility and fostering productive relationships with your target audience. For example, taking time off to participate in a local event through volunteerism or sponsorship goes a long way in enhancing your brand awareness.
Consequently, it assures your target audience of your good interest in them, and this increases their loyalty, making them more likely to choose your brand over others. Community work also increases your chances of referrals and gaining new customers.
Statistics show that customers value businesses that take steps in bettering their community’s welfare. Therefore go ahead and take this invaluable step to help take your small venture to the highest level.
Take charge of Google
Google is a powerful marketing tool for small businesses. It ranks as the most used search engine among prospective buyers today. Over the years, Google has devised various methods of ensuring companies stand out. SEO and Google Business Profile are two of the widely used methods.
SEO is a concept concerned with ensuring your business ranks on the top pages of Google. On the other hand, Google Business Profile involves getting your business found on search engines and apps such as Google maps. In addition, it ensures that potential customers can easily access important information concerning your business, such as hours of work, directions, website, and contact information.
Easily accessible and accurate information is critical to customers as it woes them to choose you over your competitors.
Conclusion
Continuous marketing is the secret you need to take your small business to the next level. As you embark on this critical journey, incorporate the above seven strategies for guaranteed success.
